The Magic of Argentine Tango

Argentine tango is more than a dance or a musical style. Many tango dancers say it is a way of life. It has been called “a secret danced between two people”, a “feeling that is danced”, and “a walking embrace.” Tango is a non-verbal, intuitive language that cuts through the barriers of nationality, age, and personal background.

The roots of tango lie in African candombe, Cuban habanera, and the waltzes, mazurkas, and polkas of 19th Century European immigrants to Argentina and Uruguay. Tango arose from the melancholy, nostalgia, pain, and desire of people far from home. The well-known tango dancer, Carlos Gavito, calls tango “an immigrant music…It does not have a nationality. Its only passport is feeling.”

It is said that tango is not in the feet; it is in the heart. It is more about connection with your partner and expression of feeling than about choreography. The beauty of tango lies in being totally “present” with your partner and the music. Each dance is unique. Because tango is an improvisational dance, in which neither partner knows exactly what will come next, it demands heightened sensitivity to your partner, while still expressing yourself. It can bring out the best in both of you.

Since its Golden Age in the 1930s and 40s, tango is now going through a renaissance. Like Buenos Aires, Toronto is a multicultural city and the tango community is thriving here.

We hope you will join us and discover the magic of tango. Tango dancers will tell you that, once experienced, the magic is addictive.

Linda Walsh