In the early 19th Century, the Tango was a solo dance performed by the woman. The Adualisian
Tango was later done by one or two couples walking together using castanets. The dance was
considered immoral!
The dance we recognize as Ballroom Tango originated in the lower class of Buenos Aires, especially
in the "Bario de las Ranas". Tango oral history has it that it started with Argentina's gauchos. Wearing chaps that had hardened from the foam and sweat of their horses body, they generally were forced to walk with knees flexed. They would go to the crowded night clubs and ask the local girls to dance. Since the gaucho hadn't showered, the lady would dance in the crook of the man's right arm, holding her head back. Her right hand was held low on his left hip, close to his pocket, looking for a payment for dancing with him. The man danced in a curving fashion because the floor was small with round tables, which he danced around and between.
The dance spread throughout Europe in the 1900's. Originally popularized in New York in the winter of 1910-1911, Rudolph Valentino made the Tango a hit in 1921.
As time elapsed and the music became more subdued, the dance finally attained respectability, even in Argentina.
Styles vary in Tango: Argentine, French, Gaucho and International, and Tango has become an American 'Standard' -- regardless of its origin. The Americanized version is a combination of the best parts of each. The principals involved are the same for any good dancing. First, the dance must fit the music. Second, it must contain the basic characteristic that sets it apart from other dances. Third, it must be comfortable and pleasing to do.
Phrasing is an important part of Tango. Most Tango music is phrased to 16 or 32 beats of music. Tango music is like a story. It contains paragraphs (Major phrases); sentences (Minor phrases); the period at the end of the sentence is the Tango close.