Buenos Aires (Argentina) was founded by a Spanish expedition in 1536, then again in 1580. Immigration brought many French, Spanish and Italians to Buenos Aires as Buenos Aires went on to become a major city. In 1816 the Waltz was introduced to Argentina, then came the Polka , Mazurka and Schottische .

  Spanish and Cuban rhythms (guajira Flamenca and flamenco) mixed and the Habanera was born. The habanera came from Havana, Cuba and made its way thru Andalusa, Spain to Argentina in the early 19th century. The Habanera, Andalusan and the Polka rhythms merged with a splice of Indian rhythms (3/8, 5/8, 6/8 , 9/8) played a part in the Argentine dance known as the "Milonga." The Andalusan Women would originally dance this dance with each other, usually as a solo dance.

   The Milonga originated as a song with a lively tempo. The tempo was quieted down and dance steps were added to it, making the Milonga the first known tango (but not yet named as such) and was very popular by mid 1840s. (Milonga's can be quite fast in tempo and are very popular today.) The name Tango came to be used sometime around 1860 or 1870, (but didn't really gain world wide notice till about 1900.)

   There have been writings of the African-Argentines adding some movement to the Milonga (Mondonga Tango ), however it is reported that they did this dance separately and not couple-up (similar to the Andalusans) while the compaditos who danced with them brought this tango back to town and started adding it to their Milongas and the two dances merged. These African-Argentines called the dance the Tango (most likely, the general public through those magazine/ newspaper writings of the time confused the Habanera with the Tango and with all the bad press of the time linked to these dances, started calling all versions "the tango"). There is some history of Spanish roots as well, with many times being called the Spanish Tango.

   Nobody really knows what the word "tango" means but some suggest it to mean: a "closed place" or "reserved ground." Or it may be from the Portuguese word tangere (to touch!) There are also cities in Angola and Mali (Africa) named Tango!. Some say it is just the sound of the drum emitting tan-go! sound ... so wherever the word comes from, the tango was here to stay.

   The main musical instruments used were the Bandoneon and Guitar . The bandoneon was introduced to Argentina in the late 19th century from Germany and the guitar came from Spain. By the 1920's the tango (Argentine) was the only version left standing in Buenos Aires.

   The Castles are said to have introduced the Tango as a ballroom dance here in the United States, however it was most likely Maurice Mouvet with his "Tango American " or FRANCES DEMAREST AND JOSEPH C. SMITH. (some writings credit Smith) Although Charles Durang had written about the Tango as far back as 1857 predating both. The Violent Knee-dipping and strenuous body-twisting that were originally associated with the American Tango were eventually removed. Rudolph Valentino would later confuse the public even more with his Apache Dance version of the dance. (It has been reported, many times that Rudy, never knew the dance, only the Apache. )

   The dancing public followed Mouvet and the Castles in their invention of dances and innovations, and they made a few, but the Tango was not one of them ... THEY ONLY ADDED VARIATIONS TO THE DANCE. Many variations of tangos have come and gone such as the Yale Tango (American), Newman Tango, Bresilien Tango, Castle's Open Tango, Maurice Tango, French Tango, Tango American, La Rumba and many more. These are basically just different styles or moves of the tango done by a performer trying to gain fame in their dansants and Teas as an innovator.

   When the tango hit Paris (1912) It became all the rage throughout the world!. In Paris, a Parisian dance Instructor named Robert , was said to have standardized the French version. Another offshoot of the tango which had alot of popularity in the early 1900's in France and the U.S. was the Apache dance which many people unmistakably called the Tango!. Carlos Gardel (18901935) is known to help make the Tango Popular to the masses with his Tango Compositions that made the dance accepted thru its music to the masses. Argentine Tango can still be danced at a few night clubs around town in the States and is still danced heavily in Buenos Aires today.

   The American and International Style tango (ballroom versions) has some similarities to the original but are very few and are a very subdued OR modified version of the original Argentine Tango!. This probably stems from the Ragtime era , the Apache and One Step (or Castle Walk ) merging and bastardizing the dance, as well as un-educated dance instructors of the time. A few of the better known teachers who wrote their dance treatise, would make note of the differences of the real (argentine) and One-Step versions being passed around.

   Many people confused the One Step dance, AS many dance teachers, trying to cash in on the market, and not knowing the real (Argentine) tango, used the One Step as a base, just like the Castles (probably because of the Gaucho Walk in Tango). Most of the teachers back then thought of the original tango as just a certain way to walk while doing the one-step, ("The Tango Walk"... Spanish, el Paseo; French, le Promenade) is used as a variety to figures as most dances back then were basic walking dances. They would describe the real Tango Step as; "the brushing or sweeping of the toe to the floor, which occurs in all figures of the Tango."

   The ridiculous looking Head Snaps one sees in "Today's ballroom dance versions" is a play on the history of the Gaucho (Cowboy) and his partner (they didn't smell to well), thus portraying getting a whiff and quickly turning the head away!, these Head Snaps were in Durang's description of the tango in 1857. The Ballroom Tango (today) along with East Coast Swing and Jive were bastardized versions of their originals, However, they were sold to the public as the real thing... enmasse!.

Notes: in 1925 Mr. Scott Atkinson and Dorothy Cole won the "World Tango Championships". In 1913 the "Tango-Visite" was introduced, which was a dress style for dancing with a transparent bodice and a mid-calf skirt length (Vanity Fair Magazine).

Publications

Instructional Videos / DVDs

Ballets / Stage

1900s - Caras y Caretas

$ Copes Tango Copes

10/26/1914 - Ziegfeld

1/22/1973 - Time Magazine

$ Tango Fundamentals 1: Basic

1/19/1923 - Actors Fund Annual Benefit

2/1973 - Playboy Magazine

$ Tango Magic (Beg)

1955 - the Boyfriend

3/1989 - Smithsonian Magazine

$ Tango the Embrace 1

1987 - Tango Argentino

Tanguera Magazine

$ Tango the Heart 2

1993 - El Patio de la Morocha

$ Tango the Soul 3

1994 - Forever Tango

$ Tango the Seduction 4

1994 - Gotán

Tango The: [DVD1][DVD2][DVD3]

George Bizets "Carmen"

$ Tango with Federico DVD

$ You Can Dance Tango

Films / Movies -- Various Tango dance and related

1910 - BeBe Apache

1935 - Tango Bar (Gardel) [DVD]

$ 1988 - Tango Bar (Raul Julia)

1913 - Dancing Lessons (Kalem)

1936 - Loco Lindo (Song)

1988 - Tango l'exile de Gardel

1914 - Tango Tangles (Chaplin)

19?? - Melodia de Arrabal [DVD]

$ 1988 - Tango our dance
(Tango: Baile Nuestro)

1914 - Whirl of Life (Castles)

19?? - Mercado del Abasto [DVD]

1916 - The Tango Queen

1936 - Ayúdame a Vivir

1991 - Naked Tango

1917 - Cleopatra (song)

1936 - Tango (Prevost)

$1992 - Scent of a Woman [DVD]

1918 - Lydia (Song)

1942 - Arres de Andalucia ?

1992 - Tango Argentino

1922 - la Muchacha del Arrabal

1964 - Notas Andaluzas

$1997 - The Tango Lesson

1920s - La Vendedora de Harrods

1969 - Tango

$ 1998 - Tango

1921 - Cheat, the (Song)

$ 1972 - Last Tango in Paris [DVD]

1998 - Tango of Yearning (Arab)

$ 1921 - 4 Horsemen of Apocalypse

1974 - The Last Tango In Acapulco

$ 1998 - Tango: The Obsession

1921 - My Boy (Song)

1979 - Tango (Cedron Doc.)

$ 1999 - Tango [DVD]

$ 1921 - The Sheik

$ 1981 - Danzón?

$1999 - Tango Passion

1926 - The Sea Wolf (Song)

$ 1983 - Tango [DVD]

$ 2002 - Assassination Tango [DVD]

1931 - Tango (Argentina)

1985 - Tango's l'exil de Gardel

2002 - Tango Kabaree

1933- Tango (Skouboe)

1987 - Tango Bayle nuestro

2002 - Tangos fly

1934 - Cuesta Abajo [DVD]

$1987 - Tango: Our Dance

Happy Together

1934 - El Tango en Broadway [DVD]

Tango 5

Dances, Choreographers etc. ... Tangueros

1913 - Natha & Peters (La Mode)

La Parda Refucilo

1914 - Vera Michelena

Lew Quinn (La Rumba)

1914 - Ann Pennington (Zgfld)

Maurice & Walton

Natacha Rambova

1921 - Beatrice Dominguez (4 horsemen)

Pepa La Chata

1925 - Dorothy Cole & Scott Atkinson

Pepita

Bruce Willis (1980's :)

Raul Julia

Carmecita Calderon

Robert Duvall

Cyril Pauley and Blanche Young

Rosita& Ramon

Dabney

Rubia Mireya (Margarita Verdier)

El Flaco Saul

Rudolph Valintino

George Raft

The Dinzels

Jaun Carlos Copes & Maria Nieves

Veijo Tanguero

Joan Sawyer

Vern & Irene Castle

Jose Ovidio Bianquet (el Cachafaz)

Vlad ? (Vlad Tango)

Joseph Santley

La Modonquito

Other Related Dances of the time...

Political

Apache Dance

Horsetrot

Julio Argentino Roca (1843 - 1914)

Andalusan

Lame Duck

Brazillian Maxixe

Maxixe

Breakaway

Milonga

Bunny Hug

One Step

Camel Walk

Peabody

Castle Glide

Spanish Dance

Newspaper Publications

Castle Walk

Tango Maurice

Charleston

Texas Tommy

Fado

Three Step

Foxtrot

Turkey Trot

Grizzly Bear

Two Step

Habanara

Waltz

Tango Dances over time...

Magazine Subscriptions

American Tango

International Style (English)

Andalusan Tango

La Mode Tango

Argentine Tango

Brazillian Maxixe

Castle Tango

Santley Tango

Dongozo Tango

Tango Liso (smooth tango)

French Tango (Regular Tango)

Tango Maxixe

Habanera

Tango Trigacio

Yale (American)

Books, Magazine Articles on the dance...

Title

Author

Date

Publisher

The Ballroom Casket

Durang, Charles

1857

n/a

American Dancing Master & Ballroom Prompter

Howe, Elias

1862

E.Howe

(Don't have the cover-sorry)

Lynch, Ventura

1883

?

Dances of Today

Newman, Albert

1913

n/a

Social Dances of Today

Kinney, Troy

1914

n/a

The Tango and Other Up-To-Date Dances

Hopkins, J.S.

1914

Saalfield Pub.

The Tango and new Ballroom dances

Mouvet, Maurice

1914

Laird and Lee

Modern Dances and How to Dance Them

Walker, Caroline

1914

Saul Brothers

Dance Magazine (1912 Jardin de Danse)

-

11/1960

$ Disco to Tango and Back

Blair, Skippy

1978

n/a

Dancing Till Dawn

Malnig, Julie

1992

N.Y. University Press

Tango!

Collier, Simon

1995

Thames & Hudson, LTD

Musicians

Singers

Poets / Writers

Albeniz, Isaac (18601909)

Francisco Canaro

Jose Hernandez

Brymn, J. Tim

Sebastian Ramos Meija

Leopoldo Lugones

Casimiro, El Negro

Filiberto, Juan de Dios

Firpo, Roberto

Gardel, Carlos (18901935) (El Zorzal Criollo)

Mendizabal, Rosendo

Links

Piazzolla, Astor

a passion for tango

Pardo, El (The Mulatto)

Origin of Bataclan

Arrieta, Juan Emilio (18231894)

Sinforoso, El Mulatto

Sousa, John Phillip (18541932)

YRADIER, Sebastián de (18091865)

Misc. Research Words that may be related ... to help your searches

Academias (Studios)

Contradanza

Periqundines (Clubs,Cafes etc.)

Arrabales

Cortes (kor-tay)

Quebradas

Araucanian Indians

Gauchos (Cowboy)

Sainetes

Bandoneon (Accordion)

Guitar

Shak dansu (Tokyo)

Barrios (Ghetto)

Lengue (neckerchief)

Squeezebox

Caudillos

Medialuna (half moon)

Tangana

Clandestinos

Pampa

Zarzuela

Compadre

Payadores (Folk Singers)

Empañadas

Other...[Durangs Head Snaps page ][ Pictures ]

Historic Basic Step:
From: Argentine Tango - 1914, Book (USA Version) Excerpted from J.S. Hopkins. (this is not the same Argentine tango done today)
Step One:
(Gentleman walking backwards, commencing with left foot, lady forward, with right.)
Seven steps counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, the eighth step or count being called the Change Weight Step.
Step on right foot, count 8, and change weight and step on left foot.
Counterpart for lady. During counts 7 and 8 gentleman turns to right of partner and faces forward, retaining original position, this
bringing the arms in rear. At the start of the turn in the Tango.
Step Two:
Both lady and gentleman walk forward, lady with left foot, gentleman with right in the same line of direction.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. Change step. Gentleman steps on left, count and change weight and step on right. Count 8.
Counterpart for lady.
During counts 7, 8, the lady changes to opposite side of partner, turning around in front, bringing outstretched
arms in front.
Step Three:
Both point outside foot in front, 1. Transfer weight to foot pointed, 2. Step forward with inside foot, 3. Both
step forward with outside foot, count and close the inside foot to meet outside, 4. Repeat the preceding four
counts, 1, 2, 3 and 4.
Step Four:
Both walk forward with outside foot, 1. Forward inside foot, 2 (leaving outside foot pointed in rear). Make
outward circle and with outside foot bring to front, 3, 4. Do not change weight. Repeat these four steps.
Step Five:
Both lady and gentleman turn in opposite direction and step across the inside foot with the outside foot,
walk three steps, 1, 2, 3. Both point the inside foot to side, and while doing so pull outside foot toward it,
but do not close. At same time turn body to opposite direction, count 4. With outside foot or pointed one
walk across outside one three steps, 1, 2, 3, taking same movement as before, on 4, turning to position,
count 4.
Step Six:
This step is a repetition of Step Five, so it will not be necessary to describe it, only to say that instead of
stepping across with outside foot, you step with inside foot across, just reversing the movement. Both of
these steps take four measures of music to complete. On last counts of 3 and 4, do not turn body in
opposite direction.
Step Seven:
Both walk forward with outside foot in line of direction, 1, 2. Gentleman steps around in front on opposite
side of partner with outside foot, changing from left to right side, count 3. Lady steps forward but does not
turn. Both forward, for count 4. Repeat. Counts 1, 2, on 3 lady turns around partner, back to original position.
Step Eight:
This step is a repetition of Step Seven, which completes dance. In taking turns around partner,
do not disengage hands. You will find this a most effective step.

Step Descriptions from Albert Newman's Book in 1913 (paraphrased):
This is perhaps the most difficult Tango, and consists of the thirteen steps described here, the Spanish and French names being given. These steps are executed in the order that pleases the gentleman, repeating each as often as he wishes:
(1) El Paseo (la promenade), (2) El Marcha (la marche), (3) El Media Corte (le demi coupé), (4) El Corte (le coupé), (5) La Media Luna (la demi-une), (6) El Chassé (la chassé), (7) El Cruzado (les croises), (8) El Ocho-Argentino (le huit argentin), (9) El Rueda (la roue), (10) El Frottado (le frotté), (11) El Abanico (léventail), (12) El Molinette (le moulinet), (13) El Vigne.
El Paseo: is a slow walk, consisting of one step to each measure.
El Marcha: is a walk taking two steps to one measure or a step to each beat. El Paseo and El Marcha are often performed together.
El Media Corte: and El Corte are stop steps and closely related. El Corte is described in the Parisienne Tango.
La Media Luna: is a combination of the first two beats of Media Corte for the man and the last two beats for the lady.
El Chas: is a step forward on inside foot (1), and a Two-Step (2) (x) and a step forward on outside foot (3). The rhythm is rather puzzling, but should not confuse the pupil. This step is repeated.
El Cruzado: is the Scissors Step (Las Tijeras or Le Ciseaux); it is similar to a Pas de Bourrée. There is a one-step Cruzado and a three-step.
El Ocho Argentino: (the argentine eight) is also called a Cross Step. color=Foot pattern draws figure 8.
El Rueda: (the wheel).
El Frottado: literally rubbing or polishing, is so named from the similarity of the step to the action of polishing the floor.
El Abanico: (the fan) is very similar to the Ocho Argentino.
El Molinette: (the mill).
La Vigne: (the grape vine) crossing one foot over the other.
He goes on to state: "Argentine Tango is more intended for professional use and can hardly be found practical for the ballroom"

La Leçon de tango