Argentine Tango The story of a passionate dance … in photos Songs : La cumparsita & Volver by Carlos Gardel

Argentine Tango is a social dance and a musical genre that originated in Argentina and moved to Uruguay and to the rest of the world later on. In the US, it is commonly confused with Ballroom Tango, though this is a later derivation. Argentine Tango consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions and eras, and in response to the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing. Even though they all developed in Argentina and Uruguay, they were also exposed to influences reimported from Europe and North America.

Characteristically, in Argentine Tango, the dancers are in an offset, relatively close embrace, - usually with head to head contact (forehead to forehead, - or similar). Important Note : The Argentine Tango is the only dance in which BOTH partners are looking in the same direction. They may be head to head, but the Lead's head is looking to his left, while the Follow's head is looking to her right. El Cachafaz

Pepito Avellaneda Often the bodies are tilted too, like an "A", with the chests somewhat closer together, and feet further out. This is the 'de rigeur' position for the Argentine Tango, - head to head, both looking in the same direction, and (often) body lean in an "A" shape.

One of the "Argentine Tango's" most important elements is "The Walk", or "Salida", and dancers almost always keep their feet in relatively close contact with the floors (except for the various embellishments and decorative moves). It is interesting to note that for experienced Argentine Tango dancers, it is permissable to use the "Cross" walk. That is, when the Lead steps with his left foot, the Follow may also step with her left foot (if her improvisation calls for it). In Ballroom Tango, this is considered improper (unless Leader and Follower are facing the same direction). Casimiro Ain - El Lecherito

An interesting note is that Tango dancers often spend the entire night dancing only Argentine Tango. This is made possible by the great variety of Tango music. For all these reasons, the Tango is a constantly evolving dance, - always relevant to contemporary culture. Club Armenonville - 1912

The End Thank you !