Tango: Historical and Cultural Impacts

Today, Buenos Aires is home to one-third of Argentina’s 45 million people. But in the early 19th century, it was just a small town inhabited by Spanish colonists, Indigenous South Americans, and Black slaves. In May 1810, inspired by the French Revolution, the Argentine people rebelled against Spanish rule and declared independence. The new government, eager to reshape the country, encouraged immigration from Spain, Italy, and other parts of Europe. By the end of the 19th century, the original population of Buenos Aires had been largely displaced by European newcomers. Although tango has African roots, it was primarily shaped by these European immigrants who arrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to help build modern Buenos Aires.

The immigrant origins of tango are deeply significant. Far from their homelands, largely male, and burdened with hardship, these newcomers were often consumed by loneliness and nostalgia. They came to the milonga—the social dance gathering—not just to dance, but to seek solace, companionship, and emotional connection. Tango became their refuge, a way to escape grief, express yearning, and feel human touch. The dance’s intimate, soulful, and sensual nature reflects these inner emotional needs. This is why tango is danced in a close embrace—chest against chest, face touches face—where dancers communicate emotion through movement, stirred by the music. Tango music, too, was composed to evoke longing. Its rhythm is masculine—sharp, assertive, and forceful—while its melody is feminine—soft, moody, and lyrical. These contrasting forces intertwine like the dancers themselves, capturing the dynamic between man and woman (see The Characteristics of Classic Tango).

Tango reached its peak between 1935 and 1955, a period known as its Golden Age. But after this flourishing era came a Dark Age that lasted nearly three decades. In 1955, a military coup overthrew the democratically elected president, Juan Domingo Perón. He and his wife, Eva Perón, had supported tango as part of their populist agenda. The new anti-Peronist regime viewed tango with suspicion. Curfews were enforced, military police patrolled the streets, and many were arrested or disappeared due to their political affiliations. As public gatherings became dangerous, tango was driven underground. During this time, tango music was composed mostly for listening, not dancing. The revival began with Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983. Since then, tango has enjoyed a global resurgence and is now danced across Europe, North America, and beyond.

As one BBC commentator observed, “Tango contains a secret about the yearning between men and women.” In many cultures, physical intimacy between the sexes is seen as inherently sexual and therefore taboo. In such societies, touch between men and women is generally reserved for romantic or sexual relationships. Argentine tango, however, reflects a different cultural perspective—one that embraces innocent intimacy. Shaped by a tight-knit immigrant society with strong Spanish and Italian roots, Argentinians developed a culture where close, nonsexual contact was seen as natural and even necessary. Tango celebrates this kind of intimacy. Its triumph lies in the idea that physical closeness can be decent, human, healthy, and beautiful.

This triumph, however, came at a cost. Many things changed after the Golden Age. The immigrant population settled, gender ratios normalized, many old dancers passed away, and a generation grew up disconnected from tango. The only form of tango that survived the Dark Age was stage tango. As a result, when tango began to reemerge in the 1980s, it was through the efforts of stage performers who brought their show, Tango Argentino, to Europe and North America, where they sparked enthusiasm for this theatrical style—tango fantasía—differs significantly from the social tango of the Golden Age.

The tango danced during the Golden Age is known as tango de salón, or social tango. It is a popular, inclusive dance, tailored to the tastes, needs, and abilities of everyday people. This style is danced on crowded floors for personal enjoyment. Intimate, improvisational, and feeling-oriented, it uses a close embrace with significant physical contact and is guided by the milonga codes. Its simple, compact steps allow dancers to focus inwardly on the emotions evoked by the music and the sensations of two connected bodies moving in sync. Social tango offers a warm, soulful, and deeply personal experience. What matters is how it feels, not how it looks.

Tango fantasía, on the other hand, is designed for stage performance. It is a theatrical rendition of tango, featuring intricate choreography and advanced techniques suited for trained professionals. Unlike improvisational social tango, tango fantasía is choreographed and rehearsed, typically danced in an open hold to enable expansive movements. Its steps are wide, elaborate, and often dangerous, requiring ample space. It is not intended to provide an intimate, soulful, or personal experience, but to showcase flashy figures and dazzling movements to entertain an audience. This form of tango does not adhere to the milonga codes and is ill-suited for crowded dance floors. Safety, comfort, and user-friendliness are not its priorities. What matters is how it looks, not how it feels (see Social Tango and Performance Tango).

Without the same cultural backdrop, Europeans and Americans gravitated more toward tango fantasía. They hadn’t experienced the immigrant struggle, hardships, gender imbalance, homesickness, and nostalgia. Their dance floors were less crowded. Their social norms does not endorse innocent, nonsexual intimacy. Furthermore, their teachers were stage performers from Argentina, who naturally emphasized showmanship. As a result, tango fantasía became the prevailing style in Europe and North America.

Nevertheless, the renewed global interest in tango rekindled the pride of Argentinians for their traditional dance. Milongas reopened, porteños returned to the dance floor, tango clubs and bars once again thrived. Tango music, fashion, and tourism flourished. Buenos Aires reclaimed its place as the Mecca of tango, drawing dancers from around the world eager to experience the authentic style. But visitors quickly noticed a difference—the tango they had learned at home was not the tango danced in Buenos Aires.

After experiencing the magic of close-embrace tango, most visitors were reluctant to return to the open-embrace style. Some chose to stay in Buenos Aires, while others brought their newfound knowledge back home, spreading the message. Each year, more people travel to Buenos Aires to immerse themselves in the traditional tango culture. As a result, a quiet shift is underway in Europe and North America, gradually moving from open embrace to close embrace. This transformation may take time, but it feels inevitable.

Tango exists to fulfill a human need (see Why People Dance Tango). Its form must serve its purpose. Trends come and go, but what is fundamental and essential endures. As more people discover the allure of close-embrace tango, and as milongas grow more popular and dance floors crowded, dancers will naturally move toward the close-embrace style. In time, what belongs to the stage will once again separate from what belongs to the social dance floor.

Here is an example of the tango danced in the milongas of Buenos Aires.