You will find the answer in this excerpt from Christine Denniston's essay on the history of partner dancing. Christine is a UK based tango dancer, historian, and author of the popular book: 'The Meaning of Tango - The Story of the Argentinian Dance' Couple Dancing and the Beginning of Tango by Christine Denniston Although it seems now to be the only possible hold for couple dancing, Tango is only the third dance in history done with the man and woman facing each other, with the man holding the woman's right hand in his left, and with his right arm around her. Click here to continue reading the full essay... To conclude, what makes tango unique as a dance form is its embrace and use of improvisation. I would also add as another essential element - the music used for the dance. It may be a truism but Argentine Tango is the only dance that is actually danced to Argentine Tango music. That in itself makes the dance unique. Granted, tango can be danced to non-tango music, but as explained in The Music that was Made for Tango, Argentine tango music was specifically designed for dancing tango. The music's complex layers of melody and rhythm, are ideally suited to improvising in a lead-follow relationship. The music is another essential and unique element of tango dancing. essay source: www.history-of-tango.com Related posts ☆☆To receive more such tango-related posts and news on SoTango courses, special events and promos - Subscribe to the SoTango newsletter ☆☆ |
Blog > Tango History / Music >