Tango… it developed from Spanish dances, traveled through both Americas to Europe and now has a special version of almost every country where it had ever settled for a while. In this diversity tango still remains one of the most recognizable dances all over the world.
Modern dancing of tango can be best characterized by emotional accents, staccato movements and famous head strokes. It has 2/4 or 4/4 tempo, and each beat requires one step, which makes tango easy to learn for beginners.
There are several tango styles, and two among them are especially notable: the Argentine tango and the international ballroom tango.
The Argentine tango was originally danced in the poor districts of Buenos Aires, and the lower-class men were the ones to perform. That early tango was aggressive and provocative, as two men danced with each other, however, with almost no contact. To the audience, it was like they were competing for women’s attention, especially as they had nothing to offer but their masculine temperament. So, the dance looked like a sophisticated fight, and in the end you could mostly be sure of “who won the fight.”
What comes to the ballroom tango, it is more refined, romantic and full of drama. It’s a partner dance with a frame of close embrace that pretends to show intimacy. But that’s the point – tango’s more about unfaithfulness than about love. Both partners dance with each other, but miss and think of someone else. You can see how two bodies have to remain together, yet longing for other arms.
Tango is a matter of tension, pulling and pushing, “maybe”-s and “no way”-s. Tango should be danced with restrained infatuation, giving the impression that the two dancers though don’t lose their self-control, but inside are torn to pieces by contradictory feelings. This uncertainty and challenge makes tango a great show dance.
Photo © hiithere121
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