Some considerations about learning to dance....

How to choose the best teachers:

A dance teacher is your "coach" in dance technique. Good sports teams select a coach for his/ her experience and leadership; they don't pick the young star player. He/she is there to coach, not to perform on the field.

Avoid selecting dance teachers based on how impressive they look and perform. It is no guarantee of their teaching ability. If you are impressed by a dancer, find their "coach" and learn from that person! Many dancers have no formal training in education, and class quality can be hit or miss...

Can I learn it all from a video?

No. Why? The indications to move, which the woman feels from the man, are often impossible to see on video. Alberto Paz taught me that Tango is a dance full of "lies and illusions"! The movements on screen often confuse the inexperienced dancer who tries to imitate the motion he sees, but then cannot properly signal his partner.

Practice Practice Practice

Research clearly shows that you will forget 80% of what you learn after 24 hours, if you do not practice
If you practice for 10-15 minutes, soon after class is done, you will retain much more.
Repeated practice during the week before the next class will also improve your retention.

Research shows clearly that students learn best when they learn techniques in context, and then apply them to solve real-world problems.

In brief, learn good dance techniques, understand how the movements work, and then apply them in as many ways as you can, while following the music. Avoid learning "steps" and "patterns" to imitate. Your partners will appreciate you, and you can then decipher what you see on any video.