As one of the most influential styles of dance, Tango can be an extremely fun option for those looking to try out a new dance class! Originating from the streets of Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay, Tango was once known as the dance for the working class of people. Rising quickly in popularity, we can see a variety of spin off styles and authentic tango dance classes, performances and more.

With a history rich in style and flare, the incredible appeal of tango dance allows it to remain one of the most popular dances in the entire world. To learn more about tango and to see if it would be a good style fit for you, keep reading.

Here’s what you need to know about the Tango:

  • Origin of Tango
  • Tango Styles
  • Tango Dance Steps
  • Sign up with World Champion Productions

Origin of Tango

There is no precise origin of the word ‘tango’. However, many modern historians believe the name of this dance was influenced by several events and words. One of the most popular theories is that tango originated from another form of music popular in Argentina and Uruguay in the 17th and 18th centuries.

With that in mind, historians believe the term tango is derived from the Spanish language, from areas where tango dancing flourished in the 19th century. With alternate blends driven from some Niger-Congo areas of Africa, the modern tango has a variety of cultural flare elements. Regardless of its origins, the words “tango” and “tambo” first appeared as names for dances and musical gatherings in the basin of the River Plata.

Once the term began gaining popularity, it became synonymous with the entire tango dance and tango music style. In 1789, the government of Argentina issued a proclamation that banned musical gatherings in the port area of Buenos Aires that were frequented by the lower classes of free people. A century later, near the end of the 19th century, the word Tango became commonplace in Argentina.

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Tango Styles

As a result of a mix of styles brewing in port cities and lower-class districts in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, the tango was born. Due to the fact that early versions of the dance have not been documented, the most popular genre to survive is the Traditional Argentine Tango. Throughout the many years of modern tango’s history, this style has evolved into other styles.

Thousands of young immigrants seeking a better life in Argentina fueled the initial popularity burst of the tango dance. As a result of their influence, the dance was transformed into a modern form that managed to capture the imagination of wealthier Argentines. Beginning in Paris in the early 1900s, the tango began to spread throughout the world.

In the mid-19th century, a form of “re-shaped” tango is thought to have emerged in Cuba and Spain. Women typically performed this style alone. As the dance continued to evolve, the Andalusian tango was born from this mid-century revival. Performed mostly by women with castanets, this style boasted flamenco influences and was often considered to be immoral and very flirty. While the modern tango we know and love today is often performed by a male and female dancer, we can still witness influences of these early morphed styles in everyday dance.

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Tango Dance Steps

Known for its earthy, dramatic, and embrace-like features, the tango is a powerful form of dance. Often described as stylized walking, the stalking, staccato nature of the tango offers dramatic gestures, improvisation, and sometimes abrupt with quick foot flicks and head turns.

In Tango, the dance partner circles the dance floor anti-clockwise. From traditional forms of tango, ballroom tango quickly became a competitive style of ballroom dance style. This sensuous paired dance is traditionally played by a sextet with two violins, piano, double bass and two bandoneons. The key elements of a tango are:

  • Featuring Four Beats per Bar
  • Syncopated Ostinato Rhythm
  • Accented Note Qualities
  • Nostalgic Lyrics Featuring Lamenting, Cruel Lost Loves
  • Melancholic Mood
  • Smooth Song-like Passages
  • Sudden Dynamic Shifts from soft to loud
  • Frequent Use of Glissandi Slides

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The benefits of learning to dance and continuing to dance are numerous. They span from mental health benefits to physical health benefits to emotional health benefits and everything in between. You can lose weight, tighten and tone, increase mobility, increase flexibility, lower blood pressure, and relieve stress.

Ballroom dancing has also been scientifically linked with prevention and slowing down the process of cognitive impairment disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Look better, move better and feel better with World Champion Productions today!

Contact World Champion Productions today and learn more about our various dance lesson opportunities.