What is argentine tango?
Argentine tango is an improvised partner dance in an embrace — sometimes chest to chest (close embrace), sometimes open. Leaders and followers walk, pivot, cross, sacada, boleo and pause to the phrasing of tango orchestras, and every dance is made up on the spot. The social event is a milonga, where tangos, valses and milongas are played in sets called tandas.
History
Tango emerged in the late 19th century among immigrants and working-class porteños of Buenos Aires and Montevideo. Its Golden Age (roughly 1935–1955) brought the orchestras of Juan D'Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Aníbal Troilo and Osvaldo Pugliese; Astor Piazzolla later created tango nuevo. In 2009 UNESCO inscribed tango on its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
Basic technique
- The walk — the foundation of everything
- Ochos (forward and back), the cross and the cruzada
- Giros (turns), sacadas, boleos and ganchos
- Codigos — the milonga etiquette, including the cabeceo invitation
Music & tempo
Tango tracks are chosen by orchestra and era rather than by BPM. DJs build tandas of three or four songs from one orchestra, separated by short cortinas.
Songs for argentine tango
| Song | Artist | BPM | Key | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preludio nueve | Astor Piazzolla | 71 | A major | 2004 |
| Chiquilin de Bacin | Astor Piazzolla | 84 | D minor | 2004 |
| Introducción al ángel | Astor Piazzolla | 85 | C minor | 2004 |
| Cielo azzurro (Stanotte sognerò) | Milva | 88 | A major | 1968 |
| Fiera Triste | Quadro Nuevo | 88 | F major | 2004 |
| Contramilonga a la funerala | Astor Piazzolla | 89 | A minor | 1992 |
| Olhos de ressaca | Astor Piazzolla | 90 | D minor | 2004 |
| Tres tangos: Moderato mistico | Astor Piazzolla | 90 | B minor | 2004 |
| Los pájaros perdidos | Astor Piazzolla | 91 | F minor | 2000 |
| Penta | Quadro Nuevo | 91 | C minor | 2004 |
BPM as measured by audio analysis; some tracks read at half or double the danced tempo.
All 288 argentine tango songs by BPM →
What to wear
Tango shoes with leather or suede soles; heels for many followers.
How to get started
Take a beginner series that focuses on walking and embrace, then visit a práctica (a practice session) before your first milonga.
We list 108 studios that teach argentine tango, or browse all dance studios by state.
Key partner-dance terms
Movies featuring argentine tango
- Luces de Buenos Aires (1931)
- Puente Alsina (1935)
- The Soul of the Accordion (1935)
- Puerto nuevo (1936)
- Academia El Tango Argentino (1942)
- Ritmo, amor y picardía (1954)
Recent research
- Exercise and Parkinson Disease: Comparing Tango, Treadmill, and Stretching. — Journal of neurologic physical therapy : JNPT, 2019
- Tango-therapy vs physical exercise in older people with dementia; a randomized controlled trial. — BMC geriatrics, 2023
- Dancing With Parkinson's Disease: The SI-ROBOTICS Study Protocol. — Frontiers in public health, 2021
- Effects and parameters of community-based exercise on motor symptoms in Parkinson's disease: a meta-analysis. — BMC neurology, 2022
- Toxic Tango in Parkinson's Disease: A dance between αSyn and iron import, export and speciation. — Neurochemistry international, 2025
More argentine tango research →
Books about argentine tango
- El tango de la Guardia Vieja by Arturo Pérez-Reverte (2012)
- The last tango of Dolores Delgado by Marele Day (1993)
- Tango by Ernesto Sabato (1963)
- Tango and the Political Economy of Passion by Marta Savigliano (1994)
- Here at the end of the world we learn to dance by Jones, Lloyd (2002)
- Masculinities by Eduardo P. Archetti (1999)
Encyclopedia summary
Argentine tango is a musical genre and accompanying social dance originating at the end of the 19th century in the suburbs of Buenos Aires. It typically has a 24 or 44 rhythmic time signature, and two or three parts repeating in patterns such as ABAB or ABCAC. Its lyrics are marked by nostalgia, sadness, and laments for lost love. The typical orchestra has several melodic instruments and is given a distinctive air by the bandoneon. It has continued to grow in popularity and spread internationally, adding modern elements without replacing the older ones. Among its leading figures are the singer and songwriter Carlos Gardel and composers/performers Francisco Canaro, Juan D'Arienzo, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Pugliese, Elvira Santamaría, and Ástor Piazzolla.
Frequently asked questions
What is a milonga?
Both a social tango dance event and a faster, playful dance and music genre in 2/4.
Is Argentine tango good for Parkinson's disease?
Several clinical studies report improvements in balance and gait for people with Parkinson's after adapted tango programs. See our research digest for the latest papers.
How many calories does argentine tango burn?
About 220 calories per hour for a 155-lb (70 kg) person, based on a MET value of 3 from the Compendium of Physical Activities. See calories burned argentine tango for every body weight.
Related styles
Ballroom Tango
England and the United States, adapted from Argentine tango
Latin Social DanceKizomba
Angola
Ballroom & DanceSportWaltz
Austria and southern Germany (from the Ländler)
Last reviewed October 2026 · Editorial policy