TANGO SPECIFIC FEATURES
(Published in the "Dance San Diego" magazine, May, 2008)
Our main subject of the Tango Arg. Authentic Teaching is the “Energy inside the tango frame and
relationships inside the embrace.” The embrace is what makes tango authentic. At the “Tango Festival” in
Buenos Aries, the correct authentic embrace is the main thing to be achieved. Inside the embrace a man caries
a woman around the dance floor and the woman dances around the man in the space he provides for her by his
frame.
Authentic tango has specific features that came about as a result of the way the dance developed.
In the middle of the 19th century about 4 million immigrants, mostly men, came to Buenos Aires from many
counties. Men were looking for an embrace with a woman, and dancing provided such an embrace. But because
there were so many men for one woman, men needed to be very good at dancing in order to get their chance to
get a dance. During the dance they needed to hide and protect her from others by his embrace. The result was
the special kind of embrace that gives Tango the authentic look: the partners’ feet are far apart; the upper
bodies are close.
Tango was born from many dance elements of different countries. Men exchanged their own national dance
elements with each other while practicing them on the streets, and before entering the expensive brothels or
dance halls. Inside the buildings the space was very limited, which gave rise to another characteristic of tango -
it could be danced in a very small space.
Men did not have special dance shoes. They might come to dance in old heavy shoes, with some holes in the
soles. So, while moving they tried not to show the sole of the shoes. They were mostly porteños (port workers),
who were heavy and stepped with energy down. But that gave another characteristic for the authentic tango:
special tango walk, with energy down, with extension in the knees and in the body over the steps, and relaxing
between the steps.
Authentically men, strong characters ( "Compadrite"), danced tango with the respect to their identity. Also, they
traditionally could not openly articulate feelings to unknown women. They expressed it through some special
movements towards the floor, and through caressing the floor. Women danced tango with some distant
snobbism towards men.
Usually 1, 2 or 3 musicians were trying to accompany the movements of those first couples. Special tango music
came later. Tango slowly developed into the present form, as did the music. It is still the living form of dance, and
it continues developing by taking elements from the modern world and culture.
Tango is not a destination, does not require running from one corner to another. But mostly it is awareness
about your present moment, about your body balance, where your feelings and energy source are. Dance your
lady with the music and silence in it by controlling your thought and moves. That will be the best your
achievements in the dance.
Before you start, take deep breath and feel that you stretched up. This is the first thing you do before
movements. In this stretched up position you cannot move, you just get air, get energy from the Universe. Listen
to the music. Next - you will exhale and relax with the first move. This breathing, stretching, relaxing should be
part of your dance. You do it together with your partner simultaneously. This is what creates the wave of two
bodies in tango, but which nobody sees. This is the main characteristic of the harmonious movement. Tango has
this bandoneon effect, or waves effect when you dance together with your partner: open - close.
The main source of energy in your body is the area under the belly button ((Tan-tien). Get your ribs up - inhale.
Body stretched up. Keep it open, don't collapsed, ribs up, and move with your energy forward.
For example, the main positions in tango came from Italy fencing: corte and parada. Watch these positions when
you learn tango. Try to understand the special terminology and read about what it means.
Reading about the history of tango, vocabulary and music will bring you inside the special world, that people call
sub culture - Tango. Have fun and many Tango Discoveries!
(Published in the "Dance San Diego" magazine, May, 2008)
Our main subject of the Tango Arg. Authentic Teaching is the “Energy inside the tango frame and
relationships inside the embrace.” The embrace is what makes tango authentic. At the “Tango Festival” in
Buenos Aries, the correct authentic embrace is the main thing to be achieved. Inside the embrace a man caries
a woman around the dance floor and the woman dances around the man in the space he provides for her by his
frame.
Authentic tango has specific features that came about as a result of the way the dance developed.
In the middle of the 19th century about 4 million immigrants, mostly men, came to Buenos Aires from many
counties. Men were looking for an embrace with a woman, and dancing provided such an embrace. But because
there were so many men for one woman, men needed to be very good at dancing in order to get their chance to
get a dance. During the dance they needed to hide and protect her from others by his embrace. The result was
the special kind of embrace that gives Tango the authentic look: the partners’ feet are far apart; the upper
bodies are close.
Tango was born from many dance elements of different countries. Men exchanged their own national dance
elements with each other while practicing them on the streets, and before entering the expensive brothels or
dance halls. Inside the buildings the space was very limited, which gave rise to another characteristic of tango -
it could be danced in a very small space.
Men did not have special dance shoes. They might come to dance in old heavy shoes, with some holes in the
soles. So, while moving they tried not to show the sole of the shoes. They were mostly porteños (port workers),
who were heavy and stepped with energy down. But that gave another characteristic for the authentic tango:
special tango walk, with energy down, with extension in the knees and in the body over the steps, and relaxing
between the steps.
Authentically men, strong characters ( "Compadrite"), danced tango with the respect to their identity. Also, they
traditionally could not openly articulate feelings to unknown women. They expressed it through some special
movements towards the floor, and through caressing the floor. Women danced tango with some distant
snobbism towards men.
Usually 1, 2 or 3 musicians were trying to accompany the movements of those first couples. Special tango music
came later. Tango slowly developed into the present form, as did the music. It is still the living form of dance, and
it continues developing by taking elements from the modern world and culture.
Tango is not a destination, does not require running from one corner to another. But mostly it is awareness
about your present moment, about your body balance, where your feelings and energy source are. Dance your
lady with the music and silence in it by controlling your thought and moves. That will be the best your
achievements in the dance.
Before you start, take deep breath and feel that you stretched up. This is the first thing you do before
movements. In this stretched up position you cannot move, you just get air, get energy from the Universe. Listen
to the music. Next - you will exhale and relax with the first move. This breathing, stretching, relaxing should be
part of your dance. You do it together with your partner simultaneously. This is what creates the wave of two
bodies in tango, but which nobody sees. This is the main characteristic of the harmonious movement. Tango has
this bandoneon effect, or waves effect when you dance together with your partner: open - close.
The main source of energy in your body is the area under the belly button ((Tan-tien). Get your ribs up - inhale.
Body stretched up. Keep it open, don't collapsed, ribs up, and move with your energy forward.
For example, the main positions in tango came from Italy fencing: corte and parada. Watch these positions when
you learn tango. Try to understand the special terminology and read about what it means.
Reading about the history of tango, vocabulary and music will bring you inside the special world, that people call
sub culture - Tango. Have fun and many Tango Discoveries!
