Post about tango. Tango is a mystery that two people dance

Tango- one of the most mysterious dances in the world. After all, it combines restraint of character, severity of lines and unbridled, undisguised passion at the same time. Modern tango has many varieties. Among them are the strict ballroom style, the passionate Argentinean and the unusual Finnish. But they all differ from other types of dances in their special, unique character. After all, only in tango can you combine such anatomical features as restraint and passion, severity and frivolity, tenderness and aggression. Maybe that’s why, despite its complexity, both in performance and in understanding, this dance has great amount fans all over the world.

History of Tango

Tango is a unique fusion of traditions, folklore, feelings and experiences of many peoples, which has a history of more than a century. It appeared in late XIX centuries in the poor emigrant quarters of Buenos Aires, where emigrants gathered in search of happiness, they met here cultural traditions countries around the world. There was not enough happiness for everyone; it was replaced by dance, accessible to everyone. It contains Argentine milonga, Havana habanera, spanish flamenco, ritual dances of the Indians, Polish mazurka, German waltz merged together in a dance of longing for an abandoned homeland, unhappy love, passion and loneliness. At first, tango was a man's dance. It was a confrontation, a duel, mainly, of course, over a woman. They say that a lady could choose from 10-15 men. Tango later became a dance between a man and a woman. In many ways, to this day, tango has retained its opposing force and rules of the game: the man leads, the lady follows his lead. Tango turned out to be so viable that it very quickly spread not only beyond the ports and streets of poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, but also beyond the borders of Argentina. At the beginning of the 20th century, tango and its music entered the life of European countries. This was the golden age of tango, the period of tangomania. Paris at the beginning of the century fell in love with tango at first sight. This is the bastard child of African rhythms, Italian songs and the mazurka came to Paris thanks to several dancers from Argentina. A new word has emerged - tangomania, fashion for tango dancing and everything connected with it: tango parties, tango drinks, cigarettes, tango-style clothes and shoes. From Paris, tango spread throughout the world, to London, New York, Germany and Russia, although not unimpeded. Pope Pius X himself spoke out against the new dance, and the Austrian emperor forbade soldiers to dance it in military uniform. And the Queen of England said that she refuses to dance “this”. But in 1914, a couple of Romanians, students of the Argentinean Casimir Ain, danced “it” in the Vatican, and the Pope finally lifted his ban. We also had our own tango in Russia. Tango became very popular in St. Petersburg at the beginning of the twentieth century, although its dancing was officially prohibited. Thus, in 1914, a decree of the Minister of Public Education appeared, prohibiting the very mention of “the dance called tango, which has become widespread,” in Russian educational institutions. And if you remember, the fate of tango at one time was shared by the waltz, mazurka, and polka... And in the 20-30s it was also banned as a dance of bourgeois culture. It was forbidden to prohibit, but tango became more and more loved. Played gramophone records with Rodriguez's "Cumparsita", "Champagne Splashes", and "Burnt by the Sun" were passed from hand to hand. There were sweet melodies of Oscar Strok, soulful tango performed by Vadim Kozin, Peter Leshchenko, Konstantin Sokolsky, Alexander Vertinsky... And then wartime tango and tango from Russian films. This was our native Russian tango.
More recently, tango was treated as a retro dance, a culture and style that has long since outlived its golden age. But today tango is returning to us again at the beginning of the new century in the original style as it was and is danced in Argentina. This is a new wave of tangomania. This is a new direction of neo-romanticism, when a man and a woman rediscover the charm and pleasure of dancing together. Argentine tango is danced all over the world.
History of Argentine Tango
This story began in Argentina. They say that in the beginning the tango was danced by blacks, former slaves who lived in Argentina. This dance was accompanied by drum rhythms. At the end of the 19th century, the Argentine port city of Buenos Aires became extremely popular among emigrants. From different countries People from Europe came here in search of a better life. These people brought with them various musical instruments from their native countries: violins, guitars, flutes, and of course they carried the musical traditions of their countries. And here in Buenos Aires, like a mixture different cultures and trends in music, a previously unknown dance - tango - is formed and developed. At first he was cheerful, easy-going, and at times even vulgar. For a long time it remained the music and dance of the lower classes. Average and upper classes he was not recognized. In those days, tango was danced in taverns, in the courtyards of barracks, in brothels and simply on the streets in the poorest quarters of the city. At the beginning of the 20th century, the bandoneon, an instrument whose sound resembled an organ, appeared among the tango instruments. He added notes of drama to tango music. With his appearance, Tango became slower, new tones of intimacy appeared for him. In the 20s of our century, an economic crisis began in Argentina. A huge number of people lost their jobs and the people of Buenos Aires became very sad people. It should be noted that at that time most The population of Buenos Aires was male. And so the men of Buenos Aires were very lonely. Tango lyrics will always be about a woman, sadness and longing for her. For a porteño man, there were only short moments of intimacy with a woman. This happened when he held her in his arms, dancing the tango. At these moments, the man was overcome by love, and this feeling somehow reconciled him with life. In 1955, a military regime begins in Argentina. Tango is still disliked by the upper and middle strata of society, since tango is the dance of the poor, the dance of the people, the dance of free feelings. When you dance Tango, don't get carried away with the steps, because the steps are the less important part of this dance. The most important part of Tango is the music and your feelings.

Reflections on the origins of tango
Tango is primarily a dance genre that has its own rhythm and structure that distinguishes it from other genres. The origins of tango were strongly influenced by the socio-cultural context of the late 19th century. The conditions that shaped tango between 1890 and 1920 were unique. They will no longer be there when new ones begin to appear. musical genres to fight for the right to be popular.
The social conditions in which tango was born were Buenos Aires in the 1880s with an indigenous population of 210,000 people and a surge of big flow emigrants from Europe. In 1910, the population reaches 1,200,000 people and this is when tango flourishes. These historical events very important for our analysis. It was this mixture of European blood with Spanish and native Latin American populations that gave rise to a new way of expressing oneself through music. This unprecedented event of the fusion of different nations gives tango the character of a universal dance. Buenos Aires in 1880 was like a big village where you could dance or watch people dancing only in dance halls or theaters. These academies only hired women who had special permission to work. As a rule, dance halls were located on the outskirts of the city or in the suburbs. At dance evenings, the rhythms of habanera (Havanese dance), polka, corrido, waltz, Scottish song and other genres were mixed. From all these rhythms tango was born, which quickly became popular in the expanding Buenos Aires. At that time, it was common practice for actors to sing and dance on stage in comedies, operettas and other plays of the small genre. Even before the beginning of the 20th century, tango music began to be played at these shows. Street musicians spread the melody of tango throughout all corners and neighborhoods, and very often one could see people on the street dancing tango, especially the men dancing with each other. At that time, women were rare, since emigrants, as a rule, left their wives and girlfriends at home and went alone in search of their fortune. Another misconception about tango is that it was rejected and banned in high society. Since 1902, Teatro Opera has organized balls where tango, along with other dances, was included in the repertoire. And it was unlikely that ordinary workers or people from the provinces went there. With the development of wealthy people, in addition to the record player, they have a piano at home to play the notes. average salary a policeman's fee at that time was 60 pesos. Between 1903 and 1910
technologies and

With the advent of gramophone records and players, tango began to become increasingly integrated into the life of the city. The price of one record then varied between 2 pesos and 50 cents 5 pesos. A gramophone then cost between 150-300 pesos. One sheet of music cost from 1 to 3 pesos. Who could buy these things for such prices? Of course, wealthy people who have a piano at home in addition to a record player to play notes. The average salary of a police officer at that time was 60 pesos. Between 1903 and 1910, more than a thousand records were released, 350 of which were dedicated to tango, and a huge number of sheet music. In the next decade, the volume of records increased to 5,500, of which half were tango recordings. Doesn't that say something about in great demand? Could poor people buy a gramophone? Who could buy records?
In conclusion: Tango culture was born from a mixture of Spanish and Latin American culture with what European emigrants brought with them. Its origins were influenced, on the one hand, by the milonga, habanera, and Scottish dance, and on the other, by operetta and pop song. Tango was born on the outskirts of the city and in the provinces. Then it became popular in dance halls, which were then called academies. Street musicians spread tango throughout the neighborhoods, and theaters included it in their productions. It had to get along with other dances, but in the end it firmly won its place in the city center. Tango was accepted, to a large extent to a lesser extent, by all levels of society and was recognized first in Europe, later in the United States, and then in the rest of America.

The roots of tango - dance and music
The most fantastic theories, stretching all the way to the land of the rising sun, argue about the origin of dance, music and the very word “tango”. Eduardo S. Castillo believes that the word "tango" is Japanese, since the dance itself was allegedly invented by the Japanese living in Cuba. Even though we understand that this theory is too far from being real, and not so distant stories of the origin of tango cannot be considered more reliable and remain until today the subject of heated debate. There is already a debate about where the word "tango" comes from. Some believe that it is based on the Latin verb "tangere" - to touch, others believe that it comes from the Spanish word "tambor" - drum - through the intermediate stage - "tambo" or "tango" to "tango". More likely is the theory published by Vincente Rossi in 1926 in his book "Cosas de negros" (The Affairs of the Blacks). Rossi was the first to point out that the word "tango" may come from one of the African dialects.
His assumption seems all the more likely since Buenos Aires and Montevideo were for many years important transit points for the slave trade. Ricardo Rodriguez Molas, another tango researcher, confirmed Rossi's thesis in his etymological studies, proving the African origin of the word "tango". The debate is actually about what served as the basis: the Congolese dance “Lango”, the god of the Nigerian Yoruba tribe “Shango” or the word of the Bantu people “tamgu”, meaning dance in general. According to Molas, "tango" comes from the Congo, where it means "closed place", "circle". Later, this word began to be used to refer to places where slaves were collected before being loaded onto a ship. When comparing tango with candombe, the music of the black population of Buenos Aires, it is clear from the instruments used how little these musical styles have in common.
None of the many percussion instruments, which form the basis of candombe, have never been used in tango. Tango and candombe are united by a rhythmic formula that, in principle, underlies all Latin American music that has undergone African influence, from Uruguay to Cuba. This rhythmic formula also influenced three musical style, considered the direct predecessors of tango: Afro-Cuban habanera, Andalusian tango and milonga.
Habanera, which arose around 1825 in the suburbs of Havana, is and couples dance, and song form. Musically, it is a mixture of Spanish song traditions with the rhythmic heritage of black slaves. As a result of constant contacts between the colony and the metropolis, habanera penetrated into the Kingdom of Spain and around the 1850s it became popular throughout the country, mainly thanks to folk theaters. Habanera was distributed by Cuban sailors in the port taverns of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. She instantly became competitive with the most fashionable dancing that era, with mazurka, polka, waltz. She was also very popular in folk theater in the form of song verses. The basic rhythmic structure of the habanera consists of a two-quarter beat, which in turn is composed of one beaten eighth note, one sixteenth note, and two subsequent eighth notes. Tango Andaluz, which originated around 1850 in Cadiz, belongs to the classical forms of flamenco and is performed with guitar accompaniment. This is both a song form and a dance, which was performed at first only by the woman, later by one or more couples, and the partners did not touch each other. However, the Andalusian tango did not come to Argentina as a dance. Here it was used only as a song or folk theater verses.
Milonga, the Creole predecessor of tango, is in itself “part of cultural history", and there is also no consensus on the original meaning of this word. Dieter Reichardt believes that this word is plural words mulonga ("word") of the Quimbundu language. While the black population of Brazil retained the original meaning of the word milonga - “words”, “conversation”, in Uruguay “milonga” meant “urban singing” (payada pueblera) in contrast to the songs of the rural population, simply payada. In Buenos Aires and its environs, milonga in the 1870s meant "festival" or "dancing", as well as the place where it was held, and at the same time a "promiscuous mixture". This is the sense in which the word is used in Martin Fierro's epic. Soon after this, this word began to be used to designate a special dance and song

forms to which were added milonguera - a dancer in entertainment venues and milonguita - a woman working in a cabaret with a penchant for alcohol and drugs." At this time, the milonga was interesting as a dance and song form. The rural milonga was very slow and served as musical accompaniment to songs . The urban version was much faster, more mobile, it was played and, accordingly, danced more rhythmically. If we talk about rhythmic elements, then in the milonga only the elements of African candombe are most noticeable. The family connection with the music of the Pampa folk singers is more obvious. While tango represents a more stylized urban music that left behind its folkloristic heritage no later than the 20s, the milonga carries numerous features folk music Argentina.

Milonga, habanera and Andalusian tango featured prominently in the repertoire of the trio, which toured the Buenos Aires area in the 1880s. These musicians were almost entirely self-taught, playing flutes, violins and harps at dances in the working-class neighborhoods, diners and brothels of the suburbs. The harp was often replaced by a mandolin, accordion or simply a comb and was subsequently completely replaced by the guitar, which has been played since the time of the Conquest vital role especially in rural areas as national instrument gauchos and payadores. Soon the guitarist began to determine the harmonic basis on which the violinist and flautist improvised. Few of the musicians of that time could read music. Everyone played by ear and invented new melodies every evening. What they liked was often repeated until a peculiar musical composition. But since these melodies were not recorded, today it is not known exactly how they sounded. The repertoire of such groups was more than varied. They played waltzes, mazurkas, milongas, habaneras, Andalusian tango and at one point the first Argentine tango. Today it is impossible to say which trio played the first purest tango in which eatery in the city. The transitions between habanera, milonga and Andalusian tango were so subtle that they were often confused. The origins of tango can be more or less accurately traced to the moment when musicians playing for dancers could read music and thus write down the music they performed. These were primarily pianists, playing in elegant salons where there was a piano. The pianists played here most of the time alone. They usually had musical education unlike their anonymous trio counterparts playing in the suburbs. They exchanged notes, created their own style and - most importantly - recorded their compositions.
One of the most famous institutions of that time was cafe Restaurant, opened by the German Juan Hansen in 1877 in the city district of Palermo, “Lo de Hansen” (“Hansen’s”) is a kind of hybrid of a restaurant and a brothel. Here you could taste delicacies at outdoors overlooking the Rio de la Plata and then dancing in secluded places, hidden from prying eyes.

Tango played in the most different places, on the streets, in the courtyards of working-class neighborhoods and in many establishments, from dance halls to brothels: “romerias”, “karpas”, “baylongs”, “tringets”, “academies”, etc. It is more precise to highlight the places where tango was played , difficult - in best case scenario they differed from each other in their proximity to the brothel. José Gobello quotes a description of a certain “academy” from 1910: “The academy was just a cafe where women served and where a barrel organ played. There you could have a drink and dance between two glasses with the women serving.” The women in this establishment, as a contemporary writes further, were not prostitutes, but in general it was only a matter of time and - more difficult cases - larger amount money - if the client had such a desire. The barrel organ was at that time one of the essential tools dissemination of young tango music. The Italians walked with her through the streets of the city center and the courtyards of working-class neighborhoods. Families of immigrants danced at their holidays on Sundays between a waltz and a mazurka once or twice and a tango, albeit without the complex figures adopted by " decent people". The Italian barrel organ is mentioned in the Argentine national epic "Martin Fierro". The tango "El ultimo organito" and "Organito de la tarde" are mentioned as "The Voice of the Borders".
In all these places at that time you could hear tango. A classic early tango was, for example, "El entrerriano", written by Rosendo Mendizábal in 1897. Unfortunately, there are no surviving recordings of how Rosendo Mendizábal and his colleagues interpreted "Tangos para piano". However, the published scores give an idea of how joyful and energetic this music must have sounded. At the beginning of the 20th century, the sounds of guitar, flute and violin were added to the unique hoarse sound of the bandoneon. Tango orchestras appeared

In the 40s of the 20th century, tango was extremely popular

At the beginning of the 20th century, tango appeared in Europe. His debut in Paris was a real sensation

Tango is one of the most sensual dances on earth, it teaches sincerity, makes men remember gallantry, women remember tenderness.

Tango in the old districts of Buenos Aires, late 19th century

Tango appeared at the end of the 19th century in the poor emigrant neighborhoods of Buenos Aires, where emigrants gathered in search of happiness...

Tango is a unique fusion of traditions, folklore, feelings and experiences of many peoples, which has a history of more than a century.

Only in tango can you combine such anatomical features as restraint and passion, severity and frivolity, tenderness and aggression.

Tango is a dance of passion...

Among the varieties of tango there are strict ballroom, passionate Argentinean and unusual Finnish...

Modern tango has many varieties.

Tango combines restraint of character, strictness of lines and unbridled, undisguised passion at the same time.

Tango is one of the most mysterious dances in the world...

Modern tango has many varieties. Among them are the strict ballroom style, the passionate Argentinean and the unusual Finnish. But they all differ from other types of dances in their special, unique character. After all, only in tango can you combine such anatomical features as restraint and passion, severity and frivolity, tenderness and aggression. Maybe that’s why, despite its complexity, both in performance and in understanding, this dance has a huge number of fans around the world.

History of the dance

It is generally accepted that the prototype of all types of tango was the pair Argentine dance, which was first danced in South America. However, some sources, in particular French scientists, claim that tango first appeared in Spain, and was danced by Spanish aborigines (Spanish Moors, Arabs). This happened at the beginning of the 15th century. And only in the 16th century, during colonization South America Spain, the dance came to Argentina.

It should also be noted that in Spain tango in its original form was only one of the many variations of pairs folk dances. And the trend has already gained enormous popularity in Argentina and other countries of South America. There, tango developed and gradually became a separate dance direction. Initially, tango was danced to the rhythms of drums and looked like a rather primitive dance, but over time, Argentine tango turned into a fairly complex dance, which was an absolutely unique music and dance direction based on the rhythms and melodies “borrowed” from Europe, Africa and America (milonga, habanera, etc.).

For a long time tango was considered a dance ordinary people. It was only at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries that tango was introduced in Europe as another official dance direction. The most popular version is that the first choreographer to show tango to London experts, choreographers and impresarios was Camille de Rinal. However, there are other sources that claim that tango was seen in Europe earlier. And it was presented to the public by dance troupes from Buenos Aires and Montevideo who performed in Europe. According to this version, the first show took place in Paris, and only then the dance “set off” to conquer London, Berlin and other European capitals.

Be that as it may, at the beginning of the twentieth century, tango began to rapidly gain popularity as a fashionable and “high-society” dance in Europe. And in 1913-1915, the tango craze also captured the United States. With its growing popularity in secular circles, tango is becoming less and less authentic. Choreographers “cleanse” it of overtly Argentine features and greatly simplify it in order to facilitate learning. New varieties of tango appear (French, English, etc.), and the United States in general begins to call almost all dances in a 2/4 or 4/4 rhythm “one step” buzzword"tango".

Tango today

Today, tango - popular dance, which is danced not only by amateurs, but also by professionals. Ballroom tango participates in programs international competitions along with foxtrot, waltz and other dances.

There are many varieties of tango in the world, which have their own characteristics and features. But no matter what direction of tango is discussed, only to this dance can the quote “a love story in one dance” or “love in several steps” be applied. After all, it is difficult to find a more “full” and rich in emotions dance. In each small production, the dancers live a love story, which is full of feelings and their expression - passion, tenderness, anger, love, etc., which, being put on public display, nevertheless amazes with its intimacy.

Tango is considered one of the most difficult ballroom dances. And the point is not even in the peculiarities of the choreography, which is far from simple, but in the fact that it is not enough to learn to dance tango. This dance must be felt, understood, felt.

Kinds

There are many variations, types and directions of tango, very different in choreography and musical accompaniment. So, when you start looking for the type of tango that you would like to study, you will probably come across a list of such types of tango as tango waltz, milonga, cangengue, etc. All these variations involve the use of different music (elements of waltz or Cuban dances, For example). There is even a direction of alternative tango, when the music of completely different, dissimilar dance styles is used and adapted to dance the tango style.

If we consider the classical classification of tango, based on differences in choreography, we can distinguish the following styles:

Argentine tango

This style is the closest to the authentic tango dance, which is performed in Argentina and Uruguay. This direction is a mixture of styles, trends and varieties of national folk Latin American dances mixed with rhythms from European and even African directions.

To the main types Argentine tango include:

Kanjenge
Salon
Orillero
Milonguero
Nuevo
Fantasy

Each of these types has its own technical features, steps, positions, etc. But almost all types of Argentine tango are based on the principles of improvisation in dance.

Finnish tango

This trend originated in Finland in the mid-twentieth century. The destination very quickly became popular not only in its homeland, but throughout the world.

Finnish tango is a kind of middle option between the passionate Argentine and seasoned sports ballroom dance. Finnish tango already has tight contact in the hips and follows clear lines, but lacks the characteristic sudden movements head.

Ballroom tango

Ballroom tango - sports dance, participating in international competition programs. The main difference between this style and Argentine tango is the complete absence of improvisation. There are clear norms and rules of dance - the position of the body and head, following the lines, performing a strictly designated list of elements, etc. Ballroom tango requires clarity in both movements and music. This style is less melodic and smooth than its “brothers”.

Special features of tango

Musical size - 2/4 or 4/4

Tempo - slow

Music depends on the style.

Choreography - depends on the style.

Tango is, of course, first and foremost a dance, but also much more. Tango is movement, feeling and music - all together. Tango is a relationship between a man and a woman. Tango is a small life as long as the music plays and the hug lasts. Tango is an attitude.

It's a wild tango of fire
at the breaking point of fear and pain.
This is our game with you...
We are actors without a leading role.

These are souls deprived of sleep,
These are feelings without a body.
This is the same faith for everyone...
We take off easily and boldly!

This is the tango of forgotten dreams...
Dance of birds that have lost the sky.
This is a rain of burning tears,
there is an angel and a sad demon nearby.

"Tango is a mixture of rage, pain, faith and absence."
"Tango is a sad thought that can even be danced."
"Argentine tango is a sad thought expressed in dance.

The exact origin of tango - both the dance and the word itself - is lost in myth and unwritten history. But there is a generally accepted theory. In the mid-nineteenth century, African slaves were brought to Argentina, who began to change local culture. The word "tango" may be purely African, meaning "closed space", or it may be Portuguese (or Latin American - derived from the word "tanguere" meaning "to touch"), picked up by slaves on the sides of ships.
One way or another, the word “tango” during the period when Argentina was settled by slaves from Africa began to mean a place where black slaves and free blacks gathered to dance.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Argentina experienced a massive influx of migrants.
Everyone began to live in Argentina: Africans, Spaniards, Italians, British, Germans, Poles, Russians, the Argentines themselves...
The result was a merging of cultures, with each nationality borrowing dances from the other. African rhythms of tangano and candombe, Argentine milonga, Cuban habanera, Spanish flamenco, ritual dances of the Indians, Polish mazurka, German waltz and other dances of the peoples of the world merged into one dance, Argentine tango.

By the beginning of the 20th century, tango (both dance and popular music) took a strong position in Buenos Aires and a few years later spread throughout the provinces of the country and even crossed La Plata and ended up in Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay, where it became as much a part of the city's culture as in the capital of Argentina.

The march of tango around the world began in the first third of the twentieth century, when the sons of wealthy Argentinean families paved the way to Paris and gave tango to a society hungry for innovative ideas and tolerant of the dubious nature of the dance and connections with young, rich guys from Argentina.

In the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, tango continued to spread throughout the world. The dance appeared in films. Tango singers traveled around giving concerts. By the thirties, the Golden Age of Argentine tango began. Argentina has become one of the ten richest countries in the world. Tango has become the foundation, the fundamental basis of its culture. The Golden Age of this dance lasted until the fifties. But the rise of tango was due to economic reasons.

In the fifties, the government began to pursue a policy of repression. This, of course, was reflected in the lyrics, and gradually the repression spread to culture.

Dance and music went underground; closed all over the country dance halls, large public gatherings were prohibited - but tango survived in small, little-known places and, of course, in the hearts of people. However, the move underground was accompanied by the invasion of rock and roll, and because of it, tango was in decline until the mid-eighties, when the stage show “Tango Argentino” appeared in Paris.

And again, Paris became the place from where tango swept around the world for the second time. The show caused an explosion of passion for this style in Europe, North America and Japan.

Today tango is one of the most popular dances in the world.

Tango. Fernando Gracia and Sol Cerquides

Straighten your shoulders and straighten your posture,
We'll dance tango tonight.
Look into my eyes and feel the beat,
Give yourself over to the dance. Turn. Step.

The musical style that existed in Argentina gave rise to a new type of dance called milonga. Traveling musicians played cheerful songs, and the audience danced to the beat to the 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 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 from different European countries, from where emigrants arrived 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 both in gambling clubs and brothels, and simply 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 male dance. For them it was a way to show off themselves, demonstrate their talents and please a woman. But at the end of the 19th 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. “Splashes of Champagne” and “Burnt by the Sun”, soulful songs performed by Pyotr Leshchenko and Alexander Vertinsky, sounded in tango rhythm.

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. Since the 90s of the 20th century, a new wave of tangomania began. Tango schools began to open everywhere, inviting teachers from Argentina to work there.

Megalopolis phenomenon

The tango that spectators see at ballroom dance competitions is 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 in European countries dancers, 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 sounding music in his own way and expresses this through movements. You just need to practice a little and you can come to milongas - dance evenings, which are 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 a huge amount of energy is pumped in a few minutes.

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.

Tango- one of the most mysterious dances in the world. After all, it combines restraint of character, severity of lines and unbridled, undisguised passion at the same time.

History of the dance

It is generally accepted that the prototype of all styles of tango was the Argentinean couple dance, which was first danced in South America. However, some sources, in particular French scientists, claim that tango first appeared in Spain, and was danced by Spanish aborigines (Spanish Moors, Arabs). This happened at the beginning of the 15th century. And only in the 16th century, during the colonization of South America by Spain, the dance came to Argentina.

It should also be noted that in Spain, tango in its original form was only one of many variations of paired folk dances. And the trend has already gained enormous popularity in Argentina and other countries of South America. There, tango developed and gradually became a separate dance direction. Initially, tango was danced to the rhythms of drums and looked like a rather primitive dance, but over time, Argentine tango turned into a rather complex dance, which was an absolutely unique musical and dance direction, based on the rhythms and melodies “borrowed” from Europe, Africa and America (milonga , habanera, etc.).

For a long time, tango was considered the dance of ordinary people. It was only at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries that tango was introduced in Europe as another official dance direction. The most popular version is that the first choreographer to show tango to London experts, choreographers and impresarios was Camille de Rinal. However, there are other sources that claim that tango was seen in Europe earlier. And it was presented to the public by dance troupes from Buenos Aires and Montevideo who performed in Europe. According to this version, the first show took place in Paris, and only then the dance “set off” to conquer London, Berlin and other European capitals.

Be that as it may, at the beginning of the twentieth century, tango began to rapidly gain popularity as a fashionable and “high-society” dance in Europe. And in 1913-1915, the tango craze also captured the United States. With its growing popularity in secular circles, tango is becoming less and less authentic. Choreographers “cleanse” it of overtly Argentine features and greatly simplify it in order to facilitate learning. New varieties of tango are appearing (French, English, etc.), and in the United States, in general, almost all dances in the rhythm of 2/4 or 4/4 “one step” are beginning to be called the fashionable word “tango”.

Tango today

Today, tango is a popular dance that is danced not only by amateurs, but also by professionals. Ballroom tango participates in the programs of international competitions along with foxtrot, waltz and other dances.

There are many varieties of tango in the world, which have their own characteristics and features. But no matter what direction of tango is discussed, only to this dance can the quote “a love story in one dance” or “love in several steps” be applied. After all, it is difficult to find a more “full” and rich in emotions dance. In each small production, the dancers live a love story that is full of feelings and their expression - passion, tenderness, anger, love, etc., which, being put on public display, nevertheless amazes with its intimacy.

Kinds

There are many variations, types and directions of tango, very different in choreography and musical accompaniment. So, when you start looking for the type of tango that you would like to study, you will probably come across a list of such types of tango as tango waltz, milonga, cangengue, etc. All these variations involve the use of different music (elements of waltz or Cuban dances, for example). There is even a direction of alternative tango, when the music of completely different, dissimilar dance styles is used and adapted to dance the tango style.

If we consider the classical classification of tango, based on differences in choreography, we can distinguish the following styles:

Argentine tango

This style is the closest to the authentic tango dance, which is performed in Argentina and Uruguay. This direction is a mixture of styles, directions and varieties of national folk Latin American dances with an admixture of rhythms from European and even African directions.

The main types of Argentine tango include:

Kanjenge

Orillero

Milonguero

Fantasy

Each of these types has its own technical features, steps, positions, etc. But almost all types of Argentine tango are based on the principles of improvisation in dance.

Finnish tango

This trend originated in Finland in the mid-twentieth century. The destination very quickly became popular not only in its homeland, but throughout the world.

Finnish tango is a kind of middle option between the passionate Argentinean and seasoned sports ballroom dance. In Finnish tango there is already close contact in the hips and following clear lines, but there are no characteristic sharp movements of the head.

Ballroom tango

Ballroom tango is a sports dance that participates in international competition programs. The main difference between this style and Argentine tango is the complete absence of improvisation. There are clear norms and rules of dance - the position of the body and head, following the lines, performing a strictly designated list of elements, etc. Ballroom tango requires clarity in both movements and music. This style is less melodic and smooth than its “brothers”.

Special features of tango

Musical size - 2/4 or 4/4

Tempo: slow

Music depends on the style.

Choreography depends on the style.