The tango has now become one of the ballroom dancing standards. While it retains many elements of the other dances, it has its own movements which set it apart from the other dances. These are quick turns and jerky arms and leg movements most people are familiar with.

When dancing tango dance steps, it should be noted that a proud, strong and quietly digniifed expression and bearing is a hallmark of the accomplished tango dancer.

Tango began in the melting pot that was 1880's Buenos Aires. Here the combination of African, Indian, Spanish and Eastern European cultures joined together to create a wildly emotional dance. Some say that it represents a dance of courtship in an era when men vied for the attention of scarce, marriageable women. The man is the dominant figure, while the woman is more yielding and soft. Hence the red clothes usually worn by the ladies of the dance and the austere black formal clothes of the men.

While it has many similarities to other ballroom dances, the particular movements of the tango are different. There are some of the flowing movements, when both dancers follow each other's movement, but there are also quick jerky head changes from side to side as if the dancers are slapping each other with stiff upper bodies. The music itself is a mixture between African drum beats and Spanish and Indian melodies. Legs are kicked with high, quick raises.

As the dance itself gained popularity it was cleaned up into a milder version and exported, first to France in the early 1900s and then to America. Much of the original, passionate emotion which first filled the dance was lost. There are no longer the lust-filled gazes and women draped provocatively across the men. Although some of it still remains, it has now been incorporated into the popular culture for a mass audience.

The dance proceeds counterclockwise around the floor. Footwork is stilted and feet are picked up and placed down rather than smoothly gliding as in other types of ballroom dance. There are plenty of swift leg raises both by the man and the woman. This represents the more argumentative segments of the dance as the two protagonists constantly clash and then ingratiate themselves to each other. Sometimes the woman appeases the man with soft gestures, while he dominates, other times he cajoles her with entreating gestures and she resists.

Men wear dark, formal clothes. They can be one piece outfits with only slight glints of sequins at cuffs, or down the sides. Women wear shorter dresses. These are tight-fitting and in dark colors either reds or greens. The dresses are provocative and can be cut away with slashed skirts to show off the kicks and leg turns. Learning tango dance steps can be a very intense, emotional experience!

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