A question about tango?

Question

If you do tango dancing, do you have to do other ballroom dancing too? e.g. ballet dancers are required to do character dance!
Or can you do the tango as one single ballroom dance?

Answer 1

There are different kind of Tango. The two most popular one are the Argentina Tango and the Ballroom Tango. Courses of Argentina Tango is normally taken as a sole course of just of that dance. It is a more "loose" or "latin" kind of tango. It's the tango you see Angolina and Brad Pitt dance in Mr & Mrs Smith. Shop carefully as there are a lot very questionnable school of that dance. There like the Salsa school explosion these days.

Then you have the Ballroom dancing Tango or so called Modern Tango. In this kind of tango you have again sub categories of tango (social, International, American Style, etc.) but basicly, this is the Tango we're used to see (with the rose in the mouth) and the very rapid sharp mouvements. If you go to a Ballroom dancing school you can take private courses and concentrate only on this kind of Tango but normally it is teach with other Modern dances (Slow Waltz, Fox Trot, Quick Step, Paso Doble) since the basic position of all those dances are the same. If you begin by the Tango, you'll see that thoses other dances are very interesting to learn too and you're not confined to go on the dancing floor only two time per night in those familly wedding since tango are rarlely played while Fox Trot and Waltz are.

Now which one to choose? Modern or Argentina Tango? Well in my opinion (and this is very personnal) the Argentina Tango is a little bit easier to learn at beginning and it's easier to dance with several different partners but it's less known than the modern tango. You normally stay in place while dancing that Tango so it's good if you like to go on those special "'younger" dancing places or Bars. The Modern Tango is easy to learn but very difficult to master and demands a lot of time investment. That kind of tango is moving a lot on a dancing floor. While it's difficult to learn, the reward you get once you finally get the propulsion technic, the body position and the way to make those sharp movement is unbelievable and you'll be noticed on a dancing floor. But to get there it might take a good two years while argentina tango is more to the point with very sensual movements and demands a little less technic than Modern Tango. I personnaly prefer the Modern kind.

If you want to do competition, you cannot only do BallRoom Tango. Those competition normally asked you to learn Slow Waltz, Venese Waltz, Tango, Fox Trot, Quick Step and Jive.

I never saw a competition of Argentina Tango but I tend to believe that they exist.

Hope it help

Answer 2

The Tango is a great classic dance...very romantic and very Spanish. Opinion: Learn the "simple Dances" first"...Waltz, Foxtrot and some simple swing. Once you have mastered the basics of Ballroom dance, proceed to the more differ cult dances.
The Tango is a differ cult dance to master...Great fun and excitement, however. Confidence is a key to Ballroom Dancing. The selection of an appropriate partners is critical....Height, weight.
Remember: The Male Dancer makes the Female dancer look Great. So, let the Male lead and you will look wonderful on the dance floor. Never let a dance step mistake deter you or your partner....only a few people are really looking at you;)

Answer 3

There is (generally speaking) no dance style that requires you to know another style first.

But once you learn one dance the other dances become easier. There are rules that apply across the board to all dance styles; for example, left, right, left, right, left, right, left, right. Frame and tone for Argentina Tango is different from most other dances. And the basic for American Tango (for the guy) is Left, right, left right left. 5 steps, in 8 counts, so you step on your left foot twice. So actually you are better off NOT knowing how to do another dance before you learn Tango.

Answer 4

You can take tango lessons without learning any other dance steps. Good Luck!