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Introduction To Tango
by Sandi
& Dan Finch
Tango came to the dance floor from the street dances and bordellos of
South America. Political upheaval drove ex-patriots to Europe, who took
their tango with them, and it became the rage of Paris society.
Hollywood made it popular in the movies of the 1920s. Today its music
still has a Latin, mesmerizing sound but it is considered one of the
“smooth” dances.
CHARACTER
Think like a cat stalking prey—slinking, determined, body appearing not
to move while the legs do the work underneath. The music tells you the
feel. Listen to the instruments to hear the characteristics of tango:
plaintive violins, the moan of a bandoneon, sharp sounds for the link,
and a drawn-out feeling for the walks, creating what we call “light and
shade.”
MUSICAL TIMING
In round dancing, tango is shown in cuesheets in 4/4 timing, meaning
four beats in each measure of music. The most basic rhythm is QQS, which means you dance the first
“Q” on beat 1, the second “Q” on beat 2, and “S” on beats 3 and 4, but
tango has many variations of timing. For example, a progressive link is
QQ, while a closed
promenade is SQQS. These two
figures together make up two measures of music. You get used to it.
TERMINOLOGY
Round dancing includes all styles of tango in its syllabus, borrowing
from American tango (with its more open choreography), International
tango (always in closed position), and Argentine tango (identified
usually by Spanish terms). International tango is the predominant
source of advanced level round dance tango choreography so you may have
to learn some new terminology. “Semi-closed” position is called
“promenade,” and “banjo” may be cued as “outside partner.”
TECHNIQUE
Your body will feel like it does when you are sitting on a high stool.
You are sitting with a straight upper body, hips forward and knees
flexed. Walk as though you are carrying a tray of glasses. Picture
doing this in a room with a ceiling lowered to the top of your head.
You can’t bend over, so you have to lower through the legs.
Feet: Beginning position, stand with feet together facing the wall,
then keeping the feet on the floor, turn 1/8 to the left and slip the
right foot slightly back so that the ball of the right foot is at the
instep of the left foot. This will give you the feeling that your right
knee is “tucked” behind the left. Come back to this standing position
at the end of most figures.
Forward steps require heel leads, with weight taken on the inside edge
of your foot. You will step, then move your center over the standing
foot.
Tango has no rise and fall. The feet are picked up and placed, not
glided. By contrast, in other smooth dances, your center is moving
ahead of your feet, your ankles are flexing freely to swing, and you
roll through your feet as they swing from behind you to in front of
you. Figures with heel leads particularly will have a different look
and feel from other smooth dances.
Hold: The tango dance position is more compact than in other dances.
Man’s right hand comes further across the Lady’s back, to her spine. If
the Man took dance position without a partner, he would see that his
right hand is in front of his sternum. Lady’s left hand will be high on
his right arm. There is a sense of “locking” yourselves together for
the sharp compact movement of tango.
This does not mean that Lady is directly in front of the Man. In fact,
she will be farther to her left than usual. He will have to bend his
left arm slightly to accommodate her position.
Because of the compactness and lowered position, there should be
contact between the partners from the waist to the knees.
BASIC STEPS
Walk: SS
Tango gives the impression that it curves to the left in the walk. For
this reason, you may hear it cued “walk 2” or “curve 2.” Think of a
slight arc drawn on the floor in front of you, with Man’s left foot
walking on the inside of the arc and his right foot on the outside of
the arc.
When walking forward in semi-closed position, forward steps are
slightly sideways, beginning with the heel and then the edge of the
ball of foot rolling onto the whole foot. Don’t have toes pointing down
line of dance.
Progressive Link: QQ
This is a most dramatic figure, creating the “pounce” of the stalking
cat as it goes for its prey. Inexperienced dancers will overdo it;
think “less is more.” It starts in closed position and goes to
semi-closed.
Man steps forward on his left foot, thighs crossed at top (CBMP).
Rotate slightly to the right on that foot, then place the right foot
under the body. Your feet will be pointed DLW but you are ready to move
line of dance. Lady steps back on her right foot, swivels on it and
waits for partner to place her onto her left foot.
Man must be careful to stay left and not enter the Lady’s space. He
must also be careful not to turn her with his arms, but with his body.
Using arms to finish the figure will slow your action, affect balance
and look like a wrestling match.
Closed Promenade: SQQS
This figure starts in semi-closed position and moves down line to
closed position.
Man steps forward on left, forward on right, side and slightly forward
on left, close arch of right to heel of left. Lady steps forward on
right, forward on left, side and slightly back on right (turning to
closed), close left to right. Lady will have a sense of being
pigeon-toed between the last two steps.
First published
2003,
and
reprinted
in the Dixie Round Dance Council (DRDC)
Newsletter, December 2024. Find a DRDC Finch archive here.
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