Choose your partner. In the tango, as with any ballroom dances, you will find it easier to become proficient at the dance if you have a regular partner to practice with.
Select your music. Modern tango music tends to come in one of two styles: the Argentinian style, which is very melodic, or the more rhythmic European style. The ballroom tango can be danced to music of wither style, usually in 2/4 0r 4/4 time with a medium tempo.
Take your initial position. The embrace closes with chests facing each other and right cheeks touching or aligned side by side. Posture should be upright. The hold position is compact with the man's right hand positioned across the lady's spine. His left hand and the lady's right are clasped at about the eye level of the lady.
Learn the basic steps first. The feet are lifted and placed, rather than it being a gliding movement. Body level should remain constant, with no rise or fall. The basic tango move is five steps made to an eight count of music. The rhythm is slow, slow, quick, quick, slow.
The man's five steps are listed below.
Step forward with your left foot, then step forward again with your right foot passing beyond the left foot position, then take a third step forward with the left foot now passing the right foot. The woman steps back with her right foot, then twice more with the left foot passing the right and then the right passing the left again
Step forward and to the right with your right foot, then close the left foot up to the right foot's position. The lady steps back and to the left with her left foot and then closes up the right foot to that position.
Repeat the cycle of steps and you have the basic eight count tango moves. The tango walk wil usually curve gently to the left as you proceed round the floor.
Consider what embellishments you and your partner want to add to the basic steps. The basic corte is a lunge move performed to the two slow beats and there are promenade moves with left or right swivels. There are many other steps that can be added to the basics, details of which can be found in the reference sections below. These will give a distinctive feel to your dance, but should not be rushed, do not try to add too many before you have mastered the basic moves of the dance.