Short Note on Ta ngo
John Williams, April 22,2024
“One is
a lwa ys lea rninga nd growing, even the ba sic step is not ba sic”
Argentine Tango, the universal language. Some countries claim that they have their own Tango (I was recently in the US where an American couple claimed they were dancing the American Tango.) Tango really is a dance that can be danced in many countries. Though, it is fashionable to honour the Argentines by naming the steps in Spanish, the steps can be translated and explained in any language.
It is wonderful to be able to go to any Tango venues and dance with someone you may not even be able to speak to. I have been privileged to dance Tango in the UK, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Malta, Poland, Italy, the US, Iceland, Argentina, and of course, Canada. There is even a procedure to ask someone to dance without embarrassing oneself. It’s called the Caboceo.
Tango is not an easy dance, and likely takes more than a lifetime to master but that is also the challenge, one is always learning and growing, even the basic step is not basic. There are several variations, not all of which are agreed on by all teachers. To complicate matters, there are three variations of Argentine Tango. If you start with the basics, it will be easier.
Learn the rules, follow the music, and you too can dance Tango.