On the subject of learning to dance, Tim Ferriss offers some excellent advice > http://blog.timferriss.com/1/post/2009/05/dance.html

#1 & #2 are excellent (and reasonably common) advice for any form of partner dancing, #3 is Argentine Tango-specific, but probably generalizable to equivalent foundational frame and technique in other partner dances (mutatis mutandis, e.g., gender-swapped if you happen to be female.)

But if you get to that level at all, you probably have the kind of innate talent or predisposition (which is not the same thing as body type) that Fenriss dismisses; lots of people do all those things and don't, even with a lot more time, reach that kind of level.

And, while they're valid and common pieces of advice, I think it leaves out some important things for most people. More important than having a male and female teacher, IMO, is having the right teacher for you -- both skill and personality fit matter and good teachers will know both roles (there is still value to having teachers which specialize in each role, but I would say this is less important.)