American Tango vs Argentine Tango
American Tango and Argentine Tango are two types of tango dance that show some differences between them. Tango is a term that conveys the meaning of a kind of dance. It belongs to the music and dance genre that originated in the area of the Rio de la Plata and gradually spread to the other parts of the world. Tango is a very lively dance that captures many people’s attention. Since it is so much admired, different parts of the world seems to have found their own version of this beautiful dance. American Tango has got its influence from the International Tango, which is a refined version of the original Tango. Argentine Tango is different from this American Tango. In this article, let us examine what differences we can see between the two tango dancing styles.
What is American Tango?
American Tango is the tango that was simplified in America for everyone to be able to dance. It is often considered that American Tango is a kind of formal dance. American Tango is not a spot dance. When it comes to music, American Tango uses hard music in their dance.
It is interesting to note that more of the body is put to use in the case of American Tango. When it comes to the body posture, American Tango employs the ballroom type of dancing. That means they are close, but not as close as in Argentine Tango. On the other hand, the whole body is set in motion in the American Tango. This is a very important difference between the two Tango forms as far as the manner of dancing is concerned. Moreover, the dancers in the American style of Tango would have their legs stay put to the floor. They do not lift their legs in the air.
When it comes to the body contact American Tango, the dancers would just have contact on the hips but when it comes to the position of the legs, they avoid contact; the legs are not intertwined for that matter. If you consider the closeness of the American Tango dancers, you would find the dancers coming in close contact with the upper thighs and the pelvis and not the upper part of the body.
What is Argentine Tango?
Argentine Tango is one of the forms of Tango. It is often regarded that Argentine Tango is a kind of informal dance. American Tango and Argentine Tango show great differences between them. One of the most important differences between the two is that Argentine Tango is more of a spot dance. It is important to note that Argentine Tango employs soft music in their dance.
When it comes to legwork, leg and foot are used more in the traditional Argentine Tango. This is, in fact, a pronounced difference between the two Tango forms.The center of the body is moved first by the dancers followed by the legs in the Argentine Tango. You will see a lot of interlocking of legs in Argentine tango. Also, you would find the dancers to be more close to each other in American Tango. The closeness of their bodies is such that the hips and the legs are almost locked. As a matter of fact, the legs of the dancers in the Argentine Tango are intertwined and the upper parts of their bodies come in close contact with each other.
It is quite important to note that the two types of Tango show differences in the closing styles too. During the closure of the Argentine Tango, you would find the dancers coming in close contact with the upper part of the bodies and not the legs. In American Tango, dancers coming in close contact with the upper thighs and the pelvis and not the upper part of the body. The final difference between the two types of Tango is that the dancers in Argentine Tango often lift their legs and sometimes hook them with those of the partners during the dance. You cannot see such leg action in American Tango.
What is the difference between American Tango and Argentine Tango?
American Tango and Argentine Tango Types:
American Tango: American Tango is the tango that was simplified in America for everyone to be able to dance.
Argentine Tango: Argentine Tango is kind of a spot dance.
Characteristics of American Tango and Argentine Tango:
Music:
American Tango: American Tango uses hard music with a stronger beat.
Argentine Tango: Argentine Tango uses soft music.
Posture:
American Tango: American Tango uses ballroom body positioning where the bodies are close but not touching each other.
Argentine Tango: Argentine Tango dancers have their bodies very close that their legs and hips touch.
Interlocking Legs:
American Tango: American Tango does not interlock legs.
Argentine Tango: Argentine Tango does interlock legs.
Leg Movement:
American Tango: In the American style of Tango, dancer’s legs stay put to the floor. They do not lift their legs in the air.
Argentine Tango: In Argentine Tango, the dancers often lift their legs and sometimes hook them with those of the partners during the dance.
Images Courtesy:
