Tango 30-32 mpm
Pre-Bronze/Student Teacher
1. Walk
2. Progressive Side Step
3. Progressive Link
4. Closed Promenade
5. Rock Turn
6. Open Reverse Turn, Lady Outside
7. Back Corte
Bronze/Associate
8. Open Reverse Turn, Lady in Line
9. Progressive Side Step Reverse Turn
10. Open Promenade
11. Left Foot and Right Foot Rocks
12. Natural Twist Turn
13. Natural Promenade Turn
Silver/Licentiate
14. Promenade Link
15. Four Step
16. Back Open Promenade
17. Outside Swivels
18. Fallaway Promenade
19. Four Step Change
20. Brush Tap
Gold/Fellow
21. Fallaway Four Step
22. Oversway
23. Basic Reverse Turn
24. The Chase
25. Fallaway Reverse & Slip Pivot
26. Five Step
27. Contra Check
Originally the Tango was (and still is) light spirited Flamenco dance from
Spain. With the Spanish conquest of much of South America, this Tango together
with other Spanish folk dances naturally emigrated with settlers from Spain,
although its involvement in the formation of the Modern Tango is suspect. The
Tangano, an African dance imported with the negro slaves, is a more likely
precursor.Over the years one or both became merged with other dances in the New
World.
In particular, in Argentina in the slums of Buenos Aires in the late 19th
Century, they became merged with the Habanera (a folk dance from Havana in
Cuba). The resulting dance became known as the Milonga.Although initially
popular with the lower classes of Argentine society, by the turn of the 20th
Century, it had gained acceptance with the upper classes there. It's importation
into the upper classes of Western Europe was catalysed by France's greatest
music-hall star, Mistinguett, who gave the first ever demonstration in Paris in
1910.Interest in the dance rapidly exploded as a "Tangomania", initially through
Paris then London and New York.
The first world war did nothing to cool this interest, with Rudolph Valentino
popularising the Tango further in his film "The Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse"(1921). More recent film demonstrations have been given by Al Pacino
and Gabrielle Anwar in "Scent of a Woman"(1992), and by Arnold Schwarzeneggar
and Tia Carrere in the "True Lies"(1994).
The character of the Milonga is of a very soft private dance, with visual
emphasis on the leg movements. This character was changed dramatically in Paris
in the 1930's, where the dance was combined with the proud torso of the other
ballroom dances, and given a staccato action. This moved the visual emphasis to
the torso and head, a characteristic which remains to this day. The dance has
been used as an example of Irrational Dancing.