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{{short description|Argentinian and Uruguayan partner dance}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox dance
| name             = Tango
| image            = Tango_dancers_in_Montevideo.png
| caption          = Tango dancers at the Festival Internacional Viva el Tango, [[Montevideo]], since 1987.
| origin           = [[Río de la Plata]] ([[Argentina]] and [[Uruguay]])
}}
{{Infobox intangible heritage
| ICH         = Tango
| Countries   = Argentina, Uruguay
| Domains     = 
| Criteria    = 
| ID          = 00258
| Region      = LAC
| Year        = 2009
| Session     = 4th
| List        = Representative
}}
'''Tango''' is a [[partner dance]] and social Latin dance that originated in the 1880s along the [[Río de la Plata]], the natural border between [[Argentina]] and [[Uruguay]]. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Argentine [[Milonga (dance)|Milonga]], Spanish-Cuban [[Contradanza|Habanera]], and Uruguayan [[Candombe]] celebrations.<ref>{{Cite book|title=National Rhythms, African Roots: The Deep History of Latin American Popular Dance |last=Chasteen|first=John Charles|publisher=University of New Mexico Press|year=2004}}</ref> It was frequently practiced in the brothels and bars of ports, where business owners employed bands to entertain their patrons.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Castro|   first=Donald  |date=January 1990|title=The Soul of the People: The Tango as a Source for Argentine Social History|journal=Studies in Latin American Popular Culture|volume=9|pages=279–295}}</ref> It then spread to the rest of the world.<ref>{{cite news |last1= Termine |first1=Laura |title=Argentina, Uruguay bury hatchet to snatch tango honor |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/argentina-uruguay-bury-hatchet-to-snatch-tango-honor-20090930-gckv.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |date=30 September 2009 }}</ref> A number of variations of this dance currently exist around the world.

On August 31, 2009, [[UNESCO]] approved a joint proposal by Argentina and Uruguay to include the tango in the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/archives/multimedia/index.php?id_film=319&id_page=33&s=films_details|title=Culture:The Tango|work=UNESCO Archives Multimedia website|date=25 September 2009 |publisher=UNESCO|access-date=30 November 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?RL=00258|title=The Tango|work=Intangible Heritage Lists|publisher=UNESCO|access-date=30 November 2010}}</ref>

==History==
{{main|History of the tango}}

[[File:How Tango Conquered the World.webm|thumb|Video on the history of tango]]
Tango is a dance that has influences from [[Culture of Africa|African]] and [[Culture of Europe|European]] culture.<ref>{{cite book |title=Rise and Fall of the Cosmic Race |last=Miller |first=Marilyn Grace |year=2004 |publisher=University of Texas Press |isbn=978-0-292-70596-8 |pages=82–89 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fK1xia7EQjkC&pg=PA86 |access-date=2009-03-22 |id={{Project MUSE|3020|type=book}} |doi=10.7560/705722 |jstor=10.7560/705722 }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Dances from the [[Candombe]] ceremonies of former African enslaved people helped shape the modern day tango. The dance originated in working-class districts of [[Buenos Aires]] and [[Montevideo]]. [[Tango music]] derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Denniston |first1=Christine |title=Couple Dancing and the Beginning of Tango |url=http://www.history-of-tango.com/couple-dancing.html |work=history-of-tango.com |date=2003 }}{{self-published inline|date=October 2022}}</ref> The words "tango" and "tambo" around the River Plate basin were initially used to refer to musical gatherings of slaves, with written records of colonial authorities attempting to ban such gatherings as early as 1789.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geala.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/gustavo-gimenez-expresiones-musico-religiosas-como-mecanismos-de-legitimacion-cultural.pdf |title=Expresiones músico-religiosas como mecanismos de legitimación cultural. El caso de la comunidad africana en Buenos Aires entre 1776-1852 |language=es |publisher=Instituto Ravignani, Facultad de Filosofía y Letras, UBA |date=30 September 2010 |access-date=21 April 2016 |author=Giménez, Gustavo Javier |page=5}}{{self-published inline|date=October 2022}}</ref>

Initially, it was just one of the many dances, but it soon{{when|date=August 2020}} became popular throughout society, as [[theatre]]s and street [[barrel organ]]s spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European [[immigrant]]s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Mroue |first1=Haas |last2=Schreck |first2=Kristina |last3=Luongo |first3=Michael |chapter=Tango: Lessons in the Dance of Seduction & Despair |pages=76–77 |title=Frommer's Argentina and Chile |date=2005 |publisher=Wiley |isbn=978-0-7645-8439-8 }} Also available from {{cite web |title=Tango in Buenos Aires |url=https://www.frommers.com/destinations/buenos-aires/nightlife/tango |website=Frommer's }}</ref>

When the tango began to spread internationally around 1900, cultural norms were generally conservative, and so tango dancing was widely regarded as extremely sexual and inappropriate for public display. This led to a phenomenon of [[culture shock]]. Additionally, the combination of African, Native American and European cultural influences in tango was new and unusual to most of the [[Western world]].<ref name=":02">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/flashpoints/music/tango.html|title=Culture Shock: Flashpoints: Music and Dance: The Tango|website=www.pbs.org|access-date=2020-03-24}}</ref>

Many neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires have their particular tango histories: for example [[:es:La Boca|La Boca]], [[:es:San Telmo|San Telmo]] and [[:es:Boedo|Boedo]]. At Boedo Avenue, [[:es:Cátulo Castillo|Cátulo Castillo]], [[:es:Homero Manzi|Homero Manzi]] and other singers and composers used to meet at the [[:es:Café El Japonés|Japanese Cafe]] with the [[:es:Grupo Boedo|Boedo Group]].<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.periodicodesdeboedo.com.ar/el-grupo-de-boedo-mito-fundacional-2/|title= El Grupo de Boedo: mito fundacional|trans-title= The Boedo group: foundational myth|language= Spanish|author= Diego Ruiz|date= February 8, 2016|publisher= Desde Boedo|accessdate=June 22, 2024}}</ref>
[[File:Figari-tango32.jpg|thumb|''El Tango'' by Uruguayan painter [[Pedro Figari]]]]
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. Tango historian [[Nardo Zalko]], a native of Buenos Aires who lived most of his life in Paris, investigated the mutual fertilization between the two cities in his work, ''Paris – Buenos Aires, Un Siècle de Tango'' ("A Century of Tango").<ref>Written and published in a French edition: Paris: Du Félin, 1998, {{ISBN|2-86645-325-5}}. Reprinted in 2004, {{ISBN|2-86645-569-X}}. Reprinted in paperback in 2016, {{ISBN|978-2866458454}}. Published in Spanish translation:  Paris – Buenos Aires, Un Siglo de Tango [Paris – Buenos Aires, One Hundred Years of Tango] Buenos Aires: Corregidor, 2001, {{ISBN|9500513137}}</ref> Towards the end of 1913, it hit [[New York City]] as well as [[Finland]]. In the [[United States|U.S.]], around 1911, the word "[[wikt:tango|tango]]" was often applied to dances in a {{music|time|2|4}} or {{music|time|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 so-called "Argentine tango". The tango was controversial because of its perceived sexual overtones and, by the end of 1913, the dance teachers who had introduced the dance to Paris were banished from the city.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Knowles |first1=Mark |title=The Wicked Waltz and Other Scandalous Dances: Outrage at Couple Dancing in the 19th and Early 20th Centuries |date=2009 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-3708-5 }}{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref> By 1914, more authentic tango stylings were soon developed,{{Which|date=March 2011}} along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet" tango.

In Argentina, the onset in 1929 of the [[Great Depression]], and restrictions introduced after the overthrow of the [[Hipólito Yrigoyen]] government in 1930, caused a temporary decline in tango's popularity. Its fortunes were reversed later in the 1930s, and tango again became widely fashionable and a matter of national pride under the first [[Juan Perón|Perón]] government, which in turn had a major effect on Argentinian culture overall. [[Mariano Mores]] played a role in the resurgence of the tango in 1950s Argentina. Mores's ''Taquito Militar'' was premiered in 1952 during a governmental speech by President Juan D. Perón, which generated a strong political and cultural controversy between different views of the concepts of "cultured" music and "popular" music, as well as the links between both "cultures".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Feinmann |first=José Pablo |date=2007 |title=Peronismo: Filosofía política de una obstinación argentina |url=https://www.pagina12.com.ar/especiales/archivo/peronismo_feinmann/CLASE6.pdf |access-date=18 February 2024 |work=Pagina 12 |pages=iii}}</ref>

Tango declined again in the late 1950s, as a result of economic [[recession|depression]] and the banning of public gatherings by the military [[dictator]]ships; male-only tango practice—the custom at the time—was considered "public gathering". That, indirectly, boosted the popularity of [[rock and roll]] because, unlike tango, it did not require such gatherings.<ref name="TangoHistory">{{cite web|last=Denniston|first=Christine|title=The History of Tango Dance|url=http://www.history-of-tango.com/|access-date=7 May 2012}}</ref>  However, in the late 1980s the tango again experienced a resurgence in Argentina, partly due to the endeavors of [[Osvaldo Peredo (musician)|Osvaldo Peredo]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Antes éramos todos cantores de esquina y jugadores de potrero |trans-title=Before we were all corner singers and paddock players |date= 24 June 2013 |language=es |publisher=Nos Digital |url=http://www.nosdigital.com.ar/2013/06/antes-eramos-todos-cantores-de-esquina-y-jugadores-de-potrero/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130930012340/http://www.nosdigital.com.ar/2013/06/antes-eramos-todos-cantores-de-esquina-y-jugadores-de-potrero/ |archive-date=30 September 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2009, the tango was added to the [[UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists]].<ref>{{cite web|title=UN declares tango part of world cultural heritage|publisher=Sydney Morning Herald|date=Sep 30, 2009|url=http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-world/un-declares-tango-part-of-world-cultural-heritage-20090930-gckv.html|access-date=Sep 30, 2009}}</ref>

=== Etymology ===
{{wiktionary|tango}}
There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''tango'', none of which has been proven.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Jakubs |first=Deborah L. |date=June 1984 |title=From Bawdyhouse to Cabaret: The Evolution of the Tango as an Expression of Argentine Popular Culture |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.0022-3840.1984.1801_133.x |journal=The Journal of Popular Culture |language=en |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=133–145 |doi=10.1111/j.0022-3840.1984.1801_133.x |issn=0022-3840|url-access=subscription }}</ref> An African culture is often credited as the creator of this word; in particular, it is theorized that the word derives from the [[Yoruba language|Yoruba]] word ''[[wikt:Ṣàngó#Yoruba|shangó]]'', which refers to [[Shango]], the God of Thunder in traditional [[Yoruba religion]].<ref name="Poosson 87–99">{{cite journal |last1=Poosson |first1=Sylvain B. |title='Entre Tango y Payada': The Expression of Blacks in 19th Century Argentina |journal=Confluencia |date=2004 |volume=20 |issue=1 |pages=87–99 |jstor=27923034 }}</ref> This theory suggests that the word “shangó” was morphed through the dilution of the Nigerian language once it reached South America via [[History of slavery#Americas|slave trade]]. According to an alternative theory, ''tango'' is derived from the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] word for "[[drum]]", ''[[wikt:tambor#Spanish|tambor]]''.<ref name="Poosson 87–99" /> This word was then mispronounced by Buenos Aires’ lower-class inhabitants to become ''tambo'', ultimately resulting in the common ''tango''. It is also sometimes theorized that the word is derived from the [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] word ''[[wikt:tanger#Portuguese|tanger]]'', which means "to play a musical instrument". Another Portuguese word, ''[[wikt:tangomão#Portuguese|tangomão]]'', a combination of the verb ''tanger'' ("to touch") with the noun ''mão'' ("hand") meaning "to play a musical instrument with one's hands", has been suggested as the etymon of ''tango''.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Megenney |first1=William W. |title=The River Plate 'Tango': Etymology and Origins |journal=Afro-Hispanic Review |date=2003 |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=39–45 |jstor=23054732 }}</ref> 

According to some authors, ''tango'' is derived from the [[Kongo language|Kongo]] word ''ntangu'' which means "sun", "hour", "space-time".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Plisson |first1=Michel |title=Tango: du noir au blanc |date=2004 |publisher=Cité de la musique |isbn=978-2-7427-4592-0 }}{{pn|date=October 2022}}</ref><ref name=":1"> Robert Farris Thompson, ''Tango: The Art History of Love'', Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010.</ref><ref name="LePoint">{{cite news |last1=Thwadi-Yimbu |first1=Esther |title=Tango Negro : et si les racines du tango étaient (aussi) africaines ? |trans-title=Tango Negro: what if the roots of tango were (also) African? |url=https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/tango-negro-et-si-les-racines-du-tango-etaient-aussi-africaines-16-08-2017-2150225_3.php |work=Le Point |date=16 August 2017 |language=fr }}</ref>

==Styles==
[[Image:TangoPostcard1920.jpg|thumb|250px|Tango postcard, c. 1919.]]
[[Image:Tango-Show-Buenos-Aires-01.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Choreographed stage tango in [[Buenos Aires]], 2005.]]
[[Image:MundialTango2011-Escenario.jpg|thumb|250px|right|[[World tango dance tournament|Tango Dance World Championship 2011]], Luna Park, Buenos Aires.]]
The tango consists of a variety of styles that developed in different regions and eras of Argentina, as well as in other locations around the world. The dance developed in response to multiple cultural elements, such as the crowding of the venue and even the fashions in clothing. The styles are mostly danced in either open embrace, where [[lead and follow]] have space between their bodies, or [[close embrace]], where the lead and follow connect either chest-to-chest (Argentine tango) or in the upper thigh, hip area (American and International tango).

Different styles of tango are:
*[[Argentine tango|Tango argentino]]
* [[Tango canyengue]]
*Tango fantasia
* [[Tango Liso|Tango liso]]
*Tango oriental
* Tango orillero
*Tango salon
* Tango camacupense ([[Angola]])
* [[Tango milonguero]] (tango apilado) (see also "[[Milonguero]]")
* [[Tango nuevo]] (new tango)
* Tango vals ([[Tango waltz]])
*[[Milonga (dance)|Milonga]]
* [[Ballroom tango]]
* [[Finnish tango]]
*[[Uruguayan tango]]
*[[Maxixe (dance)|Maxixe]] (Brazilian tango)
[[Image:Tango dance pattern.png|thumb|right|250px|Tango [[rhythm]].<ref name="Blatter">Blatter, Alfred (2007). ''Revisiting music theory: a guide to the practice'', p.28. {{ISBN|0-415-97440-2}}.</ref>]]These are danced to several types of music:
* Tango
* Electronic tango-inspired music (Tango electronico)
* "Alternative tango", i.e. music that is an alternative to tango, or non-tango music employed for use in tango-inspired dance

The milonguero style is characterized by a close embrace, small steps, and syncopated rhythmic footwork. It is based on the {{Lang|es|petitero}} or {{Lang|es|caquero}} style of the crowded downtown clubs of the 1950s.

In contrast, the tango that originated in the family clubs of the suburban neighborhoods ([[Villa Urquiza]], Devoto, [[Avellaneda]], etc.) emphasizes long elegant steps, and complex figures. In this case the embrace may be allowed to open briefly, to permit the execution of the complex footwork.

The complex figures of this style became the basis for a theatrical performance style of tango seen in the touring stage shows. For stage purposes, the embrace is often open, and the complex footwork is augmented with gymnastic lifts, kicks, and drops.

A newer style sometimes called ''[[tango nuevo]],'' or "new tango," has been popularized in recent years by a younger generation of dancers. The embrace is often quite open and elastic, permitting the leader to lead a large variety of complex figures. This style is often associated with those who enjoy dancing to jazz- and techno-tinged "alternative tango" music, in addition to traditional tango compositions.

===Tango de salon (salon tango)===
{{main|Argentine tango}}

===Tango canyengue===
{{main|Argentine tango}}
''Tango canyengue'' is a rhythmic style of tango that originated in the early 1900s and is still popular today. It is one of the original roots styles of tango and contains all fundamental elements of traditional Tango from the [[Río de la Plata|River Plate]] region (Uruguay and Argentina). In ''tango canyengue'' the dancers share one axis, dance in a closed embrace, and with the legs relaxed and slightly bent. ''Tango canyengue'' uses body dissociation for the leading, walking with firm ground contact, and a permanent combination of on- and off-beat rhythm. Its main characteristics are its musicality and playfulness. Its rhythm is described as "incisive, exciting, provocative".

The complex figures of this style became the basis for a theatrical performance style of Tango seen in the touring stage shows. For stage purposes, the embrace is often very open, and the complex footwork is augmented with gymnastic lifts, kicks, and drops.

===Tango nuevo===
{{Main|Nuevo tango}}

A newer style sometimes called ''[[tango nuevo]]'' or 'new tango' was popularized after 1980 by a younger generation of musicians and dancers. [[Ástor Piazzolla]], composer and virtuoso of the [[bandoneón]] (so-called "tango accordion") played a major role in the innovation of traditional tango music.  The embrace is often quite open and elastic, permitting the leader to initiate a great variety of complex figures. This style is often associated with those who enjoy dancing to jazz- and techno-tinged, electronic and alternative music inspired in old tangos, in addition to traditional Tango compositions.

''Tango nuevo'' is largely fueled by a fusion between [[tango music]] and [[electronica]] ({{interlanguage link|electrotango|es|Tango electrónico}}), though the style can be adapted to traditional tango and even non-tango songs. [[Gotan Project]] released its first tango fusion album in 2000, quickly following with [[La Revancha del Tango]] in 2001. [[Bajofondo Tango Club]], a [[Rioplatense]] music band consisting of seven musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, released their first album in 2002. [[Tanghetto]]'s album ''[[Emigrante (electrotango)]]'' appeared in 2003 and was nominated for a Latin Grammy in 2004. These and other electronic tango fusion songs bring an element of revitalization to the tango dance, serving to attract a younger group of dancers.

=== New tango songs ===
[[File:Tango Porteño.jpg|thumb|Tango Porteño. Two Argentine tango street dancers in Corrientes street, Buenos Aires, 2020.]]
In the second half of the 1990s, a movement of new tango songs was born in Buenos Aires. It was mainly influenced by the old orchestra style rather than by [[Astor Piazzolla|Piazzolla's]] renewal and experiments with electronic music. The novelty lies in the new songs, with today's lyrics and language, which find inspiration in a wide variety of contemporary styles.

In the 2000s, the movement grew with prominent figures such as the [[Orquesta típica|Orquesta Típica]] Fernandez Fierro, whose creator, Julián Peralta,<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1940017-tangos-de-estreno-clasicos-de-las-orquestas-del-futuro|title=Tangos de estreno: clásicos de las orquestas del futuro|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.clarin.com/extrashow/musica/Levantar-tango-siesta_0_743325784.html|title=Levantar al tango de su siesta|last=Cas|first=Andrés|newspaper=Clarin.com|access-date=2016-10-09}}</ref> would later start Astillero and the Orquesta Típica Julián Peralta. Other bands also have become part of the movement such as the Orquesta Rascacielos, Altertango, Ciudad Baigón, as well as singer and songwriters Alfredo "Tape" Rubín,<ref name=":0" /> Victoria di Raimondo,<ref name=":0" /> Juan Serén,<ref name=":0" /> Natalí de Vicenzo<ref name=":0" /> and [[Pacha González]].<ref name=":0" />

===Ballroom tango===
{{main|Ballroom tango}}
[[Image:TangoLesson4.jpg|frame|right|Ballroom tango illustration, 1914.]]

Ballroom tango, divided in recent decades into the "International" and "American" styles, has descended from the tango styles that developed when the tango first went abroad to Europe and North America. The dance was simplified, adapted to the preferences of conventional ballroom dancers, and incorporated into the repertoire used in [[International Ballroom]] dance competitions. English tango was first codified in October 1922, when it was proposed that it should only be danced to modern tunes, ideally at 30 [[bars per minute]] (i.e. 120 [[beats per minute]] – assuming a {{music|time|4|4}} measure).

Subsequently, the English tango evolved mainly as a highly [[competitive dance]], while the American tango evolved as a non-judged [[social dance]] with an emphasis on [[leading and following]] skills. This has led to some principal distinctions in basic technique and style. Nevertheless, there are quite a few competitions held in the American style, and mutual borrowing of technique and dance patterns is a common practice.

Ballroom tangos use different music and styling from the tangos from the River Plata region ([[Uruguay]] and [[Argentina]]), with more [[staccato]] movements and the characteristic ''head snaps''. The head snaps are totally foreign to Argentine and Uruguayan tango, and were introduced in 1934 under the influence of a similar movement in the legs and feet of the tango from the River Plate, and the theatrical movements of the [[pasodoble (dance)|pasodoble]]. This style became popular in Germany and was soon introduced to England. The movements were popular with spectators, but not with competition judges.<ref>PJS Richardson, History of English Ballroom Dancing, Herbert Jenkins 1946, pp. 101–102</ref>

===Finnish tango===
{{Unreferenced section|date=August 2017}}
{{main|Finnish tango}}
[[File:Arja Koriseva 2004.jpg|thumb|[[Arja Koriseva]] at the 2004 ''[[Tangomarkkinat]]'' in [[Seinäjoki]], Finland.]]
Tango arrived in Finland in 1913. The tango spread from the dominant urban dance form to become hugely popular across Finland in the 1950s after [[World War I]] and [[World War II]]. The melancholy tone of the music reflects the themes of Finnish folk poetry; Finnish tango is almost always in a [[minor key]].

The tango is danced in close full thigh, pelvis and upper body contact in a wide and strong frame, and features smooth horizontal movements that are strong and determined. Dancers are low, allowing long steps without any up and down movement, although rises and falls are optional in some styles. Forward steps land heel first except when descending from a rise, and in backward steps dancers push from the heel. In basic steps, the passing leg moves quickly to rest for a moment close to the grounded leg. Dips and rotations are typical. There is no open position, and typically feet stay close to the floor, except in dips the follower might slightly raise the left leg. Unlike in some Argentine-Uruguayan tango styles, in Finnish tango there is no kicking of any kind, and there are no aerials.

The annual Finnish tango festival ''[[Tangomarkkinat]]'' draws over 100,000 tango fans to the central Finnish town of [[Seinäjoki]]; the town also hosts the Tango Museum.

==Comparison of techniques==
[[File:Demonstratie van de tango 1930.ogv|300px|thumb|A Dutch tango demonstration film, showing French Tango", the "Argentina", the "Promenade", the "Reserve Wave" and the "Habanera", [[Haarlem]], 1930.]]
[[Argentine]]-[[Uruguayan]] and [[ballroom]] tango use very different techniques. In Argentine and Uruguayan tango, the body's center moves first, then the feet reach to support it. In ballroom tango, the body is initially set in motion across the floor through the flexing of the lower joints (hip, knee, ankle) while the feet are delayed, then the feet move quickly to catch the body, resulting in snatching or striking action that reflects the staccato nature of this style's preferred music.

In tango, the steps are typically more gliding, but can vary widely in timing, speed, and character, and follow no single specific rhythm. Because the dance is led and followed at the level of individual steps, these variations can occur from one step to the next. This allows the dancers to vary the dance from moment to moment to match the music (which often has both [[legato]] and/or [[staccato]] elements) and their mood.

The Tango's frame, called an ''abrazo'' or "embrace", is not rigid, but flexibly adjusts to different steps, and may vary from being quite close, to offset in a "V" frame, to open. The flexibility is as important as is all movement in dance. The American Ballroom Tango's frame is flexible too, but experienced dancers frequently dance in closed position: higher in the elbows, tone in the arms and constant connection through the body. When dancing socially with beginners, however, it may be better to use a more open position because the close position is too intimate for them. In American Tango open position may result in open breaks, pivots, and turns which are quite foreign in Argentine tango and International (English) tango.

There is a [[closed position]] as in other types of [[ballroom dance]], but it differs significantly between types of tango. In Tango from the River Plata region, the "close embrace" involves continuous contact at the full upper body, but not the legs. In American Ballroom tango, the "close embrace" involves close contact in the pelvis or upper thighs, but not the upper body. Followers are instructed to thrust their hips forward, but pull their upper body away and shyly look over their left shoulder when they are led into a "corte".

In tango from the River Plate region, the open position, the legs may be intertwined and hooked together, in the style of Pulpo (the Octopus). In Pulpo's style, these hooks are not sharp, but smooth ganchos.

In tango from the River Plate, the ball or toe of the foot may be placed first. Alternatively, the dancer may take the floor with the entire foot in a cat-like manner. In the international style of tango, "[[Ballroom glossary#Heel lead|heel leads]]" (stepping first onto the heel, then the whole foot) are used for forward steps.

Ballroom tango steps stay close to the floor, while the River Plate tango (Uruguayan and Argentine) includes moves such as the ''[[boleo]]'' (allowing momentum to carry one's leg into the air) and ''[[gancho (dance move)|gancho]]'' (hooking one's leg around one's partner's leg or body) in which the feet travel off the ground. Both Uruguayan and Argentine tango features other vocabulary foreign to ballroom, such as the ''[[Parada (dance move)|parada]]'' (in which the leader puts his foot against the follower's foot), the ''[[arrastre]]'' (in which the leader appears to drag or be dragged by the follower's foot), and several kinds of ''[[sacada (tango)|sacada]]'' (in which the leader displaces the follower's leg by stepping into her space).

==Famous tango singers==
{{further|List of tango singers}}
*[[Carlos Acuña]]{{Ref_label|todotango|TT|none}}  {{Ref_label|tango.info|t.i|none}}  (1915–1999) was known for his deep, high and expressive voice. His foreign travels brought him success in Uruguay, Mexico, Italy and Spain, where he became a close friend of the exiled [[Juan Perón]].<ref>Jorge Palacio, ''[http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/biography/869/Carlos-Acuna/ Carlos Acuña]'', todotango.com. URL accessed 12 July 2006</ref>
*[[Néstor Fabián]]{{Ref_label|todotango|TT|none}}
*[[Carlos Gardel]]{{Ref_label|tango.info|t.i|none}}
*[[Roberto Goyeneche]]{{Ref_label|todotango|TT|none}} {{Ref_label|tango.info|t.i|none}}
*[[Julio Sosa]]{{Ref_label|todotango|TT|none}} {{Ref_label|tango.info|t.i|none}} (1926–1964) from Uruguay was one of the most important tango singers during tango's unhappy years in the 1950s and early 1960s. His passion for poetry led to his sole published book; his passion for fast cars led to his young death.<ref>Roberto Selles. ''[http://www.todotango.com/english/artists/info/174/Julio-Sosa Julio Sosa]''. todotango.com. URL accessed 12 July 2006</ref>
*[[Olavi Virta]]
*[[Reijo Taipale]]
*[[Eino Grön]]
*[[Tita Merello]]{{Ref_label|todotango|TT|none}}
*[[Edmundo Rivero]]{{Ref_label|todotango|TT|none}}
*[[Pyotr Leschenko]]

==Tango influence==
[[Image:LakeMerrit OutdoorMilonga.jpg|thumb|Outdoor [[Milonga (dance event)|milonga tango dance party]] in the [[gazebo]] at [[Lake Merritt]], Oakland, California, 2007.]]
Music and dance elements of tango are popular in activities related to [[gymnastics]], [[figure skating]], [[synchronized swimming]], etc., because of its dramatic feeling and its cultural associations with romance.

For the [[1978 FIFA World Cup]] in Argentina, [[Adidas]] designed a ball and named it Tango, likely a tribute to the host country of the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerballworld.com/TangoRiver.htm|title=Tango 1978|website=www.soccerballworld.com|date=19 December 2019 }}</ref> This design was also used in [[1982 FIFA World Cup]] in Spain as ''Tango Málaga'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soccerballworld.com/TangoEspana.htm|title=Tango 1982|website=www.soccerballworld.com|date=19 December 2019 }}</ref> and in 1984 and 1988 [[UEFA European Football Championship]]s in France and West Germany.

==In society==

Tango appears in different aspects of society: regular [[milonga (place)|milonga]]s and special festivals. A famous festival is the Tango Buenos Aires Festival y Mundial in [[Buenos Aires]] also known as [[World tango dance tournament]]. On a regional level there are also a number of festivals inside and outside of [[Argentina]]. One local festival outside Argentina is [[Buenos Aires in the Southern Highlands]] in Australia.

== Gender and tango ==

[[Gender roles]] play a big part in the mechanics of tango due to the tango needing a leader. But in more recent times this is being challenged due to woman not wanting to be dependent on the male for the dance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.lcfd.org/GF%20Historical%20Manual.pdf|title=Dancing Tango}}</ref> In the early 1900s, there were often more male dancers than female so the dance was performed between two men. This allowed for both men to learn the leading and following roles of tango and adapt to both lead equally in the dance. This changed the mechanics of the dance to be closer to two equally leading roles between men and women or same sex pairs.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ricciotti |first=Chris |date=2011 |title=Welcome to Gender Free Dancing: a Historical Perspective |url=https://docplayer.net/20879647-Welcome-to-gender-free-dancing-a-historical-perspective.html }}{{self-published inline|date=October 2022}}</ref>

A [[Queer Tango]] movement has emerged from the first Queer Tango Festival, held in Hamburg in 2001, to counter conformity to the traditional male-leader, female-follower convention.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Batchelor |first=Ray |date=17 September 2015 |title=Uncovering the Histories and Pre-Histories of Queer Tango: Contextualizing and Documenting an Innovative Form of Social Dancing |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/congress-on-research-in-dance/article/abs/uncovering-the-histories-and-prehistories-of-queer-tango-contextualizing-and-documenting-an-innovative-form-of-social-dancing/B95439E7CF270BEE715A1E439A434705 |journal=Congress on Research in Dance Conference Proceedings |language=en |volume=2015 |pages=24–29 |doi=10.1017/cor.2015.6 |issn=2049-1255|url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.queer-tango.de/html/seite.php?m=0&p=3&mk=1&SN=6f81cdf84e9a33acc856b54c8b7ee77d |title=10. International Queer Tango Argentino Festival |access-date=2010-06-14 |archive-date=2011-07-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719073817/http://www.queer-tango.de/html/seite.php?m=0&p=3&mk=1&SN=6f81cdf84e9a33acc856b54c8b7ee77d |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==In film==
Argentine tango is the main subject in these films:
* ''[[¡Tango!]]'' (1933)
* ''[[Kaatru Veliyidai]]'' (2017), directed by [[Mani Ratnam]] with the song [[Kaatru Veliyidai (soundtrack)|Tango Kelayo]] composed by Oscar winner [[A. R. Rahman|A.R. Rahman]] and lyrics written by [[vairamuthu]].
* ''[[Adiós Buenos Aires]]'' (1938)
* ''[[Tangos, the Exile of Gardel]]'' (1985), starring Philippe Léotard, directed by Fernando Solanas
* ''[[Tango Bar]]'' (1988),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096221/|title=Tango Bar|date=1 April 1988|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref> starring [[Raúl Juliá]]
* ''[[The Tango Lesson]]'' (1997), starring [[Sally Potter]] and [[Pablo Verón]], directed by Sally Potter
* ''[[Tango (1998 film)|Tango]]'' (1998), starring [[Cecilia Narova]] and [[Mía Maestro]], directed by [[Carlos Saura]]
* ''[[Assassination Tango]]'' (2002), starring [[Robert Duvall]], [[Rubén Blades]] and [[Kathy Baker]], directed by Robert Duvall
* ''[[Orquesta Típica (film)|Orquesta Típica]]'' (2005), [[documentary film]] about typical orchestra Fernandez Fierro, directed by [[Nicolas Entel]]
* ''12 Tangos – Adios Buenos Aires'' (2005), directed by [[Arne Birkenstock]]
* ''[[Tango libre]]'' (2012), directed by [[Frédéric Fonteyne]]
* ''[[Vaje v objemu / Practice in embrace]]'' (2012), directed by [[Metod Pevec]]

A number of films show tango in several scenes, such as:
*''[[The Threepenny Opera (1931 film)|The Threepenny Opera]]'' (Die 3-Groschen-Oper) (1931), directed by G. W. Pabst, has number called Tango Ballade.
* ''[[The Plow That Broke the Plains]]'' (1936), directed by Pare Lorentz.
* ''[[The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921 movie)|The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse]]'' (1921), starring [[Rudolph Valentino]] and [[Alice Terry]], directed by [[Rex Ingram (director)|Rex Ingram]].
* ''[[Love in the City (1953 film)|L'amore in città]]'' (1953), segment ''"Paradise for three hours"'' (Paradiso per tre ore), directed by [[Dino Risi]], starring nonprofessional actors, featuring a long sequence in a ballroom, where a passionate tango of [[Mario Nascimbene]] is played.
* ''[[The Conformist (film)|Il Conformista]]'' (1970), starring [[Jean-Louis Trintignant]] and [[Dominique Sanda]], directed by [[Bernardo Bertolucci]].
* ''[[Last Tango in Paris]]'' (1972), starring [[Marlon Brando]] and [[Maria Schneider (actress)|Maria Schneider]], directed by [[Bernardo Bertolucci]].
* ''[[The World's Greatest Lover]]'' (1977), starring [[Gene Wilder]] (who also directed), [[Carol Kane]] and [[Dom DeLuise]].
* ''[[Death on the Nile (1978 film)|Death on the Nile]]'' (1978), [[Peter Ustinov]] and [[Olivia Hussey]] tango whilst [[David Niven]] is the unfortunate partner to [[Angela Lansbury]]'s rather eccentric version of the dance.
* ''Tango'' (1981), a short animation film by Zbigniew Rybczynski. Received an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film, Academy Awards 1982.
* ''[[Never Say Never Again]]'' (1983), starring [[Sean Connery]] and [[Kim Basinger]], directed by [[Irvin Kershner]].
* '' [[Naked Tango]]'' (1990), starring [[Vincent D'Onofrio]] and [[Mathilda May]], directed by [[Leonard Schrader]].
* ''[[Scent of a Woman (1992 film)|Scent of a Woman]]'' (1992), [[Al Pacino]] as blind Colonel dances [[Argentine tango]].
* ''[[Strictly Ballroom]]'' (1992), directed by [[Baz Luhrmann]].
* ''[[Addams Family Values]]'' (1993), [[Raul Julia]] and [[Anjelica Huston]] dance a tango so passionate that it literally burns the floor and makes all the champagne bottles in the nightclub pop their corks.
* ''[[Schindler's List]]'' (1993), starring [[Liam Neeson]].
* ''[[True Lies]]'' (1994), starring [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Jamie Lee Curtis]] and [[Tia Carrere]], directed by [[James Cameron]].
* ''[[Evita (1996 film)|Evita]]'' (1996), [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] and [[Antonio Banderas]] dance a ballroom tango.
* ''[[Happy Together (1997 film)|Happy Together]]'' (1997), directed by [[Wong Kar-wai]].
* ''[[Moulin Rouge!]]'' (2001), featuring [[Ewan McGregor]] and "El Tango de Roxanne".
* ''[[Waking Life]]'' (2001), directed by [[Richard Linklater]].
* ''Le Tango Des Rashevski'' (2002).
* ''[[Chicago (2002 movie)|Chicago]]'' (2002), starring [[Renée Zellweger]], [[Catherine Zeta-Jones]], and [[Richard Gere]], directed by [[Rob Marshall]] includes a song titled "[[Cell Block Tango]]" and is accompanied with a dance.
* ''[[Frida (2002 film)|Frida]]'' (2002), [[Salma Hayek]] and [[Ashley Judd]] dance a tango to the [[Lila Downs]] performed song "Alcoba Azul".
* ''[[Tango un giro extraño]]'' (2004), starring [[Dolores Solá]], [[La chicana]], [[Silvio Grand]], [[Marinero Montes]], directed by [[Mercedes Garcia Guevara]].
* ''[[Shall We Dance (2004 movie)|Shall We Dance]]'' (2004), starring [[Richard Gere]], [[Jennifer Lopez]] and [[Susan Sarandon]], directed by [[Peter Chelsom]].
* [[Madonna (entertainer)|Madonna]] featured choreography inspired by the [[Argentine tango]] styles for the [[Die Another Day]] section of her 2004 [[Re-Invention Tour]]. Segments of the 2005 documentary ''[[I'm Going To Tell You A Secret]]'' show this choreography in use.
* ''[[Rent (film)|Rent]]'' (2005) had [[Anthony Rapp]] and [[Tracie Thoms]] perform a semi-elaborate ballroom tango in the song "Tango:Maureen" to describe their emotional relations and issues over a promiscuous girl they both dated.
* ''[[Mad Hot Ballroom]]'' (2005), documentary directed by [[Marilyn Agrelo]].
* ''[[Love and Other Disasters]]'' (2006), Jacks ([[Brittany Murphy]]) and Paolo ([[Santiago Cabrera]]) perform a tango together.
* ''[[Take the Lead]]'' (2006), starring [[Antonio Banderas]], directed by [[Liz Friedlander]].
* ''Tanghi Argentini,'' Oscar nominated short film by Guy Thys, starring Dirk Van Dijck and Koen van Impe
* ''[[Another Cinderella Story]]'' (2008), starring [[Selena Gomez]] and [[Drew Seeley]]. Performed during the Black and White Ball in the scene where Mary drops her Zune.
* ''[[Easy Virtue (2008 film)|Easy Virtue]]'' (2008), in which [[Jessica Biel]] and [[Colin Firth]] dance a tango.
* ''[[Step Up 3D]]'' (2010), in which [[Rick Malambri]], [[Sharni Vinson]] and some of the supporting characters at a ballroom dance a tango to [[Jazmine Sullivan]]'s ''[[Bust Your Windows]]''.
* ''Pixilation II'' (2011), short animation film by [[Kambras]].
* [[Tango libre|''Tango Libre'']] (2012) starring [[François Damiens]] and Anne Paulicevich, directed by [[Frédéric Fonteyne]]
* ''Two to Tango'' (2021), directed by Dimitri Sterckens 
* ''[[Eve (South Korean TV series)]]'' (2022), She seduces Kang Yoon-kyum by dancing tango, and approaches by teaching tango to another chaebol owner. It connects with each other through the memories of Argentina's tango and bandoneon, comforting the soul.<ref name="Premiere">{{Cite web|script-title=ko:'이브' 서예지, 또 못 참겠나…박병은과 초밀착 탱고 유혹→19금 상상 정사 [어저께TV]|trans-title="Eve" Seo Ye-ji, can't you stand it again…Park Byung-eun and Tango temptation → 19 gold imaginary history [Yesterday TV]|url=https://www.chosun.com/entertainments/entertain_photo/2022/06/03/YGSSGO42477SRXGTFWCTZ5ZPRU/|via=Chosun ilbo|publisher=OSEN|language=ko|last=Kim|first=Ye-sol|date=June 3, 2022|access-date=July 16, 2025}}</ref>

Finnish tango is featured to a greater or lesser extent in the following films:
* ''[[Onnen maa]]'' (1993), starring [[Pertti Koivula]] and [[Katariina Kaitue]], directed by [[Markku Pölönen]].
* ''[[Levottomat]]'' (2000), starring [[Mikko Nousiainen]] and [[Laura Malmivaara]], directed by [[Aku Louhimies]].
* ''[[Tulitikkutehtaan tyttö]]'' (1990), starring [[Kati Outinen]], directed by [[Aki Kaurismäki]].
* ''[[Mies vailla menneisyyttä]]'' (2002), starring [[Markku Peltola]] and [[Kati Outinen]], directed by [[Aki Kaurismäki]].
* ''[[Varjoja paratiisissa]]'' (1986), starring [[Matti Pellonpää]] and [[Kati Outinen]], directed by [[Aki Kaurismäki]].
* ''[[Kuutamolla]]'' (2002), starring [[Minna Haapkylä]] and [[Laura Malmivaara]], directed by [[Aku Louhimies]].
* ''[[Tango Kabaree]]'' (2001), starring [[Martti Suosalo]] and [[Aira Samulin]], directed by [[Pekka Lehto]].
* ''[[Minä soitan sinulle illalla]]'' (1954), starring [[Olavi Virta]], directed by [[Armand Lohikoski]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ochoa Pedro et Cécile Boucris (2024) Dictionnaire Tango et du Lunfago, Allegre, Cap de l’Étang Éditions, ISBN 9782376131878
* Davis, Kathy (2015). ''Dancing Tango: passionate encounters in a globalising world'. NYUP.''
* Kassabova, Kapka (2011). ''Twelve Minutes of Love, a tango story'' (English), Portobello.{{ISBN|1846272858}}, 9781846272851
* {{cite book |last=Leymarie |first=Isabelle |author-link=Isabelle Leymarie |title = Du tango au reggae: musiques noires d'Amérique latine et des Caraïbes |publisher = Flammarion |year = 1996 |location = Paris |isbn = 2082108139}}
*{{cite book |last=Leymarie |first=Isabelle |author-link=Isabelle Leymarie |title = La música latinoaméricana: Ritmos y danzas de un continente |publisher = BSA |year = 1997 |location = Barcelona |isbn = 8440677057}}
* Nau, Nicole (1999). ''Tango Dimensionen'' (German), Kastell Verlag GmbH, {{ISBN|978-3-924592-65-3}}.
* Nau, Nicole (2000). ''Tango, un baile bien porteño'' (Spanish), Editorial Corregidor, {{ISBN|950-05-1311-0}}
* Park, Chan (2005). ''Tango Zen: Walking Dance Meditation'' (English), Tango Zen House, {{ISBN|0-9759630-0-7}}
* Park, Chan (2008). ''TangoZen: Caminar y Meditar Bailando'' (Spanish-English), Editorial Kier, {{ISBN|978-950-17-1032-8}}
*Savigliano, Marta E. (1995) ''Tango and the Political Economy of Passion''. Westview Press, {{ISBN|978-0813316383}}
* Turner, David (2006). ''A Passion for Tango'' (English), Dingley Press 2004 Revised and augmented, {{ISBN|978-0-954-70831-3}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Tango (music)}}
* [https://argentinetangoradio.com/ Argentine Tango Radio]
* [https://soundsandcolours.com/articles/argentina/tango-in-the-movies-12607/ Tango in the Movies]

{{Portal bar|Tango|Argentina|Uruguay}}
{{Tango}}
{{Dance}}
{{Music in Spanish}}
{{Authority control}}

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[[Category:Tango| ]]
[[Category:Tango dance]]
[[Category:Partner dance]]
[[Category:Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity]]
[[Category:Urban street dance and music]]
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