Argentine tango
Argentine tango is an improvised partner dance born in the Río de la Plata region — Buenos Aires and Montevideo — at the end of the nineteenth century. It is danced in an embrace, close or open, and it is built on walking: the leader proposes each step and the follower answers, so no two dances are the same. It is different from the tango of ballroom dancing.
What it is for
Section titled “What it is for”- A social dance with its own events: a milonga is an evening of tango dancing, and a práctica is a relaxed session to practise.
- Posture, balance and a stable axis — much of the dance is spent on one leg.
- Improvisation and careful listening, to the music and to your partner.
- Calm, steady movement rather than cardio.
- A community where people of very different ages dance together.
Equipment
Section titled “Equipment”- Clothes you can walk in freely; trousers or a skirt that does not hold the legs back.
- Shoes with a leather or suede sole that pivots easily, fastened well on the foot. Tango shoes for followers have heels, but you can learn in flat shoes first; leaders dance in smooth-soled shoes.
- No rubber soles: they catch on pivots and twist the knee.
- Water, and a fresh top for the close embrace.
How a class goes
Section titled “How a class goes”- 60–90 minutes, and many schools hold a práctica after the class.
- It starts with walking alone, then walking in the embrace: finding your axis, stepping together, pausing together.
- Then the basic elements — the cross, forward and back ochos (pivoting figure-eight steps), turns — and how to lead and follow them.
- Partners usually rotate. Lead and follow are roles, anybody may learn either, and many dancers learn both.
- Tango music has three rhythms: tango, vals (tango waltz) and milonga (quicker and playful). Classes often focus on one at a time.
- Many teachers also explain the customs of a milonga: couples move anticlockwise around the room, songs are played in sets called tandas, and people invite each other with a look and a nod (the cabeceo).
Who it suits best
Section titled “Who it suits best”- Adults of any age: the pace is calm, and many people dance tango for decades.
- People who enjoy quiet concentration and connection more than tricks.
- Couples, and people who come alone.
- Dancers of other styles who want to improve their embrace, balance and musicality.
- It is less suited to somebody who wants a workout or set choreography. Pivots and heels load the knees, ankles and feet; with problems there, ask a doctor, tell the teacher and start in flat shoes. For the ballroom tango, see Ballroom: Standard.