Primarily danced in 2/4 time, the Argentine Tango music is more varied than Ballroom Tango and played by an orchestra of musicians. The dance has the characteristic element of the close embrace which feels like a relaxed hug rather than a firm frame. Argentine Tango is a dance where there is no basic step. Instead there are several elements a leader learns to improvise to the music.
Argentine Tango developed in the late 19th century in working class neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Montevideo, Uruguay and was practiced by Uruguayan and Argentine dancers, musicians, and immigrant laborers. It is a dance that has developed in many areas in many different eras. Hence, there are many styles of Argentine Tango.
Primarily danced in 2/4 time, the Argentine Tango music is more varied than Ballroom Tango and played by an orchestra of musicians. Argentine Tango has the characteristic element of the close embrace which feels like a relaxed hug rather than a firm frame. Dancers lean their upper body in toward each other rather than arch away from each other as done in Ballroom Tango. Feet generally remain in contact with the floor unless doing flicks with the leg. Argentine Tango is a dance where there is no basic step. Instead there are several elements a leader learns to improvise to the music.
Dancers typically dance a group of songs, a tanda, with the same partner. After each tanda, a cortina (a non-tango song) is played briefly while dancers return to their seats. Milongas, Argentine Tango dance gatherings, have a traditional etiquette where it is frowned upon to talk while dancing. Dancing more than one tanda with a person is usually not done as it is seen as a flirtatious act. The invitation to dance is signaled with a cabeceo, a nod from the leader, met with eye contact from the follower to accept a dance. Once an invitation is accepted, the dance moves around the floor counterclockwise; Those who are beginners or advanced dancers doing large sweeping footwork can occupy the center of the dancefloor in order to not disturb the rest of the dancers traveling down the line of dance.
Angentine Tango has been the subject of many books and films, including The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse and the more modern Shall We Dance.