Tango: A Dance charged with Eroticism and Passion
Tango originated in Argentina and in Uruguay, but how exactly this came-about is still nothing more than speculation. However, there is one interesting version, in which there could be some truth.
The Origins of Erotic Tango
One version speaks of the fact that it is originally an Afro-American dance of those who settled on the coasts of Argentina and Uruguay. The natural energy of this population predetermines them to choose dance as their main entertainment. And it would be no different in South America. In Spanish “Tokan en tambor” means “beating the drum”. From this “tokatango” could easily arise and from there it is only a small step to the acronym “tango”.
Fortunately this dance had not just remained behind the walls of Afro-American enterprises. It was copied by the golden Argentine youth who, like most of the residents of South America, had a very positive relationship to music and to dancing. The tango first began to be danced in the dance halls of Buenos Aires, from where it moved on and reached luxurious stages.
During the period in which the tango was spreading to other areas and countries, in various locations it gained additional elements that resulted in the creation of various kinds of tango.
Tango in Europe
This luxurious and passionate dance reached Europe at the beginning of the 20th Century via Paris, where it had been brought from South America by sailors and students from Argentina. Because this new dance was charged with eroticism and passion it found its own fans very quickly and, within a few years, it literally dominated the floor. From 1907 dance competitions of this luxurious and dramatic dance were organised and in 1911 the tango also arrived to Prague.
Nowadays the tango is spread throughout the world in various different forms. It is present in theatres, in music and also in dance schools. While it may differ from the Latin American version, it is still a luxury dance that is fun not only to dance but also to look at. In tango you can observe and experience not only the passion and the eroticism, but also both nostalgia and melancholy.
