Standard Tango

In Europe, the Tango had undergone a massive evolution. The authentic style was quickly and ruthlessly changed. Walks were introduced to make the dance progress around the ballroom floor, and the seductive character of the Tango was suppressed beneath a faster, harsher, more agressive beat. Drums, which were hardly used in the “Argentinian orquestra tylca”, added to the staccato march – like quality of this “modern” Tango, and encouraged a sharper interpretation, including the highly stylized head jerks associated with the modern international style of competitive Tango. The couple no longer looked at each other, and the smouldering passion of the authentic Argentine Tango had been dragged from its mysterious and seductive intimacy to be paraded around the dance floor in a style more ostentatious than intimate.