TANGO ARGENTINO (ARGENTINE TANGO)
In the middle of the 1800’s, with European immigration to Argentina, came a new dance hold from the Viennese Waltz. The ladies right hand holding the man’s left and the man’s right hand around the lady’s back with the couple holding one another in close embrace. Very scandalous at the time, but now accepted world wide as the basic hold for social dancing. The majority of immigrants to Argentina being from Italy, Germany, France and Spain, brought their music, dances and instruments, such as the Concertina known as the Bandoneon which became the iconic sound of the Tango, combined with the music and dance of the local population, created a new style of music and dance.
The tango, a combination of sadness and aggression, known as “daggers and tears” became famous worldwide as a social dance, theatrical dance and a form of folk and concert music.
MOLONGA – LISA
A simple style of dance incorporating basic elements of Tango in which the dancers’ steps are on every beat of the music.
MOLONGA CON TRASPIE adds the element traspies or con trapasos – changes of weight from one foot to the other and back again in double time or three steps in two beats of music. A quick fun and exciting style of dance.
CHAMAME
A style of music and dance from the Argentine northeast combining elements of Polka and Schottische with the Spanish guitar and accordion, creating a light and joyous style of dance.
VALS (VALZ)
The Argentine style of waltz is much older than Tango. Vals being danced in Argentina in 1810 as Viennese waltz in combination with the local Creole population created a new dance known as the Vals Criollo and eventually became known as the Vals.