A sensual and fast-moving dance from Buenos Aires, Argentina, set to energetic and repetive music.
Body benefits
“The tango is a low dance – your knees are constantly bent so you’re getting a great workout in your legs and core,” says Chris Dempsey, manager of Arthur Murray Dance School in Sydney. “But the short, staccato movements that teach control, balance and body awareness are unique to tango.”
The proof
Canadian researchers studied two elderly groups: one took weekly Argentine tango classes and the other group walked. The tango group showed improvement in balance, posture and motor coordination, as well as performing significantly better at multi-tasking. And it seems the feel-good factor is genuine. A recent Australian National University study revealed tango’s effect on mood disorders. It found reduced feelings of depression and insomnia that lasted for months after the study had finished.