So you want to Learn to Tango?
Tango lessons are offered in Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix, Paradise Valley and Mesa by Gainey Dance Studios.
The History of Ballroom and Argentine Tango
The Tango is an extremely popular and well known ballroom dance. From its scandalous beginnings in Argentina, to its rise of fame in Europe, to its celebration in American media, the dance and music of tango is instantly recognizable. The Tango is often requested by students learning to ballroom dance because of its dramatic nature; the Tango is not a dance about love or romance, it is a dance of passion and control. Of course, like many of the ballroom dances, the Tango we see today is not the Tango of the past. In fact, even in present times, there are several different version of the dance.
The Tango was born in Argentina in the late 19th century. During this time, like many other countries, slavery was a part of everyday life. This of course, increased the African population in Argentina and with it came many of their traditions. At the same time, Buenos Aires saw an influx of immigrants, mostly Spanish and Italian, at a rate that rivaled New York City. These immigrants lived in over crowed tenements or conventillos on the outskirts of the city. As the ethnicities mixed, a group of young men emerged that called themselves compadritos. These compadritios would be most comparable to a gang of young men today. They had a propensity for violence and made the seedier parts of the city, especially the bars and brothels, their stomping grounds. These young men would often come together to dance with the ladies of ill repute, copying the styles of other cultures and groups. One of these groups was the small community of African Argentines, who are the time were dancing a new version of the dance candomble, called the Tango.
Due to its birth in the not-so-elite conventillos, the Tango was actually rebuffed by the upper-class and perhaps would have died out all together if young aristocratic Argentine men had not seen it as part of their education to visit brothels at home and abroad, thereby bringing the tango to Europe. Once in Europe, the Tango became immensely popular amongst all the classes. Ironically, after its success in Europe, upper class Argentineans embraced the dance as their own.
The Tango, as with all trends, changed and evolved throughout the years. It became a far more disciplined and structured dance in Europe after being reviewed by the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing in the 1920’s. In Argentina it has become almost a characterization and highly stylized version of what it once was.
Needless to say, both the Ballroom and Argentine versions of Tango live on today. In Ballroom dance, the Tango is marked by fast paced, staccato footwork, with sharp dramatic turns of the head and body. One might even characterize the movements of Ballroom Tango similar to those of a predatory animal. At first the movement is slow, yet smooth, with knees continuously bent, and then, the attack! The movements are so fast that is almost near impossible to see exactly what the feet are doing, yet the body remains calm with a strong, erect posture. Tango, all though Latin in origin is danced in the styles of Smooth and Standard, along with waltz, foxtrot, quickstep (standard only), and Viennese Waltz. This is because Tango is danced in the same frame, requires long steps, and there is no hip action.
The Argentine Tango is much more sensual, soft, and fluid. You’ll often see the lady place her head on the man’s shoulder as they take turns swiveling around each other. The posture is also far more relaxed, looking as though the couple is leaning in towards each other. The dance is much more compact than its Ballroom counterpart, and the amounts of kicks, flicks, and hooks, call for the weight to be placed on the ball of the foot. In actuality, the Argentine tango resembles the Ballroom American Rhythm Style Rumba. The Argentine tango is often the Tango portrayed in movies such as "Scent of a Woman" and "The Tango Lesson."
Both styles are fun to learn, especially if you have a flair for the dramatic. When speaking with your instructor, find out whether they teach Argentine or Ballroom Tango, if you prefer to learn one over the other. Knowing the Tango is most definitely a skill that not every dancer has, and when done well, is guaranteed to impress. So everyone, dig your heels into the floor, bend your knees, and get ready to portray of a century’s worth of drama and passion with the TANGO!
