Argentine Tango has developed throughout the years since the 1880’s. Argentine Tango was developed between the 1880s to the 1950s and is still being developed in different ways to this day! Argentine tango was developed in Buenos Aires in Argentina.
Argentine tango is a type of dance that was created as a partner dance. There are many different types of styles of tango music to dance to but argentine tango in the 1900s was originally a very slow style of dance. The two partners dancing Argentine tango would dance to a very slow beat type of songs with steps that would go very slowly with the beat of the song almost as if it were a type of ballroom type of dance but the song beat isn’t as slow as a ballroom type of dance. The steps would usually be steps that sway back and forth with a one-two one-two step step. As the two dancers are swaying back and forth there is a specific type of movement done with their hands that in a way change as Argentine tango changes throughout the years. For example, as their feet would sway back and forth so would their hands, but their hands would be swaying up and down and sideways in a flow type of way it wasn’t necessarily very fierce but more of a soft arm movement. The songs they would dance to during this time could vary. Dancers would dance to tango songs with very calm instrumental sounds but some included people singing in a tone that has a very flowy beat to it. Also during this era of Argentine tango, women would wear long flowy skirts with usually very fitted shirts and small inch heels. The male would wear very flowy pants with fitted boots and long sleeve shirts with ruffles and suspenders.
Argentine tango has developed drastically as the years have passed. For instance as argentine tango has made it to the entertainment screens, the style of dance has in a way changed. Entertainment screens like Dancing the Stars have incorporated a variety of different styles of dances including Argentine tango. When Dancing the Stars included the Argentine tango, the style of dance was definitely visibly more different. The song that they used was all instrumental with a more romantic and intimate type of beat versus where before the type of song they would dance to was more free and less intimate. Not only did the song rhythm and beat changed but so did the steps and wardrobe of the dance. The dancers now do more intimate steps but the steps were more precise and fierce especially the arm/hands movement when the dance argentine tango. Another change that I also noticed was that now there are more spins that are incorporated in the dance but it isn’t normal spins they would normally do, the spins are more advanced and fierce as well as the steps. During the 1900s the steps would be a bit slower versus now they are more fast beat, the dancers are faster on their feet which leads into how precise their arm/hand movements have changed. A change I noticed when it comes to the arm movements is that the movements are more precise and beat hitting it isn’t as slow and flowy as or was before. Even though Argentine tango has changed other styles of tango have branched from argentine tango which have many similarities and differences as well.