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Tango is a
partner dance file:Tanzturnier 28.JPG, Ballroom dancers performing the tango. file:dance-At-Bougival.jpg, upPartner dance, ''Dance at Bougival'' by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 1883 Partner dances are dances whose basic choreography involves coordinated dancing of t ...
and social dance that originated in the 1880s along the
Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (; ), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda, Colonia, Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and ...
, the natural border between
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
and
Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
. The tango was born in the impoverished port areas of these countries from a combination of Argentine Milonga, Spanish-Cuban Habanera, and Uruguayan
Candombe ''Candombe'' is a style of music and dance that originated in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed ''candombe'' in its Rep ...
celebrations. It was frequently practiced in the brothels and bars of ports, where business owners employed bands to entertain their patrons. It then spread to the rest of the world. Many variations of this dance currently exist around the world. On August 31, 2009,
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
approved a joint proposal by Argentina and Uruguay to include the tango in the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergove ...
.


History

Tango is a dance that has influences from African and
European European, or Europeans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe and other West ...
culture. Dances from the
Candombe ''Candombe'' is a style of music and dance that originated in Uruguay among the descendants of liberated African slaves. In 2009, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) inscribed ''candombe'' in its Rep ...
ceremonies of former African enslaved people helped shape the modern day tango. The dance originated in working-class districts of
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
and
Montevideo Montevideo (, ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Uruguay, largest city of Uruguay. According to the 2023 census, the city proper has a population of 1,302,954 (about 37.2% of the country's total population) in an area of . M ...
.
Tango music Tango ( or ; ) is a style of music in Time signature, or time that originated among Great European immigration wave to Argentina, European immigrants of the Great Wave to Argentina and Uruguay. It has mainly Culture of Spain, Spanish, Cultu ...
derived from the fusion of various forms of music from Europe. 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. Initially, it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as
theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
s and street
barrel organ A barrel organ (also called roller organ or crank organ) is a France, French mechanical musical instrument consisting of bellows and one or more ranks of organ pipe, pipes housed in a case, usually of wood, and often highly decorated. The basic ...
s spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums, which were packed with hundreds of thousands of European
immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...
s. 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 Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own; it is also the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration ...
. Additionally, the combination of African, Native American and European cultural influences in tango was new and unusual to most of the
Western world The Western world, also known as the West, primarily refers to various nations and state (polity), states in Western Europe, Northern America, and Australasia; with some debate as to whether those in Eastern Europe and Latin America also const ...
. Many neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires have their particular tango histories: for example
La Boca La Boca (; "the Mouth", probably of the Matanza River) is a neighborhood (''Barrios of Buenos Aires, barrio'') of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Its location near the Port of Buenos Aires meant the neighbourhood became a melting pot of ...
,
San Telmo San Telmo ("Saint Pedro González Telmo") is the oldest ''Barrios of Buenos Aires, barrio'' (neighborhood) of Buenos Aires, Argentina. A well-preserved area of the Argentine metropolis, it hosts some of its oldest buildings. One of the birthplace ...
and
Boedo Boedo is a working-class ''barrio'' or neighborhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. The neighborhood and one of its principal streets were named after Mariano Boedo, a leading figure in the Argentine independence. It is the home of San Lorenzo de Al ...
. At Boedo Avenue,
Cátulo Castillo Ovidio Cátulo González Castillo (6 August 1906 – 19 October 1975) was an Argentine poet and tango music composer. He was the author of many famous works, such as ', ''El aguacero'' (lyrics by ), ' and ''Caserón de tejas'' (both with music by ...
,
Homero Manzi Homero Nicolás Manzione Prestera, better known as Homero Manzi (November 1, 1907 – May 3, 1951) was an Argentine tango lyricist, author of various famous tangos. He was also a filmmaker, notable for his work during the classical era of Argen ...
and other singers and composers used to meet at the Japanese Cafe with the Boedo Group. 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 Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
, soon followed by
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
,
Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
, and other capitals. Tango historian
Nardo Zalko Nardo Zalko (; October 1, 1941June 2, 2011) was an Argentine-French journalist, author, researcher, and historian of tango. Early life Zalko was born in October 1941 to a Lithuanian Jewish couple, Frida and Abrasha Zalko, who migrated to Argent ...
, 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"). Towards the end of 1913, it hit
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
as well as
Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
. In the
U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...
, around 1911, the word "
tango Tango is a partner dance and social 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 Arge ...
" was often applied to dances in a or rhythm such as the
one-step The One-Step was a ballroom dance popular in social dancing at the beginning of the 20th century.Claude Conyers. 'One-step', in ''Grove Music Online'' (2001) Troy Kinney writes that One-Step originated from the Turkey Trot dance, with all man ...
. 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. By 1914, more authentic tango stylings were soon developed, along with some variations like Albert Newman's "Minuet" tango. In Argentina, the onset in 1929 of the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
, and restrictions introduced after the overthrow of the
Hipólito Yrigoyen Juan Hipólito del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús Yrigoyen (12 July 1852 – 3 July 1933) was an Argentine politician of the Radical Civic Union who served as President of Argentina from 1916 to 1922 and again from 1928 until his overthrow in ...
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 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". Tango declined again in the late 1950s, as a result of economic depression and the banning of public gatherings by the military
dictator A dictator is a political leader who possesses absolute Power (social and political), power. A dictatorship is a state ruled by one dictator or by a polity. The word originated as the title of a Roman dictator elected by the Roman Senate to r ...
ships; male-only tango practice—the custom at the time—was considered "public gathering". That, indirectly, boosted the popularity of
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
because, unlike tango, it did not require such gatherings. However, in the late 1980s the tango again experienced a resurgence in Argentina, partly due to the endeavors of
Osvaldo Peredo Osvaldo Peredo Leigue (also Osvaldo Peredo Leigh, ''nom de guerre'': Chato) (1941 – 12 January 2021) was a Bolivian communist militant and physician. He lived in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, where he was an alderman on the Municipal Counc ...
. In 2009, the tango was added to the
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists UNESCO established its Lists of Intangible Cultural Heritage with the aim of ensuring better protection of important intangible cultural heritages worldwide and the awareness of their significance.Compare: This list is published by the Intergove ...
.


Etymology

There are several theories regarding the origin of the word ''tango'', none of which has been proven. An African culture is often credited as the creator of this word; in particular, it is theorized that the word derives from the Yoruba word '' shangó'', which refers to
Shango Shango (Yoruba language: Ṣàngó, also known as Changó or Xangô in Latin America; as Jakuta or Badé; and as Ṣangó in Trinidad Orisha) is an Orisha (or spirit) in Yoruba religion. Genealogically speaking, Shango is a royal ancestor of th ...
, the God of Thunder in traditional
Yoruba religion The Yorùbá religion (Yoruba language, Yoruba: Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), West African Orisa (Òrìṣà), or Isese (Ìṣẹ̀ṣe), comprises the traditional religious and spiritual concepts and practice of the Yoruba people. Its homeland is in pres ...
. This theory suggests that the word “shangó” was morphed through the dilution of the Nigerian language once it reached South America via
slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...
. According to an alternative theory, ''tango'' is derived from the
Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many countries in the Americas **Spanish cuisine **Spanish history **Spanish culture ...
word for "
drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...
", '' tambor''. 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 word ''
tanger Tangier ( ; , , ) is a city in northwestern Morocco, on the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the capital of the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region, as well as the Tangier-Assilah Prefecture of Morocco. Many civ ...
'', which means "to play a musical instrument". Another Portuguese word, '' 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''. According to some authors, ''tango'' is derived from the
Kongo Kongo may refer to: Kongo culture *Kingdom of Kongo *Kongo cosmogram *Kongo language or Kikongo, one of the Bantu languages *Kongo languages *Kongo people *Kongo religion Places * Kongo, Ghana, a town in Ghana *Kongo Central, formerly Bas-Cong ...
word ''ntangu'' which means "sun", "hour", "space-time". Robert Farris Thompson, ''Tango: The Art History of Love'', Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010.


Styles

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 many 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 In some types of partner dance, lead and follow are designations for the two dancers' roles in a dance pairing. The leader is responsible for guiding the couple and initiating transitions to different dance steps and, in improvised dances, for c ...
have space between their bodies, or
close embrace Close may refer to: Music * ''Close'' (Kim Wilde album), 1988 * ''Close'' (Marvin Sapp album), 2017 * ''Close'' (Sean Bonniwell album), 1969 * "Close" (Sub Focus song), 2014 * "Close" (Nick Jonas song), 2016 * "Close" (Rae Sremmurd song), 201 ...
, 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: * Tango argentino *
Tango canyengue Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a or rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as A ...
*Tango fantasia *
Tango liso Tango Liso ("smooth tango") is a style of tango developed in Buenos Aires, Argentina between 1905 and 1910. It is primarily characterized by more Europeanized smooth, flowing movements and lack of the more exaggerated and aggressive steps of earlie ...
*Tango oriental * Tango orillero *Tango salon * Tango camacupense (Angola) * Tango milonguero (tango apilado) (see also "
Milonguero A milonguero is a person who spends time dancing social tango. The word comes from the term ''milonga'' referring to a tango dance event. The term was used from the 1870s to mark a man who spent much of his time dancing tango of any style. Sinc ...
") *
Tango nuevo Nuevo tango (''New tango'') is both a form of music in which new elements are incorporated into traditional tango music, and an evolution of tango dance that began to develop in the 1980s. Dance Origins Prior to the 1990s, Argentine tango was t ...
(new tango) * Tango vals (Tango waltz) * Milonga *
Ballroom tango Ballroom tango is a ballroom dance that branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance. The present day ballroom tango is divided int ...
*
Finnish tango Finnish tango (), or FINtango, music is an established variation of the Argentine tango but whose rhythm follows the Ballroom tango. It was one of the most popular music forms for decades in Finland. History Early History Brought to Europe i ...
* Uruguayan tango * Maxixe (Brazilian tango) 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 very close embrace, small steps, and syncopated rhythmic footwork. It is based on the or 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 Nuevo tango (''New tango'') is both a form of music in which new elements are incorporated into traditional tango music, and an evolution of tango dance that began to develop in the 1980s. Dance Origins Prior to the 1990s, Argentine tango was t ...
'' or 'new tango' has been popularized in recent years by a younger generation of dancers. The embrace is often quite open and very elastic, permitting the leader to lead a large variety of very 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)


Tango canyengue

''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 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

A newer style sometimes called ''
tango nuevo Nuevo tango (''New tango'') is both a form of music in which new elements are incorporated into traditional tango music, and an evolution of tango dance that began to develop in the 1980s. Dance Origins Prior to the 1990s, Argentine tango was t ...
'' or 'new tango' was popularized after 1980 by a younger generation of musicians and dancers.
Ástor Piazzolla Astor Pantaleón Piazzolla (, ; March 11, 1921 – July 4, 1992) was an Argentine tango composer, bandoneon player, and arranger. His works revolutionized the traditional tango into a new style termed '' nuevo tango'', incorporating elements fr ...
, composer and virtuoso of the
bandoneón The bandoneon () or bandonion is a type of concertina particularly popular in Argentina and Uruguay. It is a typical instrument in most tango ensembles. As with other members of the concertina family, it is held between the hands, and playe ...
(so-called "tango accordion") played a major role in the innovation of traditional tango music. The embrace is often quite open and very elastic, permitting the leader to initiate a great variety of very 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 Tango ( or ; ) is a style of music in Time signature, or time that originated among Great European immigration wave to Argentina, European immigrants of the Great Wave to Argentina and Uruguay. It has mainly Culture of Spain, Spanish, Cultu ...
and
electronica Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
(), though the style can be adapted to traditional tango and even non-tango songs.
Gotan Project Gotan Project is a musical group based in Paris (France), consisting of musicians Eduardo Makaroff (Argentina), Philippe Cohen Solal (French) and Christoph H. Müller (Swiss), a former member of Touch El Arab.Madlen Albrecht ''Le développemen ...
released its first tango fusion album in 2000, quickly following with
La Revancha del Tango ''La Revancha del Tango'' is the debut album by French musical group Gotan Project. It was released on 22 October 2001 on XL Recordings and ¡Ya Basta! Records. The album contains a cover of the title track from Frank Zappa's 1970 album ''Chung ...
in 2001. Bajofondo Tango Club, a Rioplatense music band consisting of seven musicians from Argentina and Uruguay, released their first album in 2002.
Tanghetto Tanghetto is an Argentinian neotango and Neotango#The music, electronic tango music project created and led by musician and producer Max Masri. It won the Gardel Award and was nominated five times to the Latin Grammy Awards. It's based in Buen ...
's album ''
Emigrante (electrotango) ''Emigrante (electrotango)'' is the debut album by Buenos Aires-based neo-tango band Tanghetto. The album was released in 2003, reaching gold sales in early 2005 and soon became platinum and double platinum. In 2004 ''Emigrante (electrotango)'' wa ...
'' 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

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 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 Fernandez Fierro, whose creator, Julian Peralta, 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, Victoria di Raimondo, Juan Serén, Natalí de Vicenzo and Pacha González.


Ballroom tango

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 Ballroom dance is a set of European partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and tel ...
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 In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given composition, and is often also an indication of the composition's character or atmos ...
(i.e. 120
beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
– assuming a measure). Subsequently, the English tango evolved mainly as a highly
competitive dance Competitive dance is a popular, widespread sport in which competitors perform dances in any of several permitted dance styles—such as acro, ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, modern, musical theatre, tap, and improv—before a ...
, while the American tango evolved as an unjudged
social dance Social dances are dances that have social functions and context. Social dances are intended for participation rather than Concert dance, performance. They are often danced merely to socialise and for entertainment, though they may have Ceremoni ...
with an emphasis on
leading and following In some types of partner dance, lead and follow are designations for the two dancers' roles in a dance pairing. The leader is responsible for guiding the couple and initiating transitions to different dance steps and, in improvised dances, for c ...
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 of course mutual borrowing of technique and dance patterns happens all the time. 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 Pasodoble ( Spanish: ''double step'') is a fast-paced Spanish military march used by infantry troops. Its speed allowed troops to give 120 steps per minute (double the average of a regular unit, hence its name). This often was accompanied by ...
. This style became very popular in Germany and was soon introduced to England. The movements were very popular with spectators, but not with competition judges.


Finnish tango

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 World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. The melancholy tone of the music reflects the themes of Finnish folk poetry; Finnish tango is almost always in a
minor key In music theory, the key of a piece is the group of pitches, or scale, that forms the basis of a musical composition in Western classical music, jazz music, art music, and pop music. A particular key features a '' tonic (main) note'' and it ...
. The tango is danced in very close full thigh, pelvis and upper body contact in a wide and strong frame, and features smooth horizontal movements that are very strong and determined. Dancers are very 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 The Tangomarkkinat is the world's oldest Finnish tango, tango festival. It is held early every July in Seinäjoki, Finland. As well as competitions to find the country's best tango singers, composers, and dancers, the festival features public dan ...
'' draws over 100,000 tango fans to the central Finnish town of
Seinäjoki Seinäjoki (; "Wall River"; , formerly ) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Ostrobothnia. Seinäjoki is located in the western interior of the country and along the Seinäjoki (river), River Seinäjoki. The population of Sein ...
; the town also hosts the Tango Museum.


Comparison of techniques

Argentine Argentines, Argentinians or Argentineans are people from Argentina. This connection may be residential, legal, historical, or cultural. For most Argentines, several (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their ...
-
Uruguayan Uruguayans () are people identified with the country of Uruguay, through citizenship or descent. Uruguay is home to people of different ethnic origins. As a result, many Uruguayans do not equate their nationality with ethnicity, but with citizen ...
and
ballroom A ballroom or ballhall is a large room inside a building, the primary purpose of which is holding large formal parties called ''balls''. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions and palaces, especially histori ...
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 In music performance and notation, legato (; Italian for "tied together"; French ''lié''; German ''gebunden'') indicates that musical notes are played or sung smoothly, such that the transition from note to note is made with no intervening si ...
and/or
staccato Staccato (; Italian for "detached") is a form of Articulation (music), musical articulation. In modern notation, it signifies a note of shortened duration, separated from the note that may follow by silence. It has been described by theorists and ...
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 In partner dancing, closed position is a category of positions in which partners hold each other while facing at least approximately toward each other. Closed positions employ either body contact or body support, that is, holding each other is ...
as in other types of
ballroom dance Ballroom dance is a set of European partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and te ...
, 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, " 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 Figures of Argentine tango are elements of Argentine tango. Introduction and terminology History On the basis of several instructional tango books published between 1911–1925 early tango figures can be grouped into eight categories: corte, pa ...
'' (allowing momentum to carry one's leg into the air) and '' 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'' (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'' (in which the leader displaces the follower's leg by stepping into her space).


Famous tango singers

*
Carlos Acuña Carlos Acuña (November 4, 1915 – February 19, 1999) was an Argentine Tango singer and composer. As a vocalist, he was best known for his performance of ''La Calesita'' ("The Merry-Go-Round"); and as a composer, for ''Un boliche'' ("A Tavern"). ...
(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 Juan Domingo Perón (, , ; 8 October 1895 – 1 July 1974) was an Argentine military officer and Statesman (politician), statesman who served as the History of Argentina (1946-1955), 29th president of Argentina from 1946 to Revolución Libertad ...
. * Néstor Fabián *
Carlos Gardel Carlos Gardel (born Charles Romuald Gardès; 11 December 1890 – 24 June 1935) was a French-born Argentine singer, songwriter, composer and actor, and the most prominent figure in the history of tango. He was one of the most influential inter ...
*
Roberto Goyeneche Roberto Goyeneche (January 29, 1926 in Saavedra, Autonomous City of Buenos Aires – August 27, 1994 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine tango singer who epitomized the archetype of 1950s Buenos Aires' bohemian life, and became a living legend in ...
*
Julio Sosa Julio María Sosa Venturini (2 February 1926 – 26 November 1964), usually referred to simply as Julio Sosa or El Varón del Tango, was a Uruguayan tango (music), tango singer. Biography Sosa was born in Las Piedras, Uruguay, Las Piedras, a Ca ...
(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. *
Olavi Virta Olavi Virta (originally until 1926 Oskari Olavi Ilmén; 27 February 1915 – 14 July 1972) was a Finnish singer, acclaimed during his time as the "King" of Finnish tango. Between 1939 and 1966 he recorded almost 600 songs, many of which are ...
*
Reijo Taipale Reijo Toivo Taipale (9 March 1940 – 26 April 2019) was a Finnish pop singer, active since the 1950s, specializing in Schlager music and tango. Many of his albums have been certified gold and platinum. Biography Taipale was born in Miehikkä ...
*
Eino Grön Eino Grön, born January 31, 1939, is a Finnish American singer known for his performance of a wide range of popular music styles, including Tango, jazz, and spiritual music. Grön was born at the island of Reposaari in Pori but has lived the ...
*
Tita Merello Laura Ana "Tita" Merello (11 October 1904 – 24 December 2002) was an Argentine film actress, tango dancer and singer of the Golden Age of Argentine cinema. In her six decades in Argentine entertainment, at the time of her death, she had filme ...
*
Edmundo Rivero Leonel Edmundo Rivero (June 8, 1911 – January 18, 1986) was an Argentine tango singer, composer, and impresario. Biography Early days Rivero was born in the southern Buenos Aires suburb of Valentín Alsina. Joining his father in some of h ...
*
Pyotr Leschenko Pyotr Konstantinovich Leshchenko (Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: Петро Константинович Лещенко; ; 2 June 1898 Isayeve, Odessa oblast, Ukraine, Isayeve, Odessa uezd, Kherson Governorate, Russian Empire (now Ukraine) – 16 ...


Tango influence

Music and dance elements of tango are popular in activities related to
gymnastics Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...
,
figure skating Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games, with its introduction occurring at the Figure skating at the 1908 Summer Olympi ...
,
synchronized swimming Synchronized swimming (in British English, synchronised swimming), also known as artistic swimming, is a sport where swimmers perform a synchronized choreographed routine, accompanied by music. The sport is governed internationally by World A ...
, etc., because of its dramatic feeling and its cultural associations with romance. For the
1978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup was the 11th edition of the FIFA World Cup, a Anniversary#Latin-derived numerical names, quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament among the men's senior national teams. It wa ...
in Argentina,
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...
designed a ball and named it Tango, likely a tribute to the host country of the event. This design was also used in
1982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup was the 12th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial Association football, football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in Spain from 13 June to 11 July 1982. The tournament was won by Italy national footbal ...
in Spain as ''Tango Málaga'', and in 1984 and 1988
UEFA European Football Championship The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition ...
s in France and West Germany.


In society

Tango appears in different aspects of society: regular milongas and special festivals. A very famous festival is the Tango Buenos Aires Festival y Mundial in
Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...
also known as
World tango dance tournament The World tango dance tournament (in Spanish: ''Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango'', also known as ''Mundial de Tango'') is an annual competition of Argentine tango, Argentine Tango, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, usually in August, as part ...
. On a regional level there are also many festivals inside and outside of
Argentina Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
. One local festival outside Argentina is Buenos Aires in the Southern Highlands in Australia.


Gender and tango

Gender roles A gender role, or sex role, is a social norm deemed appropriate or desirable for individuals based on their gender or sex. Gender roles are usually centered on conceptions of masculinity and femininity. The specifics regarding these gende ...
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. 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. 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.


In film

Argentine tango is the main subject in these films: * ''
¡Tango! ''¡Tango!'' is a 1933 Argentine musical romance film, the first film to be made in Argentina using optical sound technology (but not the first sound film.) Many existing stars of the Argentine stage and radio appeared in the film, but its success ...
'' (1933) * ''
Kaatru Veliyidai ''Kaatru Veliyidai'' () is a 2017 Indian Tamil-language romantic war film, produced, written and directed by Mani Ratnam. Made under the Madras Talkies banner, it features music composed by A. R. Rahman, cinematography by Ravi Varman and editin ...
'' (2017), directed by
Mani Ratnam Gopalaratnam Subramaniam (born 2 June 1956), known professionally as Mani Ratnam, is an Indian film director, film producer and screenwriter who predominantly works in Tamil cinema and a few Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films. H ...
with the song Tango Kelayo composed by Oscar winner
A.R. Rahman Allah Rakha Rahman (; born A. S. Dileep Kumar; 6 January 1967), also known by the initialism ARR, is an Indian music composer, record producer, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and philanthropist known for his works in Indian cinema ...
and lyrics written by
vairamuthu Vairamuthu Ramasamy (born 13 July 1953) is an Indian lyricist, poet, and novelist working in the Tamil film industry. He is a prominent figure in the Tamil literary world. A master's graduate from the Pachaiyappa's College in Chennai, he firs ...
. * ''
Adiós Buenos Aires ''Adiós Buenos Aires'' (English language: ''Goodbye Buenos Aires'') is a 1938 Argentina, Argentine musical film directed and written by Leopoldo Torres Ríos. The film starred Tito Lusiardo and a 19-year-old Amelia Bence. Released during the ...
'' (1938) * '' Tangos, the Exile of Gardel'' (1985), starring Philippe Léotard, directed by Fernando Solanas * '' Tango Bar'' (1988), starring
Raúl Juliá Raúl Rafael Carlos Juliá y Arcelay (March 9, 1940 – October 24, 1994) was a Puerto Rican actor. He was known for his intense and varied roles on stage and screen. He started his career in the Public Theater before transitioning to film. He ...
* ''
The Tango Lesson ''The Tango Lesson'' () is a 1997 Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Sally Potter. It is a semi-autobiographical film starring Potter and Pablo Verón, about Argentine Tango, Argentinian Tango. The film, a co-product ...
'' (1997), starring
Sally Potter Charlotte Sally Potter (born 19 September 1949) is an English film director and screenwriter. She directed '' Orlando'' (1992), which won the audience prize for Best Film at the Venice Film Festival. Early life Potter was born and raised in L ...
and
Pablo Verón Pablo is a masculine given name, the Spanish form of the name Paul. People * Pablo Acha (born 1996), Spanish archer * Pablo Alarcón (born 1946), Argentine actor * Pablo Alborán (born 1989), Spanish singer * Pablo Aimar (born 1979), Argentin ...
, directed by Sally Potter * ''
Tango Tango is a partner dance and social 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 Arge ...
'' (1998), starring Cecilia Narova and
Mía Maestro Mía Maestro (born 19 June 1978) is an Argentine actress and singer. She is known for her roles as Nora Martinez in ''The Strain'', as Nadia Santos in the television drama '' Alias'', as Cristina Kahlo in ''Frida'', as Chichina Ferreyra in '' ...
, directed by
Carlos Saura Carlos Saura Atarés (4 January 1932 – 10 February 2023) was a Spanish film director, photographer and writer. With Luis Buñuel and Pedro Almodóvar, he is considered to be among Spain's great filmmakers. He had a long and prolific career th ...
* ''
Assassination Tango ''Assassination Tango'' is a 2002 American Crime thriller, crime thriller film written, produced, directed by, and starring Robert Duvall. Other actors include Rubén Blades, Kathy Baker and Duvall's Argentine wife, Luciana Pedraza. Francis Ford Co ...
'' (2002), starring
Robert Duvall Robert Selden Duvall (; born January 5, 1931) is an American actor. With a career spanning seven decades, he is regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. He has received an Academy Awards, Academy Award, a British Academy Film Awards ...
,
Rubén Blades Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as Rubén Blades (, but in Panama and within the family), is a Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in th ...
and
Kathy Baker Katherine Whitton Baker (born June 8, 1950) is an American actress. Baker began her career in theater and made her screen debut in the 1983 drama film '' The Right Stuff''. She received the National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Support ...
, directed by Robert Duvall * ''
Orquesta Típica Orquesta típica, or simply a típica, is a Latin American term for a band which plays popular music. The details vary from country to country. The term tends to be used for groups of medium size (about 8 to 12 musicians) in some well-defined in ...
'' (2005),
documentary film A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
about typical orchestra Fernandez Fierro, directed by
Nicolas Entel Nicolas Entel (born 14 August 1975) is an Argentine filmmaker. He was born in Buenos Aires and lives in Brooklyn, NY. He has written, directed and produced shows for Amazon Studios, Netflix and HBO. Entel created, wrote and show-run the Netflix ...
* ''12 Tangos – Adios Buenos Aires'' (2005), directed by
Arne Birkenstock Arne Birkenstock (born 1967) is a German film director and screenwriter. Biography Birkenstock was born in Huettental and was raised in Cologne. He studied economy, political science, history of Latin America and romance languages in Cologne, ...
* ''
Tango libre ''Tango libre'' is a 2012 comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an excep ...
'' (2012), directed by
Frédéric Fonteyne Frédéric Fonteyne (; born 9 January 1968) is a Belgian film director. He studied film at the Institut des arts de diffusion in Louvain-la-Neuve. His 2020 film '' Working Girls'' was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best International Fea ...
* '' 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 ''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...
'' (Die 3-Groschen-Oper) (1931), directed by G. W. Pabst, has number called Tango Ballade. * ''
The Plow That Broke the Plains ''The Plow That Broke the Plains'' is a 1936 short documentary film that shows the cultivation of the Great Plains region of the United States and Canada following the Civil War and leading up to the Dust Bowl as a result of farmers' exploitati ...
'' (1936), directed by Pare Lorentz. * '' The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'' (1921), starring
Rudolph Valentino Rodolfo Pietro Filiberto Raffaello Guglielmi di Valentina d'Antonguella (May 6, 1895 – August 23, 1926), known professionally as Rudolph Valentino and nicknamed The Latin Lover, was an Italian actor who starred in several well-known sile ...
and
Alice Terry Alice Frances Taaffe (July 24, 1899 – December 22, 1987), known professionally as Alice Terry, was an American film actress and director. She began her career during the Silent film, silent film era, appearing in thirty-nine films betwe ...
, directed by Rex Ingram. * ''
L'amore in città ''Love in the City'' () is a 1953 Italian anthology film composed of six segments, each with its own director. The segments and filmmakers are: ''Paid Love'' (Carlo Lizzani), ''Attempted Suicide'' (Michelangelo Antonioni), ''Paradise for Three Ho ...
'' (1953), segment ''"Paradise for three hours"'' (Paradiso per tre ore), directed by
Dino Risi Dino Risi (23 December 1916 – 7 June 2008) was an Italian film director. With Mario Monicelli, Luigi Comencini, Nanni Loy, and Ettore Scola, he was one of the masters of ''commedia all'italiana''. Biography Risi was born in Milan. He had an ...
, starring nonprofessional actors, featuring a long sequence in a ballroom, where a passionate tango of Mario Nascimbene is played. * '' 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 Frédéric Fonteyne (; born 9 January 1968) is a Belgian film director. He studied film at the Institut des arts de diffusion in Louvain-la-Neuve. His 2020 film '' Working Girls'' was selected as the Belgian entry for the Best International Fea ...
* ''Two to Tango'' (2021), directed by Dimitri Sterckens 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 Olavi Virta (originally until 1926 Oskari Olavi Ilmén; 27 February 1915 – 14 July 1972) was a Finnish singer, acclaimed during his time as the "King" of Finnish tango. Between 1939 and 1966 he recorded almost 600 songs, many of which are ...
, directed by Armand Lohikoski.


References


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., 9781846272851 * * * Nau, Nicole (1999). ''Tango Dimensionen'' (German), Kastell Verlag GmbH, . * Nau, Nicole (2000). ''Tango, un baile bien porteño'' (Spanish), Editorial Corregidor, * Park, Chan (2005). ''Tango Zen: Walking Dance Meditation'' (English), Tango Zen House, * Park, Chan (2008). ''TangoZen: Caminar y Meditar Bailando'' (Spanish-English), Editorial Kier, *Savigliano, Marta E. (1995) ''Tango and the Political Economy of Passion''. Westview Press, * Turner, David (2006). ''A Passion for Tango'' (English), Dingley Press 2004 Revised and augmented,


External links


Argentine Tango Radio

Tango in the Movies
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tango (Dance) Tango, Tango dance Partner dance Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity Urban street dance and music Articles containing video clips