Tango lessons

I Learned a lot about learning tonight in a one- hour tango lesson.

1. It helps to know the big picture before you begin.
Steve and I were 10 minutes late to our lesson and we missed the instructor's introduction to the dance. We got there in time to step out on the floor and follow the instructors steps but having missed the intro, we were in a state of confusion. We just stood on the dance floor looking dumbfounded and asked each other, " What are we supposed to be doing?"

2. It helps to relate new learning to something you already know.
Half way through the lesson it dawned on us that the tango is unlike any other dance we have ever done and in fact is more like practicing partner yoga. Okay, now we get it sort of. You don't dance to the beat.

3. If you don't think you will enjoy it, you don't want to stick around to learn it.
We like dancing to a beat. We like mastering a pattern of steps. So when we realized we weren't going to do either we just wanted to quit and go home.

4. If you don't think you will be good at it, you don't want to keep trying.
The instructor was a master tango- er and made it look simple and elegant. But eight steps was about all Steve and I could master, and that wasn't enough to keep us motivated to learn more.

5. An instructor's passion for the subject can inspire the learner.
Near the end of the hour, Steve and I were both ready to quit and go home, but something made me want to give it one last try. It wasn't because I liked dancing with no regard for the beat. It wasnt because we were starting to get the hang of it. It was this man's love for the dance. I wanted to know why he and all the other tango -ers out there travel the world over to attend tango events. So I asked if I could dance with him. And now I get it. It's smooth yet unpredictable. It's earthy yet sophisticated. It's simple yet complex. After only three dances, I felt a little bit of success and am intrigued enough to google "tango" and drag Steve back out on the dance floor.