In the steamy tropics of South America an elegant and passionate dance was born that received condemnation in Buenos Aires and labeled "Dirty Dancing" in the US. That dance is called the Argentine Tango. The Argentine Tango is a celebration of life mixed with rampant sexuality that was considered unacceptable in polite society. Rudolph Valentino, the great "Latin Lover" of the silver screen, introduced a fare more tamer version in New York in 1921 than the one practiced in Argentina.
Buenos Aires has often been called "The Paris of South America" because of its cosmopolitan nature. This is the land of Evita and the Peron legacy, after all. 100 years ago, the streets of Buenos Aires were filled with people who emigrated from Europe and their descendants, many of whom were homesick for their native countries. As the Europeans mixed with the native Indian populations, an influx of immigrants from Cuba and rhythmic music from Africa began to have an effect on the population that favored the polka and the waltz.
It is said that the Argentine Tango began when the gauchos (cowboys) would come to town seeking female companionship. Since their leather chaps were stiff from weeks on horseback and they walked with bent knees, the male stance was born. The women held themselves at a distance, keeping their heads back from the odor of a man who had long been out on the trail. Despite the imagery of this urban legend, it hardly seems likely that dancing with smelly male strangers could possibly give rise to such a dance of passion where bodies intertwine so freely. In fact, it is also said that the gauchos never danced the Tango. The romantic gaucho imagery actually came from the 1926 movie, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, starring Rudolph Valentino. Rudy played an Argentine cowboy with a whip in one hand and a carnation in his mouth, apparently because a carnation has no thorns compared to the traditional rose. The imagery created on the screen was so powerful that to this day, male Tango stars often embrace the gaucho garb. Of course, we can safely assume that Mr. Valentino had bathed.
But in reality, the Argentine Tango actually sprang from the underbelly of Buenos Aires where brothels abound. Because of its sense of seduction and foreplay it was considered considered obscene and roundly condemned by civil society. But, so was the Waltz when it was created. One reason why it's so popular despite its graphic nature and lurid roots is that it strikes the core of all men and women. It is the "War Between the Sexes" where love, dominance and submission permeates through the polite face and chivalry that may be on the surface. The Argentine Tango is tantamount to the real-life moments of coming together, parting ways, and rediscovery. It is far more freer and less structured than it's American cousin and is driven by the sensual Latin rhythms and chemistry between the two partners. And because it is less structured, it's very hard to make a mistake dancing the tango.
With only a few moves, you can look like an expert on the dance floor. The trick is to alter the moves as the tempo alternates between slow and fast, elegant and dramatic. This is a dance with flair. Just like dancing through life. You move as one with your partner, somewhat rigid, in unison. Then you break away, only to spin back together. You part and dance freestyle, then reunite in an intertwining embrace, legs wrapped passionately around each other. You dip, you twirl, you sweep, you glide. You move in slow, syncopated cadence, then explode in a furious flurry. This is a dance of opposites: man and woman, slow and fast, reserved and unbridled. It is the combination of these opposites that makes the Tango so much fun to watch...and learn...and dance.
The Argentine Tango has come a long way from the seedy underbelly of Buenos Aires to the Times Square high society of modern day New York, but its appeal is as universal as the drama of love and romance it so wonderfully represents. It is a favorite in Latin dancehalls, but will steal the show on any dance floor.
Buenos Aires has often been called "The Paris of South America" because of its cosmopolitan nature. This is the land of Evita and the Peron legacy, after all. 100 years ago, the streets of Buenos Aires were filled with people who emigrated from Europe and their descendants, many of whom were homesick for their native countries. As the Europeans mixed with the native Indian populations, an influx of immigrants from Cuba and rhythmic music from Africa began to have an effect on the population that favored the polka and the waltz.
It is said that the Argentine Tango began when the gauchos (cowboys) would come to town seeking female companionship. Since their leather chaps were stiff from weeks on horseback and they walked with bent knees, the male stance was born. The women held themselves at a distance, keeping their heads back from the odor of a man who had long been out on the trail. Despite the imagery of this urban legend, it hardly seems likely that dancing with smelly male strangers could possibly give rise to such a dance of passion where bodies intertwine so freely. In fact, it is also said that the gauchos never danced the Tango. The romantic gaucho imagery actually came from the 1926 movie, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, starring Rudolph Valentino. Rudy played an Argentine cowboy with a whip in one hand and a carnation in his mouth, apparently because a carnation has no thorns compared to the traditional rose. The imagery created on the screen was so powerful that to this day, male Tango stars often embrace the gaucho garb. Of course, we can safely assume that Mr. Valentino had bathed.
But in reality, the Argentine Tango actually sprang from the underbelly of Buenos Aires where brothels abound. Because of its sense of seduction and foreplay it was considered considered obscene and roundly condemned by civil society. But, so was the Waltz when it was created. One reason why it's so popular despite its graphic nature and lurid roots is that it strikes the core of all men and women. It is the "War Between the Sexes" where love, dominance and submission permeates through the polite face and chivalry that may be on the surface. The Argentine Tango is tantamount to the real-life moments of coming together, parting ways, and rediscovery. It is far more freer and less structured than it's American cousin and is driven by the sensual Latin rhythms and chemistry between the two partners. And because it is less structured, it's very hard to make a mistake dancing the tango.
With only a few moves, you can look like an expert on the dance floor. The trick is to alter the moves as the tempo alternates between slow and fast, elegant and dramatic. This is a dance with flair. Just like dancing through life. You move as one with your partner, somewhat rigid, in unison. Then you break away, only to spin back together. You part and dance freestyle, then reunite in an intertwining embrace, legs wrapped passionately around each other. You dip, you twirl, you sweep, you glide. You move in slow, syncopated cadence, then explode in a furious flurry. This is a dance of opposites: man and woman, slow and fast, reserved and unbridled. It is the combination of these opposites that makes the Tango so much fun to watch...and learn...and dance.
The Argentine Tango has come a long way from the seedy underbelly of Buenos Aires to the Times Square high society of modern day New York, but its appeal is as universal as the drama of love and romance it so wonderfully represents. It is a favorite in Latin dancehalls, but will steal the show on any dance floor.
About the Author:
Tony and Melanie have been dancing, teaching, performing and creating fantastic choreography for over thirty years. The own New York City's premier dance center If you want to know more history of any dances make sure you check out their website. They are currently teachingdance lessons in NYC
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