Styles
of Argentine Tango
by Stephen Brown
In Buenos Aires and other parts of Argentina, tango is danced in a spectrum
of individualistic or personal styles, and many tango dancers who are Argentine
do not accept a categorization of their own dancing by any broad stylistic
name. They simply say they are dancing tango, their own style, or
the style of their neighborhood or city. A few confuse the issue
further by identifying their own style by a name that other dancers associate
with a different style. Consequently, parsing the commonalities and
differences that can be found across the continuum of individual styles
to clearly describe the characteristics of various styles is challenging,
potentially controversial, and possibly misleading. Nonetheless,
if we regard style to mean an approach to dancing that creates incompatibilities
with other approaches and has a sufficient number of adherents who stick
firmly to the listed elements, I think it is possible to create rough definitions
for a number of distinguishable styles of Argentine tango: salon, milonguero,
club, orillero, canyengue, nuevo and fantasia.
Salon-Style Tango
Milonguero-Style Tango
Club-Style Tango
Orillero-Style Tango
Canyengue
Nuevo Tango
Fantasia
Liquid Tango
Nuevo Milonguero
Some Additional Comments about Style
Salon-Style Tango
Also known as "tango de salon," salon-style tango is typically danced with
an upright body posture with the two dancers maintaining separate axes.
The embrace can be close or open, but it is typically offset (with each
dancer's center slightly to the right of their partner's center) and in
a V (with the woman's left shoulder closer to the man’s right shoulder
than her right shoulder is to his left shoulder). When salon-style
is danced in a close embrace, which is common in Buenos Aires, the couple
typically loosens their embrace slightly to accomodate the turns and allow
the woman to rotate more freely. When salon-style is danced in an
open embrace, which is uncommon in Buenos Aires, the distance between the
partners allows the woman to execute her turns more freely and pivot without
requiring much independent movement between her hips and torso. If
the woman rotates her hips through the turns independently of her upper
torso, the embrace need not be loosened as much. Salon-style tango
is typically danced to the most strongly accented beat of tango music played
in 4x4 time, such as DiSarli. Those who dance salon-style tango to
Juan D'Arienzo or Rodolfo Biagi typically ignore the strong ric-tic-tic
rhythm that characterizes the music. Salon-style tango requires
that dancers exercise respect for the line of dance.
Milonguero-Style Tango
Milonguero-style tango is typically danced with a slightly leaning posture
that typically joins the torsos of the two dancers from the tummy through
the
solar plexus (in an embrace that Argentines call apilado) to create a merged
axis while allowing a little bit of distance between the couple's feet.
The embrace is also typically closed with the woman’s right shoulder as
close to her partner's left shoulder as her left shoulder is to his right,
and the woman's left arm is often draped behind the man's neck. Some
practitioners of this style suggest that each dancer lean against their
partner. Others say that the lean is more of an illusion in which
each partner maintains their own balance, but leans forward just enough
to complete the embrace. The couple maintains a constant upper body
contact and does not loosen their embrace to accommodate turns or ochos,
which can limit the couple to walking steps and simple ochos until both
partners develop the skills for the woman to execute her turns by stepping
at an angle rather than pivoting. Milonguero-style dancers typically
respond to the ric-tic-tic rhythm that is prominent
in the music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi and also found in the
playing of many other tango orchestras. The milonguero style allows
for a more elastic approach to the rhythm when dancing to music that has
a less insistent ric-tic-tic rhythm, such as
that recorded by Di Sarli or Pugliese. The ocho cortado is one the
characteristic figures of milonguero-style tango because it integrates
the embrace with rhythmic sensibilities of the style.
Milonguero-style tango can also be identified as apilado-, cafe-, and
confiteria-style tango. One of the better-known dancers of the style,
Tete, refers to his own style of tango as salon.
Club-Style Tango
Club-style tango has the rhythmic sensibilities of milonguero-style tango,
but it uses the posture, separate axes and embrace of close salon-style
tango. Club-style tango is danced with an upright posture with the
two dancers maintaining separate axes while embracing closely in an offset
V. The couple loosens their embrace slightly on their turns to allow
the woman to rotate more freely and pivot without requiring much independent
movement between her hips and torso. If the woman rotates her hips
through the turns independently of her upper torso, the embrace need not
be loosened as much. Club-style tango is typically danced to the
ric-tic-tic
rhythm that is prominent in the music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo
Biagi and also is found in the playing of many other tango orchestras.
Club-style tango uses the ocho cortado and other rhythmic figures that
are found in milonguero-style tango. Possibly a rhythmic variation
of the salon-style tango, some people regard club-style tango as a mish
mash of the salon and milonguero styles rather than a separate style.
Orillero-Style Tango
Orillero-style tango is an older style of tango whose name suggests that
it may have had its origins in the streets of poor outlying tenements in
Buenos Aires. Later it came to refer to the man dancing around the
edge of the woman. In either case, orillero-style tango was not considered
acceptable in the refined salons of central Buenos Aires during the golden
age of tango. To the extent that orillero-style tango is still danced
it has become more like salon-style tango. It is danced with upright
body posture with the dancers maintaining separate axes, and the embrace
is typically offset in a V and can be either close or open. In the
turns, the woman is allowed to move freely and pivot without requiring
much independent movement between her hips and torso. When orillero-style
tango is danced in a close embrace, the couple loosens the embrace slightly
to accommodate the turns. If the woman rotates her hips through the
turns independently of her upper torso, the embrace need not be loosened
as much. Orillero-style tango differs from salon-style tango because
it adds playful, space-consuming embellishments and figures that do not
always respect the line of dance. Many of the playful elements are
executed to the ric-tic-tic rhythm that characterizes
the music of Juan D'Arienzo and Rodolfo Biagi.
Canyengue
Canyengue is a historical form of tango that was danced in the 1920s and
early 30s that may or may not be accurately captured by its current practitioners.
The embrace is close and in an offset V, the dancers typically have bent
knees as they move, and the woman does not execute a cross. At the
time canyengue was popular, dresses were long and tight. Consequently,
the steps were short and frequently executed in the ric-tic-tic
rhythm that is characteristic of the tango music played by the old
guard which included Francisco Lomuto, Francisco Canaro (early in his career),
Roberto Firpo, and Juan de Dios Filiberto. (The modern-era orchestra
Los Tubatango plays in the same style.) Some dancers of canyengue
use exaggerated body movements to accent their steps.
Nuevo Tango
As it was originally conceived, nuevo tango was largely a pedagogic approach
to tango that emphasized a structural analysis of the dance in which previously
unexplored combinations of steps and new figures could be found.
Some of those exploring those possibilities gradually developed nuevo tango
into a style that is danced in an open, loose or elastic embrace with a
very upright posture and a great emphasis on the dancers maintaining their
own axes. Although some advocates of tango nuevo emphasize its structural
analysis over specific figures, some of the most identifiable figures of
the style are overturn ochos, cadenas, linear boleos and volcadas—most
of which are best accomplished in a loose or elastic embrace.
Fantasia (Show Tango)
Fantasia is danced in tango stage shows. It originally drew from
the idioms of the salon- and orillero-styles of tango but today also
includes elements of nuevo-tango. Fantasia is danced in an open embrace
with exaggerated movements and additional elements (often taken from ballet)
that are not part of the social tango vocabulary. These balletic
elements integrate well with salon-style tango because the way a couple
relates to each other's space in salon-style tango is very balletic in
nature, even though tango movement is more grounded like modern dance.
Liquid Tango
Liquid tango is an emerging approach to dancing Argentine tango that is
danced with an embrace that shifts between close and open to allow the
integration of various styles of tango, particularly the nuevo and club
styles. It is probably premature to consider this a separate style
of dancing because the approach is largely compatible with nuevo and doesn't
have an identfiably separate group of adherents.
Nuevo Milonguero
Nuevo milonguero is a relatively new approach to Argentine tango that adds
some nuevo movements such as cadenas, and volcadas to milonguero-style
tango. It would probably be a stretch to regard nuevo milonguero
as a separate style of dancing because the approach is fully compatible
with milonguero-style tango and doesn't have an identifiably separate group
of adherents.
Some Additional Comments about Style
Which Style is Authentic?
All of these styles have some degree of authenticity because they draw
from the practices, idioms, and historical precedents of Argentine tango
as it is and was danced in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and other cities in
Argentina and Uruguay. Some styles are more popular in a particular
city or in venues within a city, but popularity should not be confused
with authenticity. Fantasia is authentic for stage dancing, but not
for social dancing.
Some of the confusion about authencity may be the result of different
styles serving different social purposes during the golden age of tango.
Salon-style tango was danced in very nice clubs, where one was expected
to get dressed up and dance very slow. Milonguero-style tango was
danced in less formal venues, where dancers got together for the purpose
of meeting each other. Orillero was considered a lower class or street
style of tango. In many cases, the same individual would dance somewhat
different styles in different venues or to different music.
Which Styles Have an Open Embrace and Which Have a Close Embrace?
All of the styles except fantasia can be danced in a close embrace.
Although salon- and orillero-style tango can be danced in a open embrace,
they are more typically danced in a close embrace in Buenos Aires and other
parts of Argentina. Milonguero- and club-style tango are only danced
in a close embrace. The milonguero-style embrace is also typically
closed with the woman's right shoulder as close to her partner's left shoulder
as her left shoulder is to his right. The nuevo embrace is loose
and elastic, but many of the movements that are emphasized in tango nuevo
can be danced in either the apilado or the close offset V embraces.
Embrace and Frame
Some people distinguish between milonguero and other styles of tango
by claiming that the frame in milonguero-style tango is in the woman, and
in other styles the frame is created in the arms of the embrace.
Whether the frame is inside the woman or in the arms of the embrace depends
largely upon the closeness and softness of the embrace. A firm, distant
embrace places the frame in the arms of the embrace. As the embrace
becomes closer and softer, the frame is moved into the woman's body in
all styles.
Which Styles Are Improvisational and Which Are Choreographed?
All of the styles are potentially improvisational including fantasia.
Many instructors of salon-style tango and fantasia emphasize memorized
figures in their teaching. Performance tango is often choreographed.
Which Styles Are Feeling and Which Are Analytical?
Some people look upon improvisation in salon, orillero, fantasia, and
nuveo tango as puzzle pieces that are assembled as you dance, and those
who teach the structure of tango within these styles can emphasize the
analytical nature of the dance. If these styles are held in the intellectual
domain and not moved into the intuitive and emotional domains, they can
remain a dry, analytical puzzle. Dancers and instructors of the milonguero-style
tango often emphasize the intuitive and feeling aspects of the style, but
it can be approached in an equally analytical manner to the other styles.
Aren't Salon Tango and Fantasia Really the Same?
Salon-style tango and fantasia are distinct styles, but fantasia is
an extension of salon-style tango and relies heavily upon salon-style tango
for its basic set of movements. Fantasia adds balletic elements and
showy figures and embellishments that are inappropriate for social dancing.
Many tango instructors confuse the two styles for their students by teaching
an indistinguishable blend of social and stage figures and calling it salon
tango. This hybrid style is characterized by an open embrace, large
steps, dramatic pauses, conspicuous ornamentation, and sometimes a disregard
for the line of dance. Although its characteristics make the hybrid
style unsuitable for dancing in crowded milongas in Buenos Aires or elsewhere,
it is danced socially by many thousands of dancers outside of Argentina
and Uruguay.
How Are the Milonguero and Club Styles Related?
As described above, the styles are very similar. Club-style tango
was danced in some of the clubs de barrios during the 1950s, while milongueros
were dancing somewhat different styles in central Buenos Aires. These
facts suggest that milonguero- and club-style tango may have developed
at about the same time. Edaurado Arquimbau, a leading dancer of club-style
tango, claims that several of the better-known milonguero-style dancers
took lessons in club-style tango from him during the 1950s. His claim
has led some to raise the possibility that club-style tango may have played
an important role in the development of milonguero-style tango. More
likely both milonguero- and club-style tango took their rhythmic elements
from the older orillero style tango.
Ric-Tic-Tic Rhythm
Ric-tic-tic is onomatopoeia for the staccato rhythms that are prominent
in the music of Juan D'Arienzo, Rodolfo Biagi, and some other golden-era
orchestras. With Biagi on the piano, D'Arienzo's orchestra debuted
in the 1930s with the ric-tic-tic rhythm. Although some describe
music with the ric-tic-tic rhythm as 2x4, the characteristic rhythm of
this music is actually created through a variation in accented beats that
yields an alternation of single-time and double-time rhythms. For
example, the music might be played one and two and, one
and two and, one and two and, one and two
and (where boldface represents the accented beats), and the dancers
might respond
slow, slow; quick, quick, slow; slow, slow; quick, quick,
slow. One might express the chararacteristic stacatto rhythm
of this music as one, two; ric, tic, tic; one, two; ric, tic, tic.
Some tangos contain more complex rhythms and longer phrases of double-time
staccato accents. Juan D'Arienzo's "El Flete" contains a rhythmic
figure of one and two and one and two and,
one and
two and one and two and, one and two and one and
two
and, one and two and one and two and. For the dancer adhering
strictly to the accents, that rhythmic figure becomes the demanding and
rapid fire slow, pause, slow, pause; quick, quick, quick, quick, slow,
pause; slow, slow, slow, slow; quick, quick, quick, quick, slow, pause.
For a dancer taking the music at half speed, the rhythmic figure becomes
the familiar slow, pause, slow, pause; quick, quick,
quick,
quick, slow, pause; slow, slow, slow, slow; quick,
quick, quick, quick, slow, pause (where boldface represents
the beats used for dancing).
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