By the time the Tango had evolved from its origins in Argentina in to a Ballroom dance, it's character had irrevocably changed. Drums, non-existent in Argentine Tango, had been added to the music and it became a quick march.
The head flicks which seem forever to characterise the stereotypical Ballroom Tango came about when German dancers introduced it in an interpretational response to the drum roll. The head flicks were introduced to the UK by Freddie Kemp and, when he won the British Ballroom Championships, the head flicks became an integral expression of the modern Tango.
Despite the preconception of ostentation with which the modern Tango is tarred, with no rise and fall, it is an easier dance to learn and, with inspiring music, dancing satisfaction always beckons.
Tango is the dance of the midnight encounter, of the shadows of the back streets of Buenos Aires , of mystery and of magic as the dancers embrace and prepare to explore the potential of the moment and face fate on the dance floor. The soul rending strains of the Bandoneon reach out through the shadows and draw them ever deeper in to the dance that is theirs alone. In Tango, the man and woman are equal. Each explores the other. feet touch, probing as they weave intricate movements. Legs intertwine. Each may seduce. the suggestion of an embrace. Either may be seduced. The restrained passion of the Tango will never reach its ultimate conclusion for its power lies in the fragile potential of the moment; a fragility which would be broken by its fulfilment. Tango is the ultimate dance of man and woman.
Ten Tango Facts
- Tango originated in the late nineteenth century when hundreds of thousands of immigrants found themselves unemployed in Buenos Aires .
- 50% of the immigrants were Italian while only a third were Spanish.
- As the influx of newcomers grew, the male immigrants outnumbered the women in Buenos Aires by 50 to 1. This easily lead to duels being fought. The same sharp long-bladed knives that, during the day, were used to butcher meat in the Argentinean beef factories, by night, were often the means to settle disputes over women, territory or honour.
- Due to the shortage of women, men had to learn to Tango and practice with each other.
- The Tango was banned as being politically seditious after it became a prime unifying factor for the poorest classes.
- As the Tango reached Europe , it was also banned in Germany and condemned by the Pope.
- The main musical instrument of Tango is the Bandoneon; a type of accordion originally invented in Germany as a substitute in churches that could not afford an organ.
- In Tango, the lead passes back and forth between the man and the woman. The man may offer the lead to the woman. It is her decision to accept or reject it. The woman may also seize the lead from the man. He must then devise a means of regaining it and restoring his machismo.
- A Tango dancer is called a Milonguero; from the word Milonga - a forerunner of the Tango and a place where Tango is danced.
- Tango is impressive, sophisticated and showy but, despite its image, is also a lot of fun in easy-to-learn step-by-step classes.
For further information about Tango dancing styles, please click here
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