Towards the end of the 19th c., many immigrants of diverse origins came to Argentina and mingled with the native population, adding their culture to that already present in the country. This created a «fusion» of various dances such as the African candombé, the Cuban habanera, the Spanish contradanza, the polka, the waltz of Auvergne and especially the Argentinean milonga, that gave birth to the tango.

The tango was danced at first among men, then in establishments where one could pay the waitresses to be a dance partner: cabarets, honkytonks, popular balls… It started thriving in the Buenos Aires underground, away from the bourgeoisie who disapproved of this dance considered too sensual. Besides, the Vatican forbade the tango!

It was in 1912 that tango music entered the United States and Europe. Charles Gardès, a man from Toulouse, and better known by his stage name Carlos Gardel, is credited with the popularization of this music style he introduced to France and most of Europe throughout the 1930s. He has become a legend of Argentinean tango, beloved the world over.

The popularity of the tango decreased in the 1950s. During the 1960s and 1970s, it started emerging again, it was adopted by orchestras (such as Disarli’s) and by composers (such as Astor Piazzolla). Thus it entered the bourgeois salons and became a noble art.

Improvisation, elegance and sensuality became its defining characteristics.

There was a true revival of the tango in the 1980s, owing to world tours by professional dance companies that conquered a larger public.

Long considered as sleazy, dusty, or anachronistic, tango nowadays has a solid place in the dance world. There are currently thousands of tango academies around the world, and the enthusiasts of tango belong to an increasingly younger age group.

New styles continue to appear, such as the “gotan,” backwards “tango” danced on electronic music.

HOW TO DANCE THE TANGO

Argentinean tango, sometimes considered “macho” is in fact a magnificent dance of seduction that praises sensuality.

The role of the male partner may seem “domineering,” but it is always so in a seductive manner. The woman, to dance well, must have qualities of gracefulness and equilibrium. The male partner, in addition, must decide on the choreographic figures the couple will perform, improvise variations, and guide the woman’s moves.

Currently, the tango is characterized by the expressive gracefulness it embodies: each step, and each move must be performed with measure and ease. There is no room for stiffness.

It takes lots of practice to experience the joy one feels dancing the tango well.

RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES:

Shoes with slippery soles and heels; a skirt slit on the side to facilitate leg motions.