What (not) to wear for dancing tango
Many folks, though not all, dress up for milongas (parties), especially holiday or other special occassion milongas. Casual is the rule for classes.
People often ask what to wear to dance classes. Beyond suggesting casual comfort and shoes that allow you to pivot without being too grippy or too slippery on wood floor, it's more to the point to make some suggestions about what to avoid.
Comfort is paramount in a dance class, so wear something that's comfortable to you. Also check the outside of your clothes for comfort, because your partner will be brushing against your sleeves, shoulder, and back. For instance, consider whether those sparkly sequins might scour the sensitive skin inside their wrist or those fabulous feathers flutter your partner's nose. Along the same lines, it's good form to avoid perfume or cologne.
Cuffs on pants are a ticking time bomb. Ladies especially can catch their heels in their own or another's cuffs with comic or dangerous results. It's not a sure thing every time out on the floor, but from the first time your cuffs take another dancer down you'll have no trouble remembering to check for cuffs when you shop for clothes.
Tight skirts look great, but watch out for restricted movement; long steps are one of your most attractive assets in tango. Long skirts also look great, but they may obscure your legs and feet from the teacher and your partner and, like cuffs, may even get entangled in some steps.
It's impossible to tell in the details without actually dancing in the clothes, but the obvious extremes may be avoided even in the beginning.
Open toe shoes are an open invitation to torment. However much your toes hurt when they're stepped on, the stepper's ego and confidence will hurt even more, but maybe you like it that way! Closed toe shoes may not offer that much protection for your toes, but they do help give a guy the illusion that it didn't hurt when he stepped on them.
Heels should also be enclosed, at least with a strap. Ladies spend a significant amount of time stepping backwards when dancing tango. Those comfy easy-on mules that were never ever a problem walking (forward) all over town can become an easy-off hazard on the dance floor when you back right out of them.
We value your suggestions for revisions or additions to this page. john@creativetango.com