Tango is a type of dance that originated from South America in the early years of 20th century. It is believed that Tango drew its origin from the social dances of Buenos Aries, the present day capital of Argentina. It soon became a dance of choice for many people in entertainment joints because of its sensual and fascinating moves. Towards the end of the 19th century, Tango grew in popularity and spread its influence to Paris, the capital city of France and subsequently to the United States. This romantic style of dancing became a popular move in bars and other entertainment joints in most parts of Europe and the United States. Just like any other art activity, Tango lost some of its pristine features as it spread to other parts of the world. Currently, Tango is one of the most celebrated dancing styles among many cultures (Mastrolorenzo, 57).
Originally it started as a woman to woman dance, Tango migrated including couples as it spread to other regions. Today Tango entails a man and a woman dancing seductively to a repetitive rhythm. Although, there are numerous tango styles, the most popular style is the Argentine Tango. It is an exact mimicry of the original Tango dance that involves and portrays intimacy of the moves. This has remained popular among many people. This can be evidenced through various movies or reality dance show competitions. Although, most people consider Tango dance to be easy to learn, experts argue that it takes a life time for one to masters the moves perfectly. Tango is an extremely syncopated dance with a myriad of steps. The participants dance with dramatic, sensual elegance and in a tight embrace. The couple holds their faces in a similar direction with extended arms and clasped palms.
There are other Tango styles that are also popular in the entertainment history. They are normally classified according to their origin among other characteristics. These include: Tango Canyengue, Tango Oriental, Tango Liso and Tango Salon. Tango Canyengue is a dance style that emanated from the original tango in the begging of the 19th century. According to Mastrolorenzo this style has remained popular for many years (13). Many choreographers consider this style of dancing to be the original Tango. This is because the style encapsulates all the fundamental characteristics of the original Tango that originated from Argentina and Uruguay. During a Tango Canyengue performance, the couple shares a common axis; they hold each other closely and stretch their legs a bit. It entails a stiff combination of start and end beats. The rhythm for this dance is described as provocative, exciting and incisive. This form of Tango is popular in theatres and other entertainment movies.
The other style of Tango is oriental. This form of Tango is the latest compared to other forms. It involves very complex movements that are slightly exaggerated compared to other types of Tango. Participants are mostly younger with muscular and strong body postures. This performance is electrifying and is involving compared to original Tango. The couple holds and cuddles themselves during the performance. It is, basically, a fusion between techno and Tango music.
Tango salon is danced on a repetitive rhythm. The couple dance together in common and uniform steps while holding each other. This style of Tango is highly influenced by European and American dance styles. It heavily borrows from western cultures in terms of character and performance. It is a simplified version of the original tango. Dancers move rapidly and dance to any rhythms as opposite to Tango music. Unlike other forms of Tango, this style of Tango does not require special costumes. The couple is at liberty to don in any way they like provided they adhere to the rhythm and make swift moves (Paz, and Valorie, 23).