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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