Why you need to learn to dance tango. Argentine tango origin story

For more than a century, the passionate, exciting, rhythmic dance called “Argentine tango” has annually won the hearts of millions of people around the world.

Tango gained popularity back in the 19th century in Buenos Aires. In those days, this still very young town was already inhabited not only by aborigines, but also by emigrants. The music created specifically for this dance is a “cocktail” of melodies different nationalities and cultures. However, this can also be said about the movements - the milonga, born in Argentina, the habanera from Havana, Indian ritual dances, flamenco from Spain and even the German waltz - they all shared a piece of their individuality to make the tango, which for many people is not just dance, but a real lifestyle.

History of tango

When at the beginning of the 20th century the country's population reached one and a half million, it was no longer possible to figure out which nationalities became the ancestors of certain cultural characteristics. In Argentina, at that time, there were many Spaniards, Africans, British, Italians, Poles, Russians and aborigines who constantly borrowed music from each other, dance moves, introduced their traditional elements into them and produced completely new, unique “products”. This is most likely how tango appeared.

Everything you need to know about tango

Argentine tango, despite its characteristics and seemingly precise technology of performance, is an improvisational dance that is built from four main elements:

* step;
* turn;
* stop;
* decoration.

In order to make the process exciting, passionate and enchanting, partners must develop their own style, a special sequence of movements and come up with bright, unusual decorations. Even professional dancers, despite preliminary agreements, cannot know exactly how the dance will take place.

One turn or extra step can make it completely different, direct the flow in the other direction and give the audience a truly unforgettable experience. First of all, Argentine tango is a fusion of hearts and souls, and only then, a strict technique consisting of a “set” of steps. It is worth noting that this direction has the only strict rule- Argentine tango is always danced counterclockwise. It differs from its “ballroom” counterpart in balance, movements, the presence of improvisational elements, music and even steps.

Music and movement are very popular not only in dancing. For example, figure skating is very often accompanied by these fiery melodies, and elements are also used in synchronized swimming, gymnastics and other “beautiful” sports.

Types of Argentine tango

* fox;
* salon;
* fantasy;
* milognero;
*orillero;
* nuevo.

Let's try to look at each of the varieties in more detail.

Liso

This style owes its appearance to cramped, crowded dance halls, in which, often, there was not enough space to make turns, rotations or figures and partners could only perform simple moves, press closer to each other, but so that everyone has enough freedom to insert a certain “decoration”.

Salon

This tango is performed by partners who deliberately move to the right of each other and are positioned in the shape of the letter V. The style is without a doubt one of the most refined, and is distinguished by the distance of the partners from each other, which allows them to perform complex figures and turns. However, it is very important to follow a certain line of dance, in otherwise all meaning may be lost.

Fantasy

"Fantasy", at its core, is a stage style of tango, designed specifically to create spectacular, exciting shows. This includes several styles at once - salon, orillero and nuevo, and even elements of ballet that are not characteristic of any other type of tango.

Milognero

This trend originated back in the forties of the 20th century, when dance floors were small, and there were so many people who wanted to dance, and even a fox, which had a rather modest “scope,” could seem like an unaffordable luxury. This tango is still popularly danced at parties and nightclubs, because the close contact of the partners’ bodies and the intimacy of the embrace is perfect for events where people come with their couples or in search of a soul mate.

Orillero

This style is very reminiscent of a salon, but the movements of the dancers are more relaxed, the contact of bodies is minimal, and all decorations are performed with the scope inherent in tango in its classical sense.

Nuevo

This is a modern, recently created direction, which has not yet acquired its own characteristics and distinctive elements. In fact, the dancers themselves contribute to its development, adding completely new movements, inventing original figures and steps.

Despite such a variety of directions, tango was, is and remains a dance in which a man and a woman must not only convey movements, but also understand each other and give a charge of energy and positivity to the audience and their partner.

Black and red colors in clothes, the languid gaze of partners and the closeness of bodies - the dance has not yet begun, but it is already making hearts beat faster. This effect is produced by passionate and fiery tango. The history of this genre is full unexpected facts and secrets. What do Africans have to do with the origins of dance? Why was it associated with the color orange in Paris? And what tango melodies are considered the most popular? Find answers to these questions in our article.

What is tango?

If we turn to encyclopedias, the answer to the question posed sounds very one-sided: tango is a pair Argentine dance. But if we dig deeper into the etymology of the word, then we see Interesting Facts. There are several versions of the origin of the term:

African. In Tanzania, located in East Africa, there is an area called "tanga". In addition, with the help of this word, Africans used to designate a closed, special space;

Latin Linguists believe that the term is based on the Latin verb tangere, which means to touch, touch. The French verb tangier has a similar meaning;

Spanish The option is less plausible, but has a right to exist. According to him, the word comes from the Spanish taner - to play a musical instrument.

When talking about tango, you can’t ignore it peculiarities. The dance is characterized by:

fast rhythm;

a variety of movements that involve all parts of the body;

sharp turns in large quantities;

close contact between partners, due to which the passionate nature of the genre is created.

• In 1990, the National Tango Academy opened in Buenos Aires, whose mission was to preserve the dance as a cultural value countries. After 6 years, a law was passed granting tango the status of a national treasure.
• The Chacarita Cemetery is a significant place for tango fans. The most are buried here famous personalities in the history of this direction. Main character- singer Carlos Gardel, the idol of millions of Latin Americans. His role in the development of tango is so great that UNESCO declared his voice a cultural heritage. Arriving at the cemetery, Gardel's fans are sure to light a cigarette in the hand of his bronze article. This is the custom of the singer’s admirers.

In 1899, a “Dictionary of Spanish Words” was published, in which tango was designated as a holiday and dance of blacks. In the 1925 reissue, the word's meaning was expanded to include a dance of Spanish high society.

One famous French designer used the popularity of tango in his own country to his advantage. The fact is that he had it for a long time a large number of unclaimed fabric orange color. He decided to name the shade after the dance and sold out all the material in just a couple of days. I even had to order an additional batch.

Russian politician Lev Aristideovich Kasso, who was responsible for public education Russian Empire, opposed tango. It was not enough with just statements on his part. The minister sent a circular to educational districts prohibiting even mentioning the name of the obscene dance out loud.

Are tango and cinema compatible? Quite. Just watch the films “Frida”, “Mr and Mrs Smith”, “Scent of a Woman” or “Let’s Dance” to be convinced of this.

Yes, Argentine tango...as well as Cuban and Spanish.

Tango was born in Buenos Aires at the end of the nineteenth century in the vicinity of the Argentine capital along the Rio de la Plata.

In which country did the tango dance originate?

The history of Argentine tango is deeply connected with external and internal immigration to Argentina.

Historians say that Argentine tango appeared between 1860 and 1880. The Argentine tango is a complex invention, a product of the miscegenation of races in the context of a mixture of ethnic and cultural aspects. The birth of tango occurred as a result of the meeting of Argentine Creoles, Uruguayans and European immigrants (Italy, Spain, etc.). Each people brought its way of life and its traditions in music and dance. Thus, in the slums of Buenos Aires, the sounds of Flamenco, the rhythms of Condomba (dance of black slaves), Habanera (Cuban origin) and the languid sounds of Milonga ( Argentine origin), these various sounds, born of nostalgia for a bygone era and longing for an uncertain future, gave birth to Tango. And the musical symbol of Argentine tango was the harmonica - bandoneon.

Buenos Aires - the birthplace of tango

Buenos Aires in 1880 received emigrants from all parts. The main reason for the resettlement was the desire to get rich. The majority were men from Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany and they were joined by farmers from all over South America. At the end of 1880, the Federal Capital received 3.5 million immigrants from all over the world. All are housed on the outskirts of the city in large barracks buildings. The area with migrants is called "Arrabal" ("suburb"). Here there is poverty, thieves, prostitutes.

Tango is a dance with a bad reputation

The places where tango originated were somewhat different from those where tango is danced today. This dance was popular on the streets, in cabarets, bars, gambling halls, and brothels. Argentine tango was danced by the mob, the guards of the “mafia” neighborhoods, slave traders of white people, machos, hooligans.

Later, tango became the dance of lost souls, a reflection of unhappy love, melancholy, and longing for vanishing times. Tango is almost always plaintive and nostalgic. Sometimes he can be satirical, sarcastic, but never has a happy mood, euphoria of triumph.

Argentine tango was danced by men in the streets with their friends before meeting women in countless brothels. By law of March 2, 1916, tango was prohibited from dancing on sidewalks due to obstruction traffic. This dance was condemned by Pope Pius X before his death in 1914, then rehabilitated by Benedict XV.

At the end of the nineteenth century, for the first time, women were accepted into men's world tango. The prostitutes danced first.

Parisian success

If tango remained for a long time on the streets and in brothels, this is because the dance was not considered decent. Boys from good families did not hesitate to get all possible joy in areas for fun with dancing and seducing girls. Of course, girls from the bourgeoisie did not have such an opportunity, since tango remained “anchored” in bohemian quarters. However, traveling to Europe, and especially to Paris, will have a great importance. Indeed, the French capital at the beginning of the 20th century, a lively and noisy city, where new dances met with a bang. Tango quickly gained its rightful place among dances at events in the city, and subsequently throughout Europe. Tango was accepted into Argentine society only after the dance began to be danced in Paris.

Tango music

Initially, tango was danced to the improvisation of amateur musicians. The first melodies appeared from a trio of flute, violin and guitar. A little later, the bandoneon brought by immigrants also began to participate in tango. Gradually, by 1913, orchestras combining accordions and strings, the “Orquesta Tipica” (sextet), appeared.

In 1917 there was important fact: The first songs will be written to tango music. The voice and figure of tango will be Carlos Gardel, the son of an immigrant from Toulouse (real name Charles Gardel). Carlos Guerdel is one of the greatest composers Argentine tango. His family emigrated to Buenos Aires when he was 2 years old. Goerdel started his career in bars to earn some money. He recorded his first songs at the age of 22. In the 1920s, Goerdel brought tango to Europe, Spain and France, and then won the New York. His tragic death in a plane crash during a British tour in 1935 brought to an end the perfect legend of a life.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the image of the city that gave rise to the development of tango experienced great changes.

The audience has grown, the combination of sounds has changed, and what we hear and know today was not the same before 1920. Shortly before the First World War, tango began to develop and become popular in Europe. In Paris, tango quickly gained recognition, and then high Argentine society became interested in the dance.

Origin of the word "tango"

There are no exact facts about where exactly the name of the dance came from. Every historian offers different versions. The word "tango" was used in the nineteenth century to refer to a stick. This word also exists in some African countries mentioned in Spanish documents. It talks about a place where black slaves gathered for holidays. Some say that the word arose from the mispronunciation of the word “tambor” (Spanish for drum) by slaves, because of their accent they managed to pronounce the sounds as “tango”, hence the name of the dance.

How to dance Argentine tango

Today, Argentine tango is very different from other dances. Majority choreography social dancing consists of a basic step with some variations. In tango the basic step is Starting point for hundreds of different shapes. Each couple creates their own chain of elements, according to the music playing and the space on the dance floor. The sequence of various figures is completely subject to momentary inspiration. The beauty of this dance cannot be described, since there is improvisation here, each couple has its own individuality and interprets sounding music with your movements.

Leading in tango is carried out by a man; the partner not only directs the movements, but also carefully monitors the space among the surrounding other couples.

Tango represents a revolution in dance - it is a dance without a predetermined choreography, it is a language that allows everyone to express themselves. The African dance Semba borrows many steps from tango.

Tango is a sensual dance that is experiencing phenomenal success today. Tango dancing lessons are very popular in Europe (especially in France), also around the world.

The musical style that existed in Argentina gave rise to a new type of dance called milonga. Traveling musicians played funny songs, and the audience danced to the beat to this music. In the 19th century, emigrants, dancing the milonga, added dance movements from their country, forming the first elements of tango, the one that expresses the emotional intensity, inner anguish and experiences of people who left their homeland. In which country did tango dance originate? Let's talk about this in our article.

What is Argentine tango?

Louis Armstrong once said: “If you ask, no one will answer.” Also Argentine tango. It has a lot in common with jazz. in which there are no rules, but there are practices and methods. When studying dance, first of all, improvisation options are learned.

Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez (“Let's Dance”) or the charming Al Pacino (“Scent of a Woman”) dance tango spectacularly and passionately in films.

Tango professionals - Sebastian Arce, Javier Rodriguez - dance simply superbly. But this is a show, staged dances. Real Argentine tango is a simple dance ordinary people. It is deep and sensual, not for spectators. It is for two, or rather for three: two dancers and music. in which hugs are more important than steps, we can say that this is the body language that partners speak.

The beauty of the dance is that the partners do not know each other. However, if you start dancing with one partner, you need to go with him through four blocks into which the milonga is divided. Doing one or two dances with a partner and then leaving is indecent. Here all events unfold as in life. In the first dance, the partners get to know each other, in the second they “get used to each other,” in the third, when they have already become sufficiently acquainted, the culmination of the relationship occurs, and the fourth dance is a farewell.

Birthplace of dance

The birthplace of tango is Buenos Aires. In the slums of this city, which became a haven for emigrants, a dance was born that combined elements and motifs of flamenco, African rhythms, Cuban habanera and milonga performed by traveling musicians. Thus, tango, which appeared between 1860 and 1880, became a complex interweaving of musical and dance traditions different countries Europe, where emigrants came from in search of a better life.

It should be noted that the first wave of emigrants were mainly men. They came to earn money so that they could later move their families. Among them were singles who came to Buenos Aires to get rich. Work took up most of the day. In the evening it was time for entertainment and relaxation. Everyone chose for themselves what to do. Many went to clubs where there was alcohol, music, and dancing. It was there that there was fertile soil for the birth of tango - a symbiosis of many cultures and dance traditions. From this time the history of tango dance begins.

Initial reputation of the dance

The place where emigrants who came from all over the world lived was on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. The area was called Arrabal (suburb). Here, right on the street, beggars lived, thieves ply their trade, and women lung behavior - prostitutes. This audience danced tango like in gambling clubs and brothels, and just on the street, or in cabarets and bars.

Over time, the idea of ​​dance and its emotional background acquired a wide variety of shades: from unhappy love and longing to sarcasm. But never dancing people didn’t convey theirs through tango good mood or euphoria.

Argentine tango was danced by men in entertainment venues with their friends. There was even an opinion that this was only a male dance. For them it was a way to show off themselves, demonstrate their talents and please a woman. But in late XIX century, women first entered the world of tango. These were prostitutes from brothels. The dance of machos and prostitutes - this is how tango was called in the middle of the last century, and for this reason it was considered indecent.

How did the dance come to Paris?

To this day, some people find out in which country the tango dance originated: in Argentina or Uruguay. But no matter where it appeared, it was still brought to Europe. Their parents sent young people from wealthy Argentine families to study in European countries. Enterprising maestros, who did not hesitate to receive life lessons in brothels in their homeland, where they mastered tango, brought it to Paris, infecting local youth with tangomania. The Parisians liked the dance. It was performed at all city events. Soon, all of Europe became acquainted with this dance; in the homeland of tango, in Argentine society, the dance was accepted only after recognition in Paris.

Prohibitions and persecution

However, not everyone liked the closeness of dance partners. Not without persecution from the church. Pope Pius X was going to ban Christians from dancing indecent dances. The situation was saved by Romanian dancers who danced tango in the Vatican without emotion or passion. The trick and calculation worked, the ban was lifted.

In Russia this amazing dance also became popular at the beginning of the 20th century. Although the decree of the Minister of Public Education officially banning tango was issued in 1914. The fate of tango was once divided Viennese waltz, mazurka and polka. Despite any prohibitions, the dance, as they say, went to the masses and people liked it. They listened to a languid and passionate melody from played gramophone records. The rhythm of the tango included "Splashes of Champagne" and " Burnt out by the sun", sincere songs performed by Pyotr Leshchenko and Alexander Vertinsky.

Popularization of dance

The unity of two elements of dance: the world of music and dance art The Argentine singer and composer Carlos Gardel, the son of an emigrant from Toulouse, was able to carry through his life. He played a significant role in the popularization of tango. In what country did the dance originate? In Argentina, it was she who became the founder of tango. This is where the popularization of dance in the world began. Juan Darienzo created a rhythmic tango using modern arrangements. Carlos Di Sarli is a classic of melodic and lyrical dance. Stage tango was created by Osvaldo Pugliese. Started in the 90s of the 20th century new wave tangomania. Tango schools began to open everywhere, inviting teachers from Argentina to work there.

Megalopolis phenomenon

Tango, which spectators see at competitions ballroom dancing- it's just a show. Real Argentine tango, as mentioned above, is improvisation, without spectacular steps. Dancers pass the music through themselves, it is a conversation between two bodies, a drama that ends with the last bars of music. This dance needs to be felt. The Russians can do it. They are considered the best dancers in European countries, and the Argentines recognized this. And it doesn’t matter in which country the tango dance originated, the main thing is that it lives and develops. He has fans and admirers.

Of course, Russia is not Argentina, where dozens of cafes are open to tango lovers every evening. Dance evenings (milongas) are held even during the day. During the lunch break, Argentines run to dance. In Russia, in particular in St. Petersburg, milongas are held several times a week. They are a real phenomenon of the metropolis; at such evenings you can immerse yourself in the atmosphere of Argentine streets, passion and love for several hours.

How to dance?

Argentine tango is very different from other dances. In his choreography, the sequence of steps is not memorized, it is born in the rhythm of the partner’s dance to the given music.

But if we talk about learning tango, then there are several basic movements in the dance: “eight”, “turn” and “carry”. Its beauty lies in the improvisation and momentary inspiration of partners. Each dancing couple interprets the sounding music in his own way and expresses this through movements. Once you practice a little, you can come to milongas - dance evenings organized by tango lovers around the world.

In tango lessons one learns to feel a partner, a sense of rhythm and space, and at the same time the ability to improvise. This dance, like no other, expresses feelings without words, demonstrates to the viewer unique stories and simply gives pleasure in perfect harmony. It is very problematic if a partner begins to control herself, her legs, tense her body, be afraid of mistakes, turning into a lump of muscles. In dance, details should fade into the background. We can say that this dance is comparable to a trance accompanied by music, during which the great amount energy.

Tango schools

As a rule, tango lessons in schools are taken by people for whom dancing is a necessity, not a pastime. Moreover, age does not matter. By learning to dance, people understand how to express the freedom of their emotions through movement. The idea of ​​the dance is the interaction between partner and partner, which is transmitted through hands and the contact of bodies.

Partners are taught to “lead,” that is, to make movements so that the partner makes certain steps or figures. This is, of course, a very simplified approach to dance. In normal dance there is actually no such thing. It would be correct to say that there is a dependence of the partner’s movements on the partner’s movements. In a dance, a man does not think about steps, he thinks about the direction of movement, where he will move the woman in the next second.

When learning tango, the partner must understand that the partner may not go in the same direction or take the wrong steps. Sometimes women try to decorate the dance by making movements with their feet that they think their partner will not notice. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing stops him from going after her. In dance there is no predominant role of the leader and the follower; the main thing in it is to feel the partner, and this is manifested both in the ability to lead the partner and follow her.

In order to understand the soul and emotionality of tango, you need to study its history and answer the question in which country tango dance originated. The word has African roots and roughly translates to “meeting place.” In one of the African dialects, “Tang” means “to touch, to approach.” No one knows for sure the true meaning of this word.

The tango dance originated at the end of the 19th century in the neighborhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, where emigrants from African countries lived. In the initial version, only men danced it, and in groups. The dancers stood in rows and, performing certain dance movements, gradually moved towards each other. It was a group dance. It became a pair, with the participation of a man and a woman, much later. The tango dance was born in the country of Argentina on dance parties Afro-Creoles from a mixture of African dance style candombe and Spanish, as well as Hawaiian styles. During African celebrations, serious fights often broke out, so these events began to be prohibited by the authorities. However, they were still carried out underground. IN this option During the dance, couples came together and parted to the beat without bodily contact with each other. This trend was picked up by suburbanites and transferred to saloons.

Gradually this dance direction, as it came out to the masses, many currents poured in. Modern tango and candombe are now united only by a similar rhythm, which is inherent in most Latin American dance movements that have undergone African influence.

Soon this emotional dance broke out beyond Latin America. A new stage in the history of tango dance is its appearance in Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century. It experienced a real boom in popularity. Even a specific trend, “tangomania,” arose, which determined the fashion for parties in this style. From France, this movement spread throughout Europe. There were some prohibitions. It was officially banned in Italy, England, and Russia, but nevertheless gained wild popularity.

Description, styles and characteristics of tango

A simple description of a tango dance will not convey the wild fire of passion that the dancers create. It is more like a small performance by two actors, which is better to watch with your own eyes. Unlike other dances, in this case improvisation is welcome and plays big role in the emotionality of the performance. When deciding to learn how to dance the Argentine version, you should prepare for the fact that it can awaken completely new emotions that a person did not even suspect about. Every movement has deep meaning and expresses passion.

The most common styles: Argentinean, Finnish, ballroom. The most famous Argentine style has its own varieties: liso, orillero, salon and others. The Finnish style originated in Finland, and has certain features that were imposed by local dance movements. The ball version is the most difficult and requires professional skills; it is more of a sporting nature.

Main characteristics of tango dance:

• time signature 2/4;
• number of beats per minute 32-33;
• emphasis of execution on beats 1 and 3;
• movements - hard, sharp, without swings.

Whether to choose this dance direction, and what type of tango to practice, the answers to these questions can be found if you see with your own eyes the performance of one or another option.

To make the performance look exciting, partners need to develop their own unique style, because every extra step or turn can change the interpretation of the dance process. Even experienced dancers cannot predict exactly what sequence of movements will result in the next dance.