Takes Two To
Tango
Tango is a lovely hobby and it is not surprising
to find many people drawn to it. Tango is a
dance form that involves the expression of
feelings and you will see the dancers apparently
gliding smoothly, in perfect sync with each
other, performing complicated movements in time
to the music. You too can enjoy Tango as a
hobby. Here’s basic information about the types
of tango, the types of music in tango, learning
the tango and so on.
The Origins Of Tango
It is interesting to know that the Tango goes
back as far as the 17th century to
England. From England, it became the Contrdanse
in France around 1700 from where it traveled to
Spain as the Contradanza around 1750, to become
the Danza in Cuba a quarter of a century later.
This came to be known as the Habaner. The Tango
as we know it today, evolved around 1910. From
Cuba to Argentina seemed a natural route where
it integrated with a variety of music and dance
types, coloring it with Italian, Russian,
Spanish, African and Polish forms. Around the
1940s the Tango took America and the rest of the
world by storm.
Basics Of Tango
Tango is referred to as the ‘Dance of Love’. It
is a Latin American Ballroom Dance that finds
its origins in Argentina. Over time, Tango has
evolved into different styles the world over.
The concept basically is of two lovers being
expressive with each other in different moods.
One partner initiates movement with the heel of
the foot. You will notice that eye contact is
important in Tango.
Tango is danced in five beats, even though the
rhythm is eight beats. Some beats are more
stressed than others. The last beat could be a
movement from the left to right or vice versa,
or just a firm stomp.
Here Is A Very Quick Lesson For You:
As we mentioned earlier, you will take 5 steps
in 8 beats. These are two beat measures in 4/4
time. Let us now put on a tango record or CD.
Let your timing be Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick,
Slow – that’s five beats. If you listen
carefully, you will know where to start your
lead step or the first slow step, usually done
by the man. The woman’s step begins with her
right foot brought backward, the opposite of the
man’s step. So here you go – a slow left foot
forward, a slow right foot forward, a quick left
foot forward and a quick right foot forward, and
then the left toe closes to right foot lightly,
slowly.
That, in a nutshell is how you do the tango.
No drums are involved in tango music. Instead,
you will find violins, piano, and the bandoneons.
Bandoneons are German instruments that produce
an accordion like sound.
Styles Of Tango
As far as styles of tango go, we will hear of
these:
-
Argentine Tango
-
American Style Tango
-
International Style Tango
Each have their own rules followed quite
stringently at competitions. Let us have a brief
look at each style:
Argentine Tango
This has its beginnings in the West Indies and
was confined to the ‘lower’ classes. ‘Tango’
comes from the African ‘Tanganya’. The
Argnetine tango, also called the Arrabalero
originates from the Gauchos of Buenos Aires
where it was first danced. Argentine Tango has
many variations called the Salon, Club, Fantasio,
Nuevo, Club, Milonguero, and so on.
American Tango
American tango is performed at 32 measures per
minute and 128-136 beats per minute in the 4/4
time. This style is structured to music and can
be danced in the open as well as closed
position.
International Tango
This is stricter and more disciplined, danced in
the conventional closed positions and is the
style you will see at the dance competitions and
events.
There are also variations in tango like French
Apache, which is danced to tango music and shows
the tango dancers enacting a lovers tiff or
passion. You will see the man fling the woman
across the floor, while she crawls back,
gracefully like a cat, to be embraced by him.
This is not considered real tango since the
steps are different from tango. The great Rudolf
Valentino, an apache dancer, often danced the
French Apache.
Tango Music
Carlos Gardel, a highly regarded tango singer in
Argentina, is considered among the most well
known and has been called the Voice of Tango.
Different music styles in tango are the classic
or conventional tango, the tango Nuevo that is a
more recent form with difference in pace,
instruments played, the Vals tango similar to
waltzes, and the Milonga or the polka type tango
which involves a faster beat and quicker steps.
Learning the Tango
Tango dance clubs and
dance studios are the best places to learn the
tango. You will also find plenty of private
dance studios. Many colleges and universities
have a Ballroom Dance Club where you can get
classes if you are a student. A quick look
through the yellow pages of your area or a
search online will show you dance studios in
your locality that you can contact.
Getting The Right Instructor To Progress In
Tango
So how do you actually get ahead in tango? It is
best to stick with one teacher and one style.
Private lessons are advantageous because you get
one on one attention. Group classes tend to
minimize the contact with the teacher. It is
important to find a tango instructor who
understands what you want and is adequately
qualified to teach it to you. Skilled tango
dancers do not always make good teachers. You
want to know for how long they have been
teaching tango, the style they teach and who
their tutor was. It is a good idea to experience
a couple of classes before you decide to settle
for the teacher. At the same time, moving from
teacher to teacher can be confusing.
Progressing In Tango
When you
learn the tango, do not judge your progress by
the complex steps you learn. In tango, there
are a specific number of basic movements, which
are repetitive in variation. These must be
mastered first. Just train your body to perform
these movements and the variations will come
easily through practice. The best way to
progress in tango is to get private lessons in a
particular style and then participate in
‘milongas’ where you can dance socially. This
way you get the best of both worlds – the social
interaction with expert dancers and private
attention. This also builds your self-confidence
and helps you build your own unique style. The
best way to learn tango is in stages and
practice regularly. After all, the idea is to
have a lot of fun as you learn a dance form.
This information is only aimed at encouraging
you to get started. You can find more
information, useful tips at the following
website. There are also excellent instructional
videos that will actually show you how to tango,
featuring professional and stage dancers. Check
out the great books listed that give you in
depth information about Tango. In addition to
these, there are many valuable links so that you
can learn all you want about Tango. So go ahead,
take the step and glide forward in your hobby.
more |
actually dancing it. Its
quick movements and dramatic style make it very popular and make a great
impression. Although most people believe it is very difficult to learn
and master, the basics can be learned easily with some basic effort. The
internet has great resources for both learning tango steps online and
getting great video tapes or instructors to learn. As always there are
great forums available for questions.
