about tango

Argentine Tango was born in the periphery of Buenos Aires, Argentina in the mid to late 1800s, hence the name – Argentine Tango, which reminds of the origin of the dance.

Argentine Tango History

The origin of the word “tango” is linked to African slaves brought to Argentina during the colonial times and has the meaning of the place where African slaves and free blacks gathered to dance. Tango as the dance emerged around mid to late 1800s and was initially danced at low-life establishments such as bars, cafes, gambling houses, dance halls and brothels, but over time spread to the middle and upper classes of Buenos Aires society and provincials towns of Argentina. The worldwide spread of tango occurred in the early 1900s, when wealthy sons of Argentine nobility traveled to Europe and introduced tango to the Parisian nobility. Tango quickly became an international sensation in Paris, London and New York and grew in popularity throughout the1920s and 1930s. The 1930s mark the Golden Age of Argentina when it became one of the 10 richest nations in the world – the music and culture flourished and so did the tango. The Golden Age lasted through 1950s until the economic downturn swept the country. Political repressions forced the tango dance and music to go underground. The tango went into decline and it was not until the mid- 1980s, when the tango made its comeback to the world stage when a musical “Tango Argentino” premiered in Paris in late 1983. Argentine Tango was reborn.

Argentine Tango should not be confused with Ballroom Tango, which is taught and danced in a completely different way. Argentine Tango is a living, growing and evolving dance and is danced around the world in a variety of styles – salon, milonguero, nuevo, fantasia (show tango), etc…

Our focus

Nashville Tango Club teaches Social Tango that fuses a variety of styles. Almost anyone can learn to dance Social Tango, which can be danced via basic steps or more complex combinations. At Nashville Tango Club, we teach open embrace, but encourage our students to learn and practice close embrace so they can comfortably dance in both embraces and shift between open and close to allow the integration of various styles of tango. In tango world, such approach to dancing is referred as liquid tango.

Tango is not about the steps and counts. It is about feeling the music, your partner and dancing as “one”. It takes two to tango: the leader (gentleman) leads, the follower (lady) follows. Good posture, balance and weight shift are some of the key skills to master. Argentine Tango is a great way to express oneself as it allows endless improvisation. The more you dance tango with other partners, the more you learn about the dance and yourself. It is a never ending journey and we invite you to join us and start experiencing this wonderful dance and the joy it gives.