Clay's Blogs

Have an idea for a poll you’d like to see me conduct?  Click on Contact and send me a message with your idea.

(Note: To read report, click on it’s title below.  To make comments, fill out either of the two reply blocks at the bottom.) Letter from TangoTecnia Milongueras y Milongueros: With great pleasure we present the 2014 Report Attributes and Preferences in Tango. For the first time, the tango has a complete picture about the tastes, […]

By Beth Anne Osborn, 2008 If you are new to tango or just new to Portland ValenTango, follow these simple guidelines and you’ll double your chances of getting Danced. Attend Classes at your ability level. Don’t make the mistake of taking classes that are beyond your grasp expecting to meet the “Good Dancers.”  By choosing the right level class […]

1.  It can be physically difficult.  Unlike open embrace, close embrace allows zero tolerance for error.  If your steps and movements don’t match exactly your partner, it’s immediately apparent and uncomfortable. 2.  It can be emotionally difficult.  Locked inside all of us are intense emotional feelings–love, hate, fear, happiness, shame, pride, anger, respect, confusion, delight, vulnerability, longing, etc.  For whatever […]

Although the 8-count basic has some great stuff, here’s 8 reasons I believe tango instructors should not use it to teach absolute beginners: It’s difficult for beginner’s to execute correctly, It misleads couples into thinking they know how to dance tango, It doesn’t encourage good lead and follow, It stifles improvisation, I causes beginners to […]

Here’s a great article about tango etiquette. The finer points of tango culture by Mark Word [fbcomments]

Solution 1: For flash dances out on the streets of Ashland, Bjorg uses a painter’s tarp and duck tapes down the edges.  Works pretty well! Solution 2: Buying a large piece of  linoleum or vinyl from a home store is cheap and easy to lay down, but if on concrete there’s no padding and I […]

Ok, leaders it’s your turn.  What’s the single most annoying thing that tango followers do that make you crazy? Here’s your chance to rant about it–and make suggestions on how you can communicate this to your follower. However, before you do, I suggest you first read over last months “Follower’s Rant“.  Below is a brief […]

The one who had made everyone else disappear When I woke up this morning, I found no one in the house. I looked outside, but there was no one in the street. Boarding a bus with no driver, I made my way to an empty airport and onto a plane,    where I waited, alone. exhausted, […]

To help organizers, instructors, DJs and orchestras connect up with one another, I’ve created three separate data bases. To add your contact information to the data base and/or to view the contact information in the data base, click on the appropriate links below. Submit your contact information to the Data Base: Local Organizer’s Contact Form Traveling […]

What’s the difference between a passion, an obsession and an addiction–and where does tango fit in? Record your vote on this issue in the poll below and then give us your thoughts, ideas, experiences and input regarding this issue in the comment section below. ( To include your profile picture in the “Leave a Reply” section, click […]

What’s the most annoying things that tango leaders do that make you crazy? Here’s your chance to rant about it–and make suggestions on how you can communicate this to your leader. Just write your comments and replies below.

Throw out your best idea(s) for a Tango Bumper Sticker. Just type them into the Facebook comment section below.

Have you composed a new tango and would like the world to hear it?  Tell us about yourself, your music and give us a link to your compositions in a reply below so that we can hear your music.

Many (perhaps most) tango communities at one time or another have had to deal with  unpleasant and inappropriate characters. These people can be disruptive and divisive to the community. The topic of this Muse is, “what was their behavior and how did you deal with them?” Any examples, descriptions and advice you can give will […]

Frequently I’m asked what software applications do I use to create my website, manage my surveys, promote my festivals etc. Well, here’s a list of what I use along with some comments: Animated Images: [examples: www.ValenTango.us] {link: https://gifs.com/} Creating Documents: Mostly I use Google Docs (free) but occasionally Microsoft Word. Google Docs is great because it’s so […]

Twenty years ago it was difficult to obtain authentic Argentine tango music. That has changed and now the availability of good tango music has helped the spread of tango worldwide. However, putting together and/or obtaining a good playlist is still challenging and it is the topic of this blog. Specifically: How does one share their tango playlist files? Is there […]

Identify the location a couple is dancing tango and enter a random drawing for great prizes. If you would like to participate in a similar free promotion, write me an email (click on the CONTACT tab above) with your request. All you need is a video or photo of yourself or some another couple dancing in […]

Clay Nelson, Ph.D. August 1, 2010 Abstract: Accelerometers in an iPhone are used to measure the g-forces (i.e., acceleration, or more loosely, the changes in motion) developed while walking solo forward and walking solo backward to tango music. The individuals tested and reported on in this study are a male tango teacher (myself), a male […]

Since that time, I have only strengthened my opinion and resolve that tango dancing is no more about competition then sharing a feeling, or an emotion, or a conversation, or a sexual relationship with another person is.  (Can you imagine, for instance, having a competition sex festival) Now, when getting ready to leave for a […]

How has the covid pandemic affected your tango life? What do you see as the future for tango? In particular, comment below on any of the following: Going (or not going) to milongas Providing lessons or taking lessons Being able to practice Organizing festivals and milongas Attending festivals (virtual and/or live) Listening to tango music […]

Teaching tango to absolute beginners is a daunting and challenging task.  For my own edification, I’ve created this Venn diagram as a way of isolating out and thinking about each essential component separately. Under each component I’ve listed only a few suggested topics–as each instructor will have their own idea of what topics to cover […]

Click to find milongas and festivals in any city.

[View as Google Doc] Background A few years ago, I started thinking about how there is a weird connection between tango dancers and vampires–i.e., both stay up all night, wear black, shun garlic, and have this compulsive obsessive behavior. Even the classic ending tango pose of the famous tanguero Carlos Gavito (shown here dancing with […]

Have an idea for a tango pin button?…or would like to express your tango passion with a pin button. Or maybe you have a machine that makes pin buttons.  Whatever the case, this Muse is for all of you to connect, toss around ideas and maybe make some tango pin buttons and find a way […]

STUDENTS: Who’s your favorite tango instructors? Who would you like to see invited to teach in your community and/or be featured at the next tango festival you attend? To make your opinion public and known to organizers, click on Favorite Tango Instructors and fill out the form. ORGANIZERS: Looking for great instructors? Click on Favorite […]

A few years ago I created a survey called, Why I Quit Tango.  Since then over 500 people have responded and nearly half have written their own personal comments. (See below for an unedited list of these.) For all of us who love tango and would like to see it grow, I think it’s worth […]

[View as PDF file] Three indicators of a successful tango community are its quantity, quality and cooperative spirit. Although many of the factors which affect these indicators are “interlinked”, let’s attempt to take a look at each of them separately. I. Quantity: Obviously, there needs to be a critical mass of dancers for a community be considered a […]

  Well, I myself didn’t quit, but I know lots of people who have.  Of course, the drop-out rate for beginners is always high, but perhaps we’ve all known someone who was hugely committed and addicted to tango, spent many years dancing tango, and then suddenly quit.  Which brings me to the subject of this […]

I am aware that tango dancers are incredibly passionate about “their” dance, and want desperately for their partner (if not the whole world) to fall in love with tango and immediately learn everything.  Furthermore, I should be very clear that I am not opposed to students teaching their own class in the community–in fact I encourage it. However, […]

Place free tango ad for any aspect of tango you want. For example: Art  *  Books  *  Instruction  *  Lodging  *  Personals  *  Venues  *  Festivals  *  Videos  *  Cruises  *  Jewelry  *  Cloths  *  Shoes  *  Fundraisers  *  DJs Just go to “Free Tango Ads“.

After compiling, weighting, interpreting and combining over 500 suggestions received from over 100 tangueros from the “Navigation and Etiquette Survey“, here are the Top 10 Navigation and Etiquette Rules: (Click here for a small printable PDF file of these rules: Condensed Pocked-Size Nav & Etiquette Rules.) Maintain forward flow and never block nor move against Line […]

To help tango organizers pick the best day and time for a milonga, I’ve created a survey to get your input. To fill it out, click on the Start Survey button at the bottom and select as many day and time spots as you want. Remember, these are the time slots you would like the […]