Tango History
The story of Tango as told is that it started with the gauchos (residents from the Argentinian grasslands ). They wore chaps that had hardened from the foam and sweat of the horse’s body. Hence to gauchos walked with knees flexed. They would go to the crowded night clubs and ask the local girls to dance. Since the gaucho hadn't showered, the lady would dance in the crook of the man's right arm, holding her head back. Her right hand was held low on his left hip, close to his pocket, looking for a payment for dancing with him. The man danced in a curving fashion because the floor was small with round tables, so he danced around and between them.
Others believed that the deep roots of Tango lie in African slavery. The Tango is a mixture of dances peculiar to Blacks in Haiti, Cuba and Argentina. Both the music and the dance were intense and erotic. It was first danced in the ghetto of Buenos Aires. It was then known under the name of "Baile con corte" (dance with a rest). During the Spanish American War, a popular dance called the "Habanera del Cafe" appeared which was the prototype of Tango. The "dandies" of Buenos Aires changed the dance in two ways. First they changed the so-called "Polka rhythm" to the "Habanere rhythm" and secondly they called it "Tango".
Some said it originated from the slums and brothels in the nineteenth century Argentina. African, Uruguayan, and Spanish dance and music styles joined together and created the tango, the most famous and sensual dance of Argentina.
Ballroom Tango originated in the lower class of Buenos Aires, especially in the "Bario de las Ranas". Clothing was dictated to be full skirts for the woman and gauchos with high boots and spurs for the man.
The modern day Tango was was influenced by the candombe ( originated from influences of African Music ) a ceremonies of former slave people. The dance originated in lower-class districts of Rio de Plata and Buenos Aires, Argentina and Montevideo, Uruguay. The word "tango" seems to have first been used in connection with the dance in the 1890s. Initially it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European immigrants, primarily Italians, Spanish and French.
In the early years of the 20th century, dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires travelled to Europe, and the first European tango craze took place in Paris, soon followed by London, Berlin, and other capitals. In 1907 the dance was introduced in France; by 1912 it crossed the channel to England. The dance was so popular in France and England that Tango teas became the rage. It was danced in the United States first by the Castles who elevated it to a dance accepted in any ballroom, by purifying it of its coarse associations and turning it into a thing of beauty. The Broadway show, Tango Argentino, helped to kindle enthusiasm for this exciting, sensual dance.
Originally introduced in USA in the winter of 1910 – 1911, it arrived in New York City towards the end of 1913. Around 1911 the word "tango" was often applied to dances in a 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm such as the one-step. The term was fashionable and did not indicate that tango steps would be used in the dance, although they might be. Tango music was sometimes played, but at a rather fast tempo. Instructors of the period would sometimes refer to this as a "North American tango", versus the "Rio de la Plata tango". By 1914 more authentic tango stylings were developed. Rudolph Valentino made the Tango a hit in 1921.
In Argentina, the dance became heavily associated with Carlos Gardel's (a famous singer, songwriter and actor in Argentina) Mi Noche Triste, a song of tragic love. The music in the 1920s was taken up by classical musicians who gave it a more elegant and complex favor, and slowed the tempo. Tango declined in 1929 due to the beginning of the Great Depression, and restrictions introduced after the overthrow of the Hipólito Yrigoyen, former President of Argentina, government in 1930. Tango again became widely fashionable and a matter of national pride under the government of Juan Perón. Tango declined again in the 1950s with economic depression and as the military dictatorships banned public gatherings, followed by the popularity of rock and roll.
In Finland, the dance found a new home and expression, played in minor keys and performed in flowing, horizontal patterns, now known as Finnish Tango; it grew to the height of its popularity in the 1950s. In English Tango the dance evolved into a competitive ballroom style, heavily structured and with strict codes that introduce a more staccato movement not seen in Argentina, as well as the head-snap movement often seen in film. New York tango performers modified the dance to a wider embrace as well. Tango experienced a resurgence in Argentina in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, the emergence of electronic and world music gave the tango a new twist. Combining jazz elements with popular music from artists such as Gotan Project, Tom Waits, and Portishead. Tango Neuvo has appealed to an entirely new generation of dancers. This style was the result of a structured analysis of the physics and kinesiology of tango, which emphasized the axis of turn and directional changes. Practitioners of this style, as well as the more traditional forms, have brought the dance from Argentina to new dance hubs such as San Francisco and Chicago. Today in Buenos Aires, there are dance competitions that host Argentine Tango performers from all over the world.
In activities related to gymnastic, figure skating, synchronized swimming activities, music and dance elements of tango can be seen, because of its dramatic feeling and its cultural associations with romance.
Tangos differ in styles: French, Argentine, Gaucho and International. Still, Tango has become one of our American 'Standards' regardless of its origin. The Americanized version is a combination of the best parts of each.
Phrasing is an important part of Tango. Most Tango music phrased to 16 or 32 beats of music. Tango music tells a story. It contains paragraphs (Major phrases); sentences (Minor phrases); and the period at the end of the sentence is the Tango close.
Movies that shown Tango dancing include “Evita” and "True Lies" starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.