What is Tango? Answers to the 11 most frequently asked questions

Tango is a dance full of passion, expression and emotion. But Tango is much more than just a dance style:

• Intense connection between dance partners & emotionality: Tango is often described as a ‘dialogue between two bodies’. Dancers must have a deep physical and emotional closeness to each other in order to perform the complex movements and improvisations. There is hardly any other dance style where this intense connection is as pronounced as in Tango. This gives the dance a great deal of emotional depth and intensity, which the dancers express through their movements.
• Improvisation: Unlike other dance styles, there is no basic step in Tango, although there have been attempts to establish one in the history of Tango teaching. Figures are merely possible combinations of basic movements, and we try to convey a deep understanding of the ergonomics and natural flow of movement as a couple. Because it is improvisation that makes Tango special. This is not the case with many other dance styles, at least not to the same extent. Each dancer interprets the music in their own personal way and adapts their movements spontaneously to reflect the mood of the moment, the rhythm and the emotions. Each dancer tells their own personal story while dancing.

In our dance school, this is exactly where we start: We help you to develop your own individual Tango style.

Tango refers to both the dance and the style of music.

Tango Argentino refers to the dance and music, with or without singing, that have developed in the estuaries of the Rio de la Plata since the beginning of the last century.

The Tango subsequently travelled to Paris and spread throughout Europe. Rearranged by European ballroom and military orchestras, various Tango styles developed in many European countries. The Tango danced in the standard dances was also developed as a simplification of the Tango Argentino.

The La Pantera dance school has been around since 2009 and many students without any dance experience have already found their way to us and have enjoyed learning to dance Tango with us.

Of course, Tango involves complex sequences of steps and is known for its close contact and emotionality. Combining this complexity of steps, improvisation possibilities and elements requires patience, practice, experience and time.

In its essence, however, Tango is nothing other than walking together to the music in an embrace. For this reason, we have found that even beginners can enjoy a beautiful Tango together after a short time. Because walking and embracing together is something natural that we don’t have to learn.

In our beginners’ courses, of course, no previous dancing experience is expected. With our professional Tango teachers and our varied course programme, which promises a lot of fun, you will quickly make your first progress. Every Friday we also offer a Milonga in addition to the course programme. Ongoing Practicas from Mondays to Thursdays. With us, you will enjoy the process of learning Tango from the very first moment. We are at your side with professionalism, decades of experience and good humour.

For those who are ambitious and want to learn this fascinating dance form in depth, we also offer a wide range of special workshops and Tango trips to enable you to experience the whole philosophy behind this dance.

Just drop by for a trial session with no obligation and find out whether Tango and La Pantera dance school are right for you.

The answer is quite clear and scientifically proven: Tango can be suitable as a form of therapy for various needs and situations.

The Swiss Dance Association summarises 5 points here and refers to studies by Irsaili & Israili from 2018, studies by McKinley wt al., 2008, Hackney et al., 2012 and Purkart et al., 2022:

1. positive effect of physical activity:
   in older people & seniors
   Specifically, research shows that balance and walking speed can be improved, especially in older people. Muscle strength and endurance, gait, balance and the quality of life of older people can be improved and the risk of falling reduced. We also offer special courses for older people in particular. Take a look at them.
   After a stroke and for stroke patients
   mobility, endurance and dual-task ability can be improved.
   Improve cardiovascular system & increase cardiovascular fitness
   Studies show that regular dancing increases cardiovascular fitness and can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as arteriosclerosis. It is not without reason that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended Tango dancing to improve cardiovascular function.
2. more social satisfaction:
   more self-confidence:
   Tango can help boost self-confidence by instilling a sense of competence and achievement.
   Communication & social interaction:
   Through dance, participants can learn to communicate and show consideration for each other in a non-verbal way. In this way, trust and solidarity can be built up. Dance also promotes social interaction and can help to improve social skills such as empathy and teamwork. In our specialised courses ‘Tango for team building’ and ‘Tango as a leadership tool’, we work on precisely these core elements.
3. Spritiuality and mindfulness:
   The execution of the step sequences and dance movements requires a high level of concentration from the dancers. This promotes mindfulness. There is no room for wandering off into negative thoughts.
4. Thinking ability:
   In fact, dancing Tango can also improve the cognitive functions of our brain.
5. Sensory and emotional well-being
   Stress relief:
   Tango can serve as a means of stress management by providing a distraction and promoting physical relaxation.
   Anxiety, depression, mental illnesses
   Tango dancing can also have a positive effect on these illnesses.

This list should not be regarded as exhaustive. Tango has also proven to be an effective method of improving physical function, especially in Parkinson’s disease. In our view and experience, Tango can also have a positive effect on relationship skills, as it helps to strengthen the relationship by encouraging intimacy, trust and mutual support.