[Tango-L] Get Real!

[Sergio Vandekier]

Differences between Ballroom Tango and Argentine Tango. I will mention just a few of them:

1- Ballroom Tango was derived from Argentine Tango.  A.T. is different from all the ballroom dances in many aspects.

    A.T. was modified so that it would comply with the general rules of Ballroom Dancing.

2- Ballroom dances are symmetrical. Both partners do the same foot work one the mirror image of the other. (there are exceptions, during turns for instance).   A. T. is Asymmetrical: while the man leads the woman to do certain foot work, he is doing a different foot work.

3- Ballroom dances are taught as patterns. Once you learn about ten patterns for a dance you are considered to know that dance.
    A. T. is taught as small links. This short moves (links) are chained together by the leader to create a new tango, each time different from the others.
The A.T. dancer knows hundreds of patterns.   This is the reason  Ballroom dances are varied continuously, one or two rumbas, then, boleros, then Tangos, the cha-chas, swings, polkas, etc. (The dancers run out of patterns and become repetitive after two dances of each). In A. T. you may dance all night long   Tango because you never get repetitive, you never get bored, each time is a new tango and a new experience.

4- Since A.T. is improvised, and created, every dancer on the floor is doing different choreographic moves.  The follower is highly concentrated in her partner because she does not know what he is creating.  In Ballroom the follower knows the rest of the figure as soon as the leader starts to lead it. She can be less concentrated. There is a tendency for all the dancers to repeat a few figures. 

5- A.T. allows the freedom to step on certain beats, more frequently or less frequently, with changes in rhythm, to dance with more or less speed; to pause, to vary the dynamics of the dance according to the music and his feelings. 
The Argentine music has a begining, a mid portion, a preparation for the ending and the ending. It has changes in dynamics, with fast moments (variaciones) and slow moments (adagios).
 Ballroom Tango follows a fixed pattern of slows and quicks.  Usually slow-slow-quick-quick-slow, or some variations of that sequence. The dancer must step on the beats in that prescribed rhythm. The music has a strong, marching like, steady beat.

6- A.T. has an embrace, the chests are close together or have a slight separation and the feet of the partners are more apart.  In Ballroom Tango the embrace keeps the partners close at the waist and apart above at the torso level.They lean away of each other, in A.T. they lean toward each other.

7- Ballroom is done for fun, A.T. is done for the feeling that produces an intense pleasure.

Summary: A.t. was modified first in Europe and later on in North America to make it like the other ballroom dances.  Symmetrical, following a certain sequence of slows and quicks, is taught as patterns, counting the steps, etc, etc . The original Argentine music was modified as well (it beame more like a march with a strong steady beat.   The interesting phenomenon is that in the process, beautiful different styles of tango were created as well as very melodic and beautiful  tangos.

Best regards, Sergio
Mar del Plata - Argentina



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