Tango is a ballroom dance that originated among the working class of Buenos Aires, Argentina, in the early 20th century. Tango has its influence from African, South American, and European cultures. The tango dance requires close connection and great passion between the dancers and is typically performed by a man and a woman, although newer versions boast same-sex pairs as well. Spanish settlers were the first to introduce the Tango to the world, and the dance form was then popularized by the dancers and orchestras from Buenos Aires who travelled all across Europe in the early 20th century. The first European tango frenzy was in the fashion city of Paris, followed by London and Berlin. Towards the end of 1910, it was taking off in the ballrooms of New York. Tango music is a genre in and of itself, and the Americans particularly loved it. Tango music was often played in the ballrooms of New York but at a faster tempo, leading to the development of ‘North American tango.’ This music was further developed by Latin American musicians such as Carlos Gardel and Astor Piazzolla who helped shape the tango music genre. The popularity of Tango in Latin America was so enormous that it led to the origin of the popularized phrase “It takes two to tango.”
When the Tango began to spread worldwide during the 1900s, cultural norms were mostly conservative; therefore, Tango was widely considered extremely sexual and inappropriate for the public. The dance teachers who introduced the dance to the Paris city were banished in the 1913s as the dance was controversial because of its perceived sexual undertones. During later years, Tango saw a decrease and subsequent increase in its popularity, but today, it is undeniably one of the most excellent dance forms in history. To honour the Tango dance form, it was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2009.
