Standing on one leg

We all love to do exciting moves in tango and can't wait to include challenging new steps in our dance. Most classes and workshop are focused on increasing our arsenal of complex figures so that, in theory, we can dance with more content. But how many of those figures actually get assimilated into your social dancing? Can you pull them off at milongas? Or do they only appear at your dance class or when you talk your partner through it at a practica? Watching people trying to work out new figures I've seen it fall apart so many times because of wobbles and lack of connection or control. If you can't stand on one leg without wobbling long enough to give your partner time to do their bit and not knock them off their axis then you won't be able to lead or follow any figure. We've got to be responsible for our own axis even if we're dancing apilado. The shared axis isn't an excuse for making your partner hold you up or keep you on balance. Technique training is the only way of getting over this hurdle. It doesn't matter how many figures you know; until you have the strength to be in control of your own balance and to be able to prolong a movement or hold a position for as long as it takes for your partner to have got to where they need to be, your encyclopedic knowledge of figures won't help you one bit. Anyone who can walk normally can build up enough strength to dance tango but it does take time and dedication. You have to commit to regularly doing technique exercises. All serious and experienced tango dancers do it - normally alone at home in their kitchens - because they know it's the only way to be able to dance.