Being Popular Early

Being a demanded dancer early in one’s tango life, due to gender/role balance, appearance, age, and etc., can decrease his/her motivation to learn and practice as he/she has enough dancing already. If such a person stops learning and practicing too early (before becoming able to self-guide and self-correct), bad habits develop and establish. One common effect of bad habits is to incur pain in the partner. My observation is that such a person can still enjoys dancing for a couple/few years. But, invariably, there comes a time when the protective walls vanish (tango festivals and marathons as opposed to local milongas, other good-looking people, aging, and etc.). Then, the pain can be perceived unbearable and the people who have been dancing with him/her either stop dancing with him/her or tell him/her about the pain. Either way, it is a blow to his/her ego and he/she is left with bad habits of years to undo.

Keep learning and practicing until you can self-guide and self-correct, regardless whether you are popular at milongas or not.