[Tango-L] AT in SCD

[John Ward]

The current season of Strictly Come Dancing has already featured two non-standard dances: Salsa and American Smooth; and if the updated handbook is anything to go by, we will soon be treated to the Argentine Tango. This is what Len Goodman has to say about it:

"Where Ballroom Tango is severe and staccato, Argentine Tango is smooth and soft, the mood is less aggressive and the relationship between the couple more intimate, less confrontational. The enjoyment of the dance comes from the variation in speed from the fast pivot turns into slow seductive rocks, combined with clever leg moves, flicks, and swivels"

"The dancers should only have eyes for each other; you should feel that there's no one else in the room . . .  everything about it is less aggressive than the Ballroom Tango, right down to the dancers' expressions, which should express passion rather than contempt. The judges are looking for strong, stunning lines and plenty of variety; seeing as there's no real basic step, we're after drama and emotion. You've got to be pretty strong and athletic to achieve a lot of these lines; if not, it can soon become pretty boring."

We now need to hope that Claire and Brendan stay in the competition long enough to give us an example.

John Ward
Bristol, UK