I doubt it. There was initially just a shortage of women immigrants. 'Dance' as an activity was just something to do reminding them of home. When women arrived, dance was an excuse to get close, perhaps an affordable option.
Thinking back, I could have ended my two not-only tango relationships when dancing didn't feel good anymore. One took a few months, the other a few years, but we could have saved ourselves half that time.
Interesting points. I'm a single male leader and I'm quite addicted to tango. I sometimes wonder if part of this addiction relates to a desire for connection and intimacy, as I'm single. This makes me wonder, if I had a life partner, be she a tango or not, would my desire to dance decrease, if I'm getting that intomacy and touch elswhere?
I've already contributed a lot to this thread, so I don't want to repeat myself. Yes, I think some people dance simply to experience physical closeness, intimacy, and connection.
I think that applies equally to single female followers. However, due to cultural factors, women tend to be more interested in relationship matters and may therefore be better at either revealing or concealing that fact. And a small percentage of the population is asexual, while others simply believe they are better off living alone than in a relationship.
I used to dance a lot, and I dance at least as much with my partner in life and tango now.
Not looking for a relationship means not actively looking. That doesn't mean rejecting a relationship if an opportunity arises. It is like one of those things that just happens when you were not planning for it. I think you are conflating "not looking" with "not wanting". It is very rare that I seen a single whose position is that "do not want a relationship or do not desire" unless they are going through some crisis. Of course most of non-single people will they are neither looking nor want a relationship
At least in my experience I haven't heard anyone express that opportunity for physical connection or physical closeness is the reason they like dancing tango. It is said that the USA is going through loneliness epidemic. But you do not see any uptick in people doing partner dancing.
I experienced it differently when I switched from salsa to tango years ago. In salsa I was primarily looking for entertainment and a change of pace, but even as an untalented beginner, I was constantly confronted with advances. I found that distracting and unsettling. After the divorce, I was completely insecure and had lost my self-confidence. Tango was totally different and comparatively prudish. In my perception, it was a gathering place for introverted, burdened, and relationally disturbed dancers. But that was exactly what I needed, a slow pace. Perhaps one's personal emotional state has to match the atmosphere in a community. The formality, the distance, and the role stereotypes helped me find my way back to life. I had wonderful times and many affairs. I also found my life partner within my tango scene.From the posts here it seems to me that for the men in Europe, tango makes it easier get into relationship
Perhaps this is a consequence of the "loneliness epidemic"?
Exactly, @Bailango , loneliness is the outcome not the reason for the decline in dancing.
Its absolutely true, but I had to laugh anyway. But it's not just intuitively sensed as you put it. For me, choosing dance as a hobby was a purely rational decision. I didn't had the money for a car, let alone an appealing motorcycle. And I wasn't athletic enough for a sport. So I took the hobby I was good at. And good doesn't just mean musicality and spatial awareness; it also means communication skills and the ability to socialize.
Exactly
Found this too, before I started tango I tried salsa. The classes were more overtly sexual, at least insofar as the behaviour of the female followers. I guess it has more of a 'sexy' reputation than tango? Not that tango can't be sexy, but it is very witholding and conservative, and seems to demand intimacy and connection before any hint of sexuality can seep through, whereas in salsa and maybe bachata, that sexiness is overtly available?
I meant something completely different. You are referring to the dancing itself, whereas I am referring to the scene. Of course, salsa dancing is sexy and flirtatious. But in that context, body language and expression already are part of the basic step. It is not just the feet that are controlled—no, the eyes, the angle of the head, the corners of the mouth, and the fingertips are too. Since the dance is usually performed in an open hold, all of this is part of the role-play.
In tango, we usually dance in a close hold; your dance partner doesn't see your yearning, or bored, or irritated facial expression. In tango, the flirting doesn't happen on the dance floor, but rather at the table, in the changing room, or at the ticket counter.