Dear Maleva,
I am going to Bs As for the first time in December and am looking forward to my first experiences of close-embrace style. I am a very busty woman and am quite timid about how that is going to affect my ability to dance, my comfort level with strangers, etc. Do you have any words of advice on how not to be shy about this?
-Tango or Bust


Dear Tango or Bust,

They say in Argentina the women are not afraid to put their chest on the man. Which means, they never collapse inside themselves. Always keep your lower ribs lifted when you dance. You might feel like you're sticking your bosom out too much at first if you're not used to it, but that's good tango posture (and good posture for life too!). Don't let your shoulders slouch forward - roll them back and down so your chest is open. If you're really busty your face may not touch your partner's face; that's fine, don't round forward to make face contact. Having a large chest won't affect your ability to dance, but your connection might feel a little different that it does for the less-endowed ladies.

You can practice your posture by going up to a wall and standing facing it, with your toes 3-4 inches away. Bring your weight forward over the balls of your feet so your chest comes in contact with the wall. Make sure your chest is lifted so your bust is against the wall and the lower ribs either touch the wall or at least are towards the wall. Relax here, relax your lower back muscles so your butt isn't sticking out. Turn your head to the left so your face is not smooshed into the wall and your neck is relaxed. Relax your shoulders back and down. Keep your stomach strong so you don't collapse your belly into the wall.

As for comfort level, I think everyone is a little self-conscious of their body as they get used to dancing pressed against someone else, regardless of their size or shape. The more you do it the less you think about it, and for better or worse, pretty soon you'll have no personal bubble left whatsoever...

Have fun in Buenos Aires and for god's sake don't try and hide them sister, they might get you extra dances!