The word tango appeared much earlier than the dance. It first appeared outside Argentina, in one of the Canary Islands (Isla de Hierro) and in other parts of the Americas with the meaning "gathering of blacks to dance to drum music” and also as the name Africans gave the drum. The dictionary of the Spanish Royal Academy of Letters, 1899 edition, defines Tango as "Fiesta and dance of Negroes or "gente del pueblo" (those that belong to lower socio-economical class) in America"; also a second meaning: "Music for that dance".
Argentine Tango Dancing by Larry E. Carroll is a website that details tango step patterns in a series of lessons. "The 'steps' of a dance are the most visible part of it, so every new student is eager to learn them. But even if you learn hundreds of steps, you will only look silly if you learn nothing else about the dance," Carroll explains. "So these pages also help you learn the unique style of the Argentine tango, how to lead and follow, and how to navigate around the dance floor. You will also learn a little bit about one of the most important parts of any dance - its music. (Lesson One)
Tango, Our Dance is a series of 28 articles published in El Firulete, The Argentine Tango Magazine by Alberto Paz and Valorie Hart. The information is based on their experiences, first as students of the dance and second as teachers of Argentine Tango around the United States. (Chapter 1: Stand up straight, embrace your partner and walk...)
Tango Shoes.
"Tango is typically danced in shoes with leather bottoms that stay on your feet well. Shoes with straps for women and lace-up shoes for men are the most common. Women also need to wear shoes with a heel. In the beginning, open-toed shoes for women and slip-on shoes for men are usually disasters. There are shoes designed specifically for tango dancers, but your main consideration should be to find shoes that support your feet, don't squish your toes, and are comfortable enough to dance in for several hours. I don't recommend using ballroom dance shoes because they have little to no support and suede soles. No matter what shoes you dance in, everyone should add pads to their shoes. I recommend Spenco pads because they are incredibly comfortable, resilient and long lasting. Dr Scholl's foam pads are OK, but avoid the expensive and useless blue gel-filled pads. They seem like a good idea–a waterbed for your feet–but are extremely disappointing. (Susan August Brown, The Beginner's Guide to Argentine Tango)
Tango Argentina Dozens of short video tutorials are included in this WonderHowTo collection of free downloads, like Dance the Tango Double Beat embellishments, Dance the tango: Decorated Side Steps embellishments, and Dance the tango: the Caricias embellishment.,