Dance the Tango
The Tango is a dance that originated in Argentina, and now is popular worldwide as one of the most common ballroom dances. It has an interesting legend behind its creation, saying that the cowboys of Argentina tended to walk with flexed knees because of how much they rode their horses. They would go to the dances and find girls who were reluctant to dance with them, and demanded payment – hence the woman keeping her right hand near his pocket on his left hip. And since the cowboy hadn’t been able to take a shower before the dance, she stayed in the crook of his arm and kept her head away from any areas that might be emitting offensive odors.
The Tango varies from other South American dances because the dancers generally intend to stay level, and avoid bouncing around. The dancers fix their knees at a certain angle, and keep them there for the entire dance. This is a huge contrast to other dances like the Samba, which practically base themselves around bouncing. Some would describe the movements of the Tango as angry or passionate, with each move ending in an exclamation point. In dancers terms, the movements are clipped and staccato – more so than any other type of dance.
The legs and upper body aren’t the only parts that get into the action of the dance. The Tango includes other small details that make it more intricate, such as turning of the head. These small details help you tell an amateur dancer from an experienced one. Other small details include adding a “sway” while turning, sharply walking to new positions, and leading movements with heels rather than toes. If you are learning to Tango, then you will have to eventually learn to pay attention to these details in order to become a better dancer.
The basic Tango can be learnt very easily. But even more of a challenge are the many different offshoots of the Tango. Like any dance with immense popularity, the Tango has been adapted and altered to many different regions and styles of music. Argentina alone has at least 10 different styles, and all of the countries of the world have seen some form of the dance. Ballroom Tango is distinct from Finnish Tango, and Finnish Tango is distinct from Electronic Tango. So pick a style that you are interested in, and get learning! You have lots to learn.
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