About Tango
Argentine Tango is improvised. That is the key to its allure.
No two dances are ever the same and every dance is coloured by the partners’ personalities.
Tango dancing originated in Buenos Aires in the early part of the 20th Century. Many hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mostly men, had been brought from Europe and Africa to find their fortunes. Tango grew out of a mix of these cultures, African, Spanish, Italian, British, Polish, Russian and native-born Argentines creating a new type of partner dancing. Since men vastly outnumbered women, they spent months dancing only with each other in "practicas", experienced dancers teaching the newcomers, until they were ready to go to a dance and partner a woman. Tango was considered very risque because of the close hold, or embrace. This embrace became a key element of "Tango de Salon" or social tango.
After humble beginnings, by the 1920's and 30's, Tango had made its way to Paris high society and was soon a worldwide phenomenon. Singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Gardel shot to stardom with his depictions of the dance on film and Tango orchestras led by musicians such as Francisco Canaro flourished in Argentina, encouraged by the Peron regime. This "Golden Age" of Tango lasted through the 40's and 50's, until a military coup in 1955 brought Tango in Buenos Aires to a halt. All things Tango were discouraged and Tango dancing went underground.
In the 1990's Tango underwent a resurgence worldwide, with groups like the Gotan Project and Otros Aires playing "nuevo" tango music and new Tango dance styles evolving, with more open embrace and extravagant kicks.
No two dances are ever the same and every dance is coloured by the partners’ personalities.
Tango dancing originated in Buenos Aires in the early part of the 20th Century. Many hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mostly men, had been brought from Europe and Africa to find their fortunes. Tango grew out of a mix of these cultures, African, Spanish, Italian, British, Polish, Russian and native-born Argentines creating a new type of partner dancing. Since men vastly outnumbered women, they spent months dancing only with each other in "practicas", experienced dancers teaching the newcomers, until they were ready to go to a dance and partner a woman. Tango was considered very risque because of the close hold, or embrace. This embrace became a key element of "Tango de Salon" or social tango.
After humble beginnings, by the 1920's and 30's, Tango had made its way to Paris high society and was soon a worldwide phenomenon. Singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Gardel shot to stardom with his depictions of the dance on film and Tango orchestras led by musicians such as Francisco Canaro flourished in Argentina, encouraged by the Peron regime. This "Golden Age" of Tango lasted through the 40's and 50's, until a military coup in 1955 brought Tango in Buenos Aires to a halt. All things Tango were discouraged and Tango dancing went underground.
In the 1990's Tango underwent a resurgence worldwide, with groups like the Gotan Project and Otros Aires playing "nuevo" tango music and new Tango dance styles evolving, with more open embrace and extravagant kicks.
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