TANGO

ballroom dance that evolved in about 1880 in lower class districts of Buenos Aires, where the Spanish tango merged with the milonga, a fast, sensual, and disreputable Argentine dance; it shows possible influences also from the Cuban habanera. In the early 1900s the tango became socially acceptable and by 1915 was a craze in fashionable European circles. The first tango music by known composers was published around 1910. The early tangos were spirited and gay, but by 1920 the music and lyrics became intensely melancholy. The tango step likewise evolved from early exuberance to a smoother ballroom step. The music is in 4/4 time. The tango of Spain is a light-spirited variety of flamenco dance and music, possibly influenced by the Argentine dance.