Where to dance tango. Tango is a mystery danced by two

Yes, tango argentine... as well as Cuban and Spanish.

Tango was born in Buenos Aires at the end of the nineteenth century in the vicinity of the Argentine capital along the Rio de la Plata.

In which country did the tango dance originate?

The history of Argentine tango is deeply connected with external and internal immigration in Argentina.

Historians claim that Argentine tango appeared between 1860 and 1880. The Argentine tango is a complex invention, a product due to the mixing of races in terms of mixing ethnic and cultural aspects. Tango was born as a result of the meeting of Argentine Creoles, Uruguayans and European immigrants (Italy, Spain, etc.). Each nation brought its way of life and its traditions in music and dance. Thus, in the slums of Buenos Aires, the sounds of Flamenco, the rhythms of Condomba (dance of black slaves), Habanera (Cuban origin) and the languid sounds of Milonga (Argentine origin) mixed up in the slums of Buenos Aires, these various sounds, generated by nostalgia for a bygone era and longing for an uncertain future, gave birth to Tango . And the musical symbol of the Argentine tango was the harmonica - bandoneon.

Buenos Aires - the birthplace of tango

Buenos Aires in 1880 received emigrants from all parts. The main reason for the resettlement was the desire to get rich. Most were men from Italy, Spain, Poland, Germany, and they were joined by farmers from all over South America. At the end of 1880, the Federal Capital received 3.5 million immigrants from all over the world. All are located on the outskirts of the city in large barracks buildings. The area with migrants is called "Arrabal" ("suburb"). Here is poverty, thieves, prostitutes.

Tango is a dance with a bad reputation

The places where tango originated were somewhat different from those where tango is danced today. This dance was popular on the streets, in cabarets, bars, gambling halls, brothels. The Argentinean tango was danced by the mob, the guards of the "mafia" of the quarters, the slave traders of the white people, the machos, the hooligans.

Later the tango became a dance lost souls, a reflection of unhappy love, melancholy, longing for vanishing times. Tango is almost always plaintive and nostalgic. Sometimes it can be satirical, sarcastic, but never has a happy mood, euphoria of triumph.

Argentine tango was danced by men in the streets with their friends before meeting women in countless brothels. By law of March 2, 1916, tango was forbidden to dance on the sidewalks due to an obstacle. traffic. This dance was condemned by Pope Pius X until his death in 1914, then rehabilitated by Benedict XV.

At the end of the nineteenth century, for the first time, a woman was accepted into the male world of tango. The prostitutes danced first.

Parisian success

If the tango remained for a long time on the streets and in the brothels, it's because the dancing was not considered proper. Boys from good families were not shy about getting all the joys they could in the fun areas with dancing and seducing girls. Of course, girls from the bourgeoisie did not have such an opportunity, since the tango remained "anchored" in the bohemian quarters. However, traveling to Europe, and especially to Paris, will have great importance. Indeed, the French capital at the beginning of the 20th century, a lively and noisy city, where new dances met with a bang. Tango quickly won a worthy place among the dances at the events of the city, and later throughout Europe. In Argentine society, tango was accepted only after the dance began to be danced in Paris.

tango music

Initially, tango was danced to the improvisation of amateur musicians. The first melodies came from a trio of flute, violin and guitar. A little later, the bandoneon, brought by immigrants, also began to participate in tango. Gradually, by 1913, orchestras appeared, combining accordions and strings "Orquesta Tipica" (sextet).

In 1917 there was important fact: the first songs will be written to tango music. The voice and figure of the tango will be Carlos Gardel, the son of an immigrant from Toulouse (real name Charles Garde). Carlos Gerdel is one of the greatest composers Argentine tango. His family emigrated to Buenos Aires when he was 2 years old. Gerdel started his career in bars to earn some money. He recorded his first songs at the age of 22. In the 1920s, Gerdel brought tango to Europe, Spain and France, and then won in New York. His tragic death in a plane crash during a British tour in 1935 completed the ideal legend of life.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the image of the city, which gave rise to the development of tango, underwent great changes.

The audience has grown, the combination of sounds has changed, and what we hear and know today was not the same until 1920. Shortly before the First World War, tango began to develop and become popular in Europe. In Paris, tango quickly received its recognition, and then the high Argentine society became interested in dance.

Origin of the word "tango"

No exact facts Where exactly did the name of the dance come from? Each historian offers different versions. The word "tango" in the nineteenth century was used to refer to a stick. The word also exists in some African countries mentioned in Spanish documents. It speaks of a place where black slaves gathered for celebrations. Some say that the word arose from the incorrect pronunciation of the word "Tambor" (Spanish - drum) by the slaves, because of the accent they managed to pronounce sounds like "tango", hence the name of the dance.

How to dance Argentine tango

Today Argentine tango is very different from other dances. Majority Choreography social dancing consists of a basic step with some variations. In tango, the basic step is the starting point for hundreds of different figures. Each couple creates their own chain of elements, according to the sounding music and the space on the dance floor. The sequence of different figures is completely subject to momentary inspiration. The beauty of this dance is impossible to describe, as there is improvisation, each couple has its own personality and interprets sounding music with their movements.

Leading in tango is carried out by a man, the partner not only directs the movements, but also carefully monitors the space among the surrounding other couples.

Tango is a revolution in dance - it is a dance without a predetermined choreography, it is a language that allows everyone to express themselves. The African dance Semba borrowed many steps from the tango.

Tango is a sensual dance, which today is accompanied by a phenomenal success. Tango dance lessons are very popular in Europe (especially in France) and all over the world.

Marchuk Valentina Alexandrovna
Argentine tango teacher at Camiito studio

"History of the development of Argentine tango"

Report at the 39th World Dance Congress, CID UNESCO

Russia, St. Petersburg, 2015

The history of Argentine tango is as colorful as the dance itself. And as mysterious as the history of ancient civilizations.
The joint presentation of Argentina and Uruguay at the IV session of the UNESCO intergovernmental committee on the recognition of tango as an intangible heritage of mankind reads:
“Tango was born among the lower classes of both cities (Buenos Aires and Montevideo), as an expression derived from the fusion of elements of Afro-Uruguayan and Afro-Argentine culture, as well as genuine Creole and European immigrants. As a result of the artistic and cultural process of hybridization. Today, tango is considered one of the main identity marks of the Rio de la Plata.”
It is said that the essence of a thing is contained in its name. So before we look at the history of tango, let's stop briefly and focus on the word tango itself. Although there are no proven origins of the word, there are a huge number of theories as to how this concept appeared. Here are some of them.

• A word from Africa meaning closed space or reserved area.
• A derivative of the word tambo, used by slave traders to indicate the place where slaves were kept.
• In his book Tango: TheArtHistoryofLove, Robert Farris Thompson identifies a list of additional African derivatives related to tango or including tango (meaning a festival or ceremony to mark the end of mourning), tangadungulu (to walk or show off), tangala (to walk heavily or stagger ), tangala-tangala (walk like a crab), tangama (jump) and taganana (walk).
• The sound of the Candombe drum roll.
• Derived from an African dialect in which tango meant to touch, feel or be close.
• Derived from the Latin verb tangere, meaning to touch.
• Music historian Carlos Vega wrote that a dance called the tango existed in 18th century Mexico and was danced individually rather than in pairs.
• The archives of the Holy Inquisition in Mexico refer to the old tango as a song in 1803.
• In the early 1800s, tango developed in Brazil in the horinho style.
• A derivative of the name of the Yoruba god and lightning, Shango, which sounded like "tango" in Cuba.
• Derived from the word tangonette meaning special kind castanets used in the dance.
• Vernon and Irene Castle, in their book Modern Dance, argue that tango is not actually from South America, but a gypsy dance.
• In 1914, the Milford post wrote that the tango was of Japanese origin.

Now it is difficult to say which of the researchers was closest to the truth. Argentina was colonized by Spain in 1542. Millions of African slaves were brought to the North and South America, and more than two-thirds of them came from the regions of East and Equatorial Africa called the Bantu. The drum-based music and dance that originated in Bantu is called candombe. The slaves used the word tango for both the drum used to perform the candombe, the venue in which they performed the music, and the dances themselves. Later, in Spanish-speaking countries Latin America, the word tango gradually came to be applied to black dance in general - and eventually to modern tango.
The Spanish Royal Academy, often criticized for being somewhat slow in reflecting the development of the language, defined tango in 1899 as "a fiesta and dance of the Negroes or low socio-economic class in America". And in the 1925 edition, this definition was changed to dance high society, imported from America at the beginning of the century. Until 1984, there was no official definition of tango as an Argentine dance at all.
But, there is also earlier written evidence. The first written use of the word tango in its modern form is in a 1786 document signed by the Spanish governor of Louisiana, which contains entries about lostangos, o bailoesdenegros meaning tango, or black dances.
Even among Argentine scientists, there are disputes about the time of the origin of tango, and about the place of its appearance (either in Argentina, or in Uruguay), and, in fact, about the word itself and the concept of "tango". WITH greater share Probably, we can only say that tango, as a musical genre and dance, originated at the end of the 19th century. Fusion of Spanish, African, Italian and many others ethnic cultures emigrants from Europe with the culture of gauchos (shepherds, who were mostly mestizos), the remnants of the Indians and the descendants of black slaves and gave rise to this unique phenomenon. There are several studies that are aimed at determining how accurate the geographic point of origin of tango is. Some sources claim that tango first appeared in Buenos Aires, others that it was in the countryside of Montevideo and even Rosario or the surrounding cities of Buenos Aires such as Aveganeda and Sarandi, which are now integrated into the suburb known as the Southern Barracks and also recorded in old stories of tangueros (tango dancers).
It is also indisputable that this is a dance of the outskirts. A suburb of Buenos Aires, the concept is not so much geographical as qualitative. It is not yet a city, but it is not a village either. This relation refers to everything - life, culture, and the very consciousness of the "suburb man". One of the most characteristic features suburbs - its cosmopolitanism. Argentine tango, in this sense, is a “child of the world”, because it was in the suburbs, in the years of the origin of tango, that immigrants from all over the world lived, who brought their culture to this musical and dance genre.
The time when tango appears, the second half of the nineteenth century, the time of large migration waves from the most various countries and parts of the world.
Thousands of peasants from the Argentinean hinterland (gauchos) and immigrants - unemployed from Europe poured onto the banks of La Plata. In search of work, they left their homes, families and beloved women on the other end. the globe. Newcomers settled on the outskirts in apartment buildings-dormitories, and Babylonian confusion of languages ​​reigned on the streets. The male population exceeded the female population by at least three times.
Also, immigrants from all over the world arrived in Argentina during the Silver Rush. Adventurers who came in search of easy money did not find silver on the banks of the Rio de La Plata and settled in the capital of Argentina, working in the port during the day and gathering in numerous bars, cafes and gambling houses in the evenings.
From the natural need to communicate with each other in an immigrant environment, a special jargon "lunfardo" was born - a rough mixture of different languages. In this street language, couplets were composed about the harsh male life far from home and beloved, under which they began to dance tango. And for women's affection they went to brothels. But with all the abundance of such establishments, there were not enough girls for everyone. While waiting for their turn, the men passed the time by dancing with each other. According to one version, this is how tango was born.
Tango music was written in suburban slums, ports, brothels, prisons, immigrants, Indians and African slaves. Not surprisingly, tango was rejected by the wealthy and banned by the Catholic Church.
Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentine writer, poet and tango researcher, said: "Without the streets and evenings of Buenos Aires, one cannot write tango" - and presented the world with his version of the origin of the "dangerous dance". On the outskirts of the Argentine capital at the end of the 19th century, a criminal spirit reigned. Immigrants and gauchos often started quarrels, ending in a Creole duel - a duel with knives, during which opponents danced eye to eye. It is clear that often at the heart of such quarrels was the struggle for the right to possess a woman. From the Creole duel, according to the writer, and was born
tango.
The classic composition of the first orchestras that played the Argentine tango was considered a trio: violin, flute and guitar. Bandoneon came later. In the 1910s The bandoneon was brought by Heinrich Bandom from Germany. And since then, he has been inextricably linked with tango music. In 1912 Juan "Pacho" Maglio became very popular with his tango recordings, which featured a bandoneon in the title role, accompanied by flute, violin and guitar.
But it was also not always so. The orchestra was usually formed at random, i.e. of the musicians at hand at the time, including harpists, accordionists, mandolin players, percussion instruments and others. It was quite common to see all these musicians playing in all kinds of orchestras. They played with those who hired them, and when the term of the contract came to an end, they dispersed into different sides. It follows that there were no permanent compositions.
Sometimes, the orchestra as such was in its infancy. Some kind of duet consisting of a comb with a piece of tissue paper for the melody and a guitar for the rhythm - and that was quite enough. In other words, as soon as two instruments (one of which was homemade) formed a group, people already called it an orchestra. “The bandoneon and guitar orchestra was a real highlight. This was not often seen, ”the old milonguero testifies. And it often happened that there was no need for the services of one or another orchestra.
For many years tango was not a dance. The tango sang about the working-class neighborhoods of the Barracas; about consumptive working girls who crossed the line of despair. Those in power anathematized the tango, branded it for immorality. And the song of the working quarters made its way further and further, overcoming the fierce resistance of seniors from wealthy families. It expressed the feelings and emotions of a man and a woman on the theme of love, longing for the Motherland, hopelessness and much more. Enrique Santos Discepolo, one of the greatest poets, defines tango as "sad thoughts that dance."
The battle for the right to be called a porteño (a resident of Buenos Aires) began from the port. The dockers wondered: why on the central respectable streets of Buenos Aires, a working guy does not even dare to show himself? After all, dockers communicated with foreign sailors and learned many strange things from them. And the working guys stepped over the forbidden line with a facon knife in their belt and a guitar in their hand. Their anthem was the tango, the song of the working suburbs, simple as life itself, and just as true.
The rapid development of Argentina from 1880 to 1930, the establishment of trade relations with Europe, led to the fact that the local rich once or twice a year traveled to the Old World, where they made acquaintances with people from high society. The sons of these people often stayed in Europe to study. It was they who introduced the Parisian nobility to the Argentine tango, which immediately became a general hobby.
Between 1903 and to 1910 more than one-third of the vinyl releases of more than 1000 copies were with tango music. Sheet music collections of tango music sold in huge quantities. In the period from 1910. to 1920 is characterized by the largest release of vinyl records.
In 1902, the TeatroOpera began to include tango in their balls. Initially, tango was known only in narrow circles, but soon it became popular throughout society, incl. and secular, because theaters and organ grinders in the streets distributed it from the suburbs and working-class districts throughout the city.
In 1912 dancers and musicians from BA arrived in Europe and the first place of mass insanity of tango was Paris.
Paris was not chosen by chance, as in the region ballroom dancing France has long been a trendsetter for the whole of Europe - it’s not for nothing that the Paris Academy of Dance, created in the 60s of the 17th century, regulated the style and manner of performing “ballroom choreography” for many years. Paris fell in love with Tango at first sight. It was the golden age of Tango, the period of tangomania. There was a fashion for everything related to Tango - tango parties, tango drinks, cigarettes, clothes and shoes in the style of tango (tuxedo for a man, a skirt with a slit for a woman) and even salad tango. Then the craze was picked up by London, Berlin and other European capitals. By the end of 1913, tango had hit New York in the US and Finland. The version of the tango that was taken out of BA was modified. Salon tango appeared. But still the dance shocked many.
In 1922, manuals (manuals, instructions) established the "English" international style of salon tango. But it lost its popularity in Europe, gave way to new dances: foxtrot and samba. In addition, there was a general decline in all dances, as a result of the development of cinema.
As soon as the Tango dance became widespread among the aristocracy and middle class around the world, the top of Argentina's society adopted the hitherto unworthy dance as their own.
In 1913 tango has moved from the backyards of the city to elegant dance palaces.
In 1916 Roberto Firpo, the incredibly popular bandleader of the period, creates an arrangement for a standard tango sextet.
March of RodriguezJ.M. (composed by students during the riots in Montevideo) was adapted for tango, thus creating the most popular cult tango La Cumparsita.
In 1917, folk musician Carlos Gardel recorded the first tango song MiNoche Trisrte, and since then tango has been associated with the experience of a love tragedy expressed in verse.
It is Carlos Gardel who is considered by many to be the founder of the "old guard" style.
Until 1920, the Cangengue style of tango was popular. The fashion for long tight dresses of that era limited the movements of the follower. Therefore, the style involved short steps. The dancers tended to move with their knees slightly bent, slightly offset from each other, and in a closed embrace. The style is usually danced to a two-quarter beat.
Tango was never considered classical music until the 1920s. JulioDeCaro, violinist, did not form an orchestra and made the tango more elegant, whole and noble. Also, he slowed down. Together with PedroLaurenz, the bandoneonist, the Caro orchestra has been popular for decades.
In the 1930s and 1940s, tango flourished in Buenos Aires. Tango becomes the national dance. a significant role this one played songs sung by Carlos Gardel. He was the darling of the whole country. Sentimental love songs touched the hearts of Argentines. His concerts were sold out and tango records with his songs entered the homes of many residents of Buenos Aires. Affordable prices on records made possible the widespread dissemination of tango music for the middle class. Bandoneon musicians also played tango in small-town salons. Professional tango orchestras appear. Tango becomes folk dance. Residents of Buenos Aires dance tango in small salons, where there is very little free space for the dance floor. Visiting milongas becomes a way of communication for the local population and tango is actively developing as a dance.
Juan Peron, who came to power in 1946, encouraged the people's popular culture, including the tango, for which the days of an unprecedented rise have come.
This time has been called the "Golden Age" of tango. At this time, the most popular style of tango, which was danced up to and during the Golden Age, was the Tango Salon. Milongas (tango evenings) were held at large dance floors to the performances of full-fledged tango orchestras.
Tango Salon is characterized by slow, measured and smoothly executed movements. It includes all the basic tango steps and figures plus sacadas, barridas and boleos. The emphasis is on precision, fluidity and musicality. The couple dances in a close embrace, but the embrace is flexible, opening slightly to make room for various figures and closing again for support and balance. The gait is the most important element and the dancers usually walk around 60%-70% of the tango tune.
During these years, a huge amount of tango music was created. The abundance of music, and the wide stylistic differences between the orchestras, allowed the dancers to dance through the night with ease. Four bright schools define the style of tango: DiSarli, d`Arienzo, Troilo and Pugliese. It was during these years that they talk about the musical classification of tango. About melodic, rhythmic and dramatic tango.
However, in the 50s, tango again had to go underground in Argentina itself due to a change political regime in the country. The economic stagnation and the establishment of a military dictatorship that persecuted any gathering of more than 7 people, as it considered them to be political rallies and meetings, led to the closure of many places where tango was danced.
1976 ... Guerra Sucia en la Argentina ... "Dirty War" in Argentina. In March 1976, as a result of a coup d'état, the military seizes power in Argentina. Arrests, torture, mass disappearances, murders. Economic instability. If a group of more than 7 people gathered together, the authorities considered it as a political rally. The police or the military did not bother with the appearance of lawsuits. People were thrown into dungeons and tortured. The bodies of the dead were secretly buried in mass graves or thrown into the sea.
Tango, like the people of Argentina, was repressed. The invasion of foreign music began. Clubs closed, many places stopped hiring musicians. The time of underground milongas has begun. And, tango was banned for a long seven years.

Old dancers remember:

"We were threatened because we were teaching the Tango...anonymous threats, but we were young, we didn't care, we didn't want the Tango to be lost."

Gloria&RodolfoDinzel

“We were detained on the streets for identification purposes. Me more often than him, because of the bright makeup and clothing, which for that era was scandalous, although I always dressed discreetly. After interrogation, they let us go, but it was still unpleasant. The police did not understand what we were doing on the street at such late time. The thing is, we usually worked in more than one place during the night, and we had to drive around the city, or we had to take a break and grab something at the bar.”

Maria Rivarola

The government, supported by US policy, tried in every possible way to eradicate the cultural heritage of Argentina. Instead of old cafes, discos with American music and rock and roll were opened. As a result, rock and roll became more popular. In the 60s and 70s, tango was forgotten and Argentine youth preferred other dances and forms of communication.
Milongas moved to small cafeterias in the city center, resulting in the birth of the milonguero style. Originally originated as the "petitero" (small Spanish) style in the 1940s and 50s in extremely crowded dance halls and cafes. It is danced in a close embrace, chest to chest, with partners reaching out to each other to make room for legs and movement. IN original style The milonguero does not have many decorations or elaborate figures due to the lack of space. But in our time, these figures are present in the dance of this style, which only at first glance seem impossible in a close embrace. In fact, many complex figures can be performed even in milonguero. While the rhythmic style of close hugs has been around for decades, the term "Milonguero Style" only came into existence in the mid-90s. The name was given to him by Susanna Miller, who assisted Pedro "Aunt" Rusconi. Many of the older dancers who represent this style (including "Tete") prefer not to use this name.
This continued until December 10, 1983, when a constitutional government headed by Raul Alfonsin came to power. The new government restored democratic freedoms and the operation of the constitution. With the end of the military dictatorship, tango dancers all over the country finally felt again what it means to be a real Argentine. All radio stations played Argentine tango hits around the clock, and dance clubs appeared here and there.
The era of the revival of the Argentine tango begins. In Paris, the show "Tango Argentina" is staged, on Broadway the musical "ForeverTango" and in Europe "TangoPasion".
After the end of the Argentine military dictatorship in 1983, this style was revived by the dancers of the Golden Age:

• El Turco Jose Brahemcha
• GerardoPortalea
• Luis "Milongita" Lemos
• "Finito" Ramon Rivera
• "Lampazo" José Vazquez
• Virulaso
• Miguel Balmaceda
• at the milongas at Sin Rumbo, Sunderland, and Canning.

One of the most famous examples elegant style Salon - the style of Villa Urquiza, named after the northern suburb of Buenos Aires, where the clubs SinRumbo and Sunderland are located. The dancers who currently lead the Villa Urquiza style are:

• Carlos Perez and Rosa
• Jorge Dispari and La Turka
• Miguel Angel Zottoi Milena Plebs
• OsvaldoZottoiLorenaErmocida
• El ChinoPericho
• Javier Rodriguez and Andrea Misse
• Alejandro Aquino
• Andre Laza Moreno and Samantha Dispari
• Fabian Peraltai and Natasha Poberage
• The Misse family (Andrea, Sebastian, Gabriel and Stella).

To this day, tango classes that teach the Villa Urquiza style are held at the Sunderland Club every Monday and Wednesday around 8pm.
Music in modern world did not stand still. And Argentine tango is no exception.
A real phenomenon was the work of the Argentine musician and composer, whose compositions significantly enriched the tango genre, presenting it in modern vein, which absorbed elements of jazz and classical music; the founder of the style called tango nuevo (Spanish) tango nuevo) Astor Piazzolla. At home in Argentina, he is known as “E lGran Ástor” (“The Great Astor”). However, representatives of the classical Argentine tango or the so-called “old guard” did not accept Piazzolla’s music to such an extent that they even gave him the nickname “tango killer”. His experiments were not well received by most tango players.
A man of no easy fate, an ambiguous figure in history and creativity, a story about him requires a lot of time and a separate report.
Astor Piazzolla started experimenting with the old classical tango. In addition to mixing music, mixing of instruments and electronic interpretations began.
But, such an update happened not only in music, but also in the style of dance and teaching.
Tango Nuevo as a teaching style involves a structural analysis of the dance. It is the result of the work of the "Tango Research Group" (later transformed into the "Cosmotango" organization), first developed by Gustavo Naveira and Fabian Salas in 1990 in Buenos Aires. Taking tango as the physics of movement in a systematic way, they created a method of analysis with a full set of possible movements in tango, defined by two bodies and four legs moving in steps or circles.
In steps, their research led to what are now called "changes of direction" or "cambios". In turns, they focused mainly on where the axis is located (of the following / at the leader / between them). This gave rise to the “fluid style”, where partners rotate around each other with the axis constantly changing position, or constantly changing direction in the dance.
Many of the latest popular words in the tango lexicon, such as colgades, owe their appearance in tango to the popularity of Gustavo and Fabian's approach.
Out of this teaching style, a new and unique dance style has developed, called by many the Tango Nuevo style. Most famous representatives Tango Nuevo - Gustavo Naveira, Norberto "El Pulpo" Esbre, Fabian Salas, Esteban Moreno and Claudia Codega, Chicho Frumboli, and Pablo Veron. It is interesting to note that all these dancers possess extremely individual style, which cannot be confused with each other, but, at the same time, can be easily recognized as Tango Nuevo.
Tango Nuevo is often mistaken for a tango show because a large percentage of today's show dancers have adopted tango nuevo elements for their choreography.
While Argentine tango was danced historically to the tango music of the leading orchestras DiSarli, d`Arienzo, Troilo, Pugliese, in the 1990s, a younger generation of tango dancers began to dance tango steps to alternative music: "worlddance", electro-tango, experimental rock, "trip -hop" and blues.
Today Tango again covers us with the third wave. Before our eyes, the classic Argentinean urban dance is turning into a special genre. Tango takes the stage. Millions of people around the world applaud the productions of famous Tango dancers.
Russia also has its own professionals. Tango is no longer new to Russian television either. Tango sounds from the speakers in mall and in advertising on TV, they write about Tango business weeklies and told by elegant presenters on the night air. Tango enters Russian modern life very confidently.
A few years ago, the number of Tango dancers in Moscow and St. Petersburg was measured in dozens. Now the number is in the thousands. Modern Tango is a highly developed industry, in Russia the first school of Argentine Tango opened in 1998, seminars and master classes are held famous dancers and teachers, milongas and international festivals. And all this together - at Tango festivals. Many Tango lovers from Russia participate in these festivals. Their number is huge, the participants come from all over the world. You can travel around Europe for a whole year, moving from city to city, from country to country, following the schedule of festivals. You can just fly to any major European city for the weekend to “dance”. You can go to Argentina to "fall back to the roots" and be inspired by the atmosphere of Buenos Aires - the birthplace of Tango. The amazing vitality of melodies, dance, style is amazing. Tango has become relevant again. This is a new wave of tangomania, a new direction of neo-romanticism.
The Argentines themselves, of course, consider tango to be true national dance and music. But today Tango is just a very European and absolutely urban dance. Tango is movement, rhythm, melody, sadness, hope, passion, love, despair, memory, tenderness, struggle, erotica, sex, life, freedom and something else ... Argentine tango is danced all over the world, and, of course, in Russia. Thousands of people have found themselves in tango or tango in themselves.
Together with Argentina, tango has gone through all the joys and sorrows of this country. Upheavals, crises, ups and downs, a new revival. And, now, Argentine tango is again "walking" around the world and winning new fans of this dance.
Since 1977, on December 11, the birthday of the singer, "king of tango" Carlos Gardel and composer, conductor Julio de Caro, is celebrated in Argentina as "National Tango Day".

Bibliography:

• Tango: The Art History of Love by Robert Farris Thompson
• Dragilev, D. Labyrinths of Russian tango. - St. Petersburg: Aletheya, 2008. - 168 p. - ISBN 978-5-91419-021-4
• Kofman, A. Argentine tango and Russian bourgeois romance // Literature in the context of culture. Moscow State University, 1986, p. 220-233
• Around the World, 03/31/2015
• Tango article. URL:http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tango
• Article "Argentine tango". URL:http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argentine_tango
• Article "History of tango". URL:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_tango

The black-and-red gamma in clothes, the languid look of the partners and the proximity of the bodies - the dance has not yet begun, but it already makes the hearts beat faster. This effect produces a passionate and fiery tango. The history of this genre is full unexpected facts and secrets. What do Africans have to do with the origin of dance? Why in Paris he was associated with orange? And what are the most popular tango melodies? Find answers to these questions in our article.

What is tango?

If we turn to encyclopedias, then the answer to the question posed sounds very one-sided: tango is a pair argentine dance. But if we dig deeper into the etymology of the word, then we will see Interesting Facts. There are several versions of the origin of the term:

African. In Tanzania, located in East Africa, there is an area called "tanga". In addition, with the help of this word, Africans used to designate a closed, special space;

latin. Linguists believe that the term is based on the Latin verb tangere, which means to touch, to touch. The French verb tangier has a similar meaning;

Spanish. The option is less plausible, but has the right to exist. According to him, the word comes from the Spanish taner - to play a musical instrument.

Speaking of tango, you can not ignore it peculiarities. The dance is characterized by:

fast rhythm;

a variety of movements that involve all parts of the body;

sharp turns, in large numbers;

close contact between partners, due to which the passionate character of the genre is created.

• In 1990, the National Tango Academy was opened in Buenos Aires, the task of which was to preserve the dance as cultural value countries. After 6 years, a law was issued to give tango the status of a national treasure.
• Chacarita Cemetery is a significant place for tango fans. Here are buried the most famous people in the history of this area. Main character- singer Carlos Gardel, the idol of millions of Hispanics. His role in the development of tango is so great that UNESCO declared his voice a cultural heritage. Arriving at the cemetery, Gardel's fans always light a cigarette in the hand of his bronze article. This is the custom of the singer's admirers.

In 1899, a "Dictionary of Spanish Words" was published, in which the tango was designated as a celebration and dance of the Negroes. In the 1925 reprint, the meaning of the word was expanded to include the dance of the Spanish high society.

One well-known French designer used the popularity of tango in his own country to his advantage. The fact is that he had a large amount of unclaimed tissue for a long time. orange color. He decided to name the shade in honor of the dance and in just a couple of days he sold out all the material. I even had to order an extra batch.

The Russian politician Lev Aristidovich Kasso, who was in charge of the public education of the Russian Empire, opposed tango. One statement on his part was not enough. The minister sent out a circular to the school districts forbidding even mentioning the name of the obscene dance aloud.

Tango and cinema - compatible things? Quite. It is enough to watch the films "Frida", "Mr. and Mrs. Smith", "Smell of a Woman" or "Let's Dance" to be convinced of this.

Tango is one of the most incendiary, romantic dances. Irresistible energy, clarity of lines and rhythm, all this ideally characterizes tango. To date, tango has many types. Among them there are both classical, ballroom trends, and ardent, passionate Argentinean. Perhaps the most unusual is Finnish. How can you characterize this dance in general? Passion and severity, ardent aggression and extraordinary tenderness, lightness of feelings and heaviness of lines are ideally combined here. Tango is a dance of contrasts, these are feelings that are conveyed through movements. Perhaps that is why tango has won millions of fans around the world.

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Photo gallery: Types of tango

Argentine tango and styles

The brightest tango to date is performed under different music. At its core, the dance differs in basic movements and tempo. Nowadays, many dancers do not give preference to any one type, but use different ideas, often adding new ones. The main criterion for any kind of tango is a hug. It is from its distance (open or closed, in other words - close) that is the key factor. For the open - a characteristic wide range of movements, and close - a partial touch of the partners' shoulders. Most popular species tangotoday:

Tango Milonguero

It starts from 40-50 years. It is characterized by execution in an inclined position and the connection of the partners' shoulders. Milonguero is a very intimate style where the woman is positioned very close to her partner, usually with her left hand far behind the man's neck. This type of tango is characterized by strong hugs and constant top contact for good turns or ochos. The main step, the so-called "ocho cortado". This style is very well suited for couples in love. Everything here is built on inner harmony and respect. The partner, as it were, listens to the other with the help of dance moves. Milonguero opens up many possibilities for those who are not afraid of experiments.

Tango Salon

It is characterized by a certain vertical position of the dancers. Hugs are close or open, but still offset (from the center of the partner). In position V, the same trend: the woman's left shoulder is closer to the man's right shoulder than her right to his left. With a close dance, it is customary to relax the hug, so that the dancers could perform certain movements.

Club style tango

It is a striking example of the combination of two styles, namely salon and milonguero. It is characterized by close hugs during turns.

New Tango or Tango Nuevo

It is a kind of analytical approach for a detailed study of the structure of dance. He is characterized by a number of new movements, combinations of steps. Nuevo - tango with open arms, here great importance is attached to each of the partners. The dancers keep their own axis.

Tango Orillero

A very maneuverable form of tango, the dancers are characterized by maintaining a large distance between themselves and stepping out of the embrace. For this style some playful notes are characteristic, as well as a chic appearance. Tango Orillero can be danced both in open and close embraces.

Kazenge

Historical form of tango. It is characterized by shifting to the V position, close hugs, bending the knees when moving. Particular attention is paid to the steps.

Tango Liso

From the side it seems the simplest. A series of certain steps and something like a walk, which is called a kaminada. There is nothing complicated here. This style favors simplicity and clarity. Its basis is basic steps and figures. The fox is devoid of complex turns and figures.

Tango show "Fantasy"

This is the style of tango most often used on stage. A bright combination of different styles, additions of interesting elements, open arms, that's what is characteristic of Fantasia. Tango Fantasia requires a lot of energy, high mastery of technique, excellent flexibility and a good feeling for your partner.

One of the most interesting and unusual is finnish tango.

It originated in Finland after the Second World War. Toivo Kyarky is rightfully considered to be its creator. This style is characterized by its slowness and rhythm. It is almost always in a minor. What is most interesting, Finnish tango in the vast country of the same name is considered an art for men. The peak of popularity of this style in the vastness of Finland falls on the 60s, when Rejo Taipale recorded a tango called "Fairytaleland".

Then another rebirth of Finnish tango in the 90s gave rise to new wave admiration for this dance. Tango began to appear everywhere in films, TV programs, articles, etc. It is worth noting that every year a gathering of Finnish tango fans takes place in the small town of Seinäjoki.

What is characteristic of this style? First of all, it is a ball character. In Finnish tango there is a tight contact in the hips, following the clarity of the lines and the absence of characteristic sudden movements head.

ballroom tango

Perhaps one of the most recognizable styles. This sports dance, which has become mandatory in the program of international competitions and competitions. Ballroom tango is essentially a strictly sustained dance. There is no improvisation here, as in Argentinean. There is a set of certain norms and rules: following certain lines, the position of the body and head of the dancers, strict implementation of the necessary elements, and the like. Musical accompaniment for this dance the same - concise and clear. This tango cannot be called melodic and smooth, compared to the other styles mentioned above.

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 is playing and as long as the hug lasts. Tango is a feeling.

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

They are sleepless souls
they are senses without a body.
It is the same faith for all...
We take off easily and boldly!

This is the tango of forgotten dreams...
The dance of the birds that have lost the sky.
It's a rain of burning tears
next to an angel and a sad demon.

"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 middle of the nineteenth century, African slaves were brought to Argentina, who began to change local culture. The word "tango" may be purely African in the sense of "enclosed space", or it may be Portuguese (or Latin American - derived from the word "tanguere" meaning "to touch"), picked up by slaves on the ship's sides.
One way or another, the word "tango" during the period of the settlement of Argentina 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 ...
As a result, there was a merger of cultures, and each nationality borrowed dances from the other. African rhythms of tangano and candombe, Argentine milonga, Cuban habanera, Spanish flamenco, Indian ritual dances, 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 urban culture as in the capital of Argentina.

Tango's global march began in the first third of the twentieth century, when the sons of wealthy Argentinean families made their way to Paris and gave tango to a society that was hungry for innovation and tolerant of the questionable nature of the dance and association with young, wealthy Argentinian thugs.

In the 20s and 30s of the 20th century, tango continued to spread throughout the world. The dance appeared in the cinema. Tango singers traveled around with 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 flowering 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 forbidden - but the tango survived in small, obscure places and, of course, in the hearts of people. However, the underground movement was accompanied by the intrusion of rock and roll, and because of it, tango remained in decline until the mid-eighties, when the stage show "Tango Argentino" appeared in Paris.

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

Tango is one of the most popular dances in the world today.

Tango. Fernando Gracia and Sol Cerquides

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