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 Cafe 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