The Dances
Tango
On the dance floor today there are two popular styles of this dramatic dance. There are the Argentine Tango (see above) and the English or International Tango. The history of the Tango can be traced surprisingly to the country dance of 17th Century England. The English country dance became the Contredanse in France, and this in turn was called the Contradanza in Spain or later simply Danza. When imported by the Spaniards into Cuba it became the Danza Habanera. During the Spanish American War a popular dance called Habanera del Café appeared which was the prototype of the Tango. The whole geneology is presented in the following table:
- Country Dance - England 1650
- Contredanse - France 1700
- Contradanza - Spain 1750
- Danza- Spain 1800
- Danza Habanera- Cuba 1825
- Habanera 1850
- Habanera del Café 1900
- Tango 1910