Dancing has been a popular past time for hundreds of years. It's an activity that is just as easy to watch as it is to join in. There are quite a few types of dance ranging from the Tango, Western Line to Ballet. The history behind each dance has its own special meaning. The Tango although it has come to epitomize the glamour and elegance of high society, with women in sleek glittering evening gowns and men in tux and tails, the tango originated in society's underbelly--the brothels of turn-of-the-century Argentina. Originally, the tango dance developed as an "acting out" of the relationship between the prostitute and her pimp. These tango songs and dances had no lyrics, were often highly improvised, and were generally regarded as obscene. Line dancing in one form or another has been around since recorded time. What we do today evolved from the old "Contra" dances that were very popular in the New England States from the early 1800's. Contra style dances are still popular but in a slightly different form. In the 1800's two lines would form, men on one side, women on the other. The partners would join between the two lines and generally do their own routine down the middle. When they reached the end of the lines, they parted and moved back into their respective lines and the next couple would begin. In the Renaissance Italy, the courts began to enjoy a ballet dance style that united poetry, music, art and dancing. Performances were given in large halls that were used for balls and banquets. The performances were based on the social dances of the day. Each type of dance has its own uniqueness and all have derived in different ways.
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