Latin dances bring the heat, with competitions being among the most exciting and highly-anticipated performances. They are a real opportunity to reveal the raw passion, stylistic flair, sensuality, and intimate connection between two dancers.
Salsa is all about party party party, whereas Tango is a window on an intimate relationship and should feature both storytelling and characterisation. Both dances are sexy but in entirely different ways.
So which is sexier, salsa or tango? We explore the music, style, and history of each dance so that you can have the final word on the most sensual dance.
What Is Salsa Dance?
Salsa has Caribbean and African roots. It became prominent in the late 1960s and early 1970s when Dominicans and Puerto Ricans developed it in the United States.
Salsa is an amalgam of Cuban dances like the mambo and rumba combined with American styles such as swing and tap.
Salsa is an open dance. The couple connects, but there is plenty of hip action, spinning and dancing apart.
Traditionally, salsa is a communal party dance where the focus is not necessarily on just two dancers. You can dance this style solo or within a group.
Because of the communal nature, some might say that salsa lacks the close intimacy and sensuousness of tango. At the same time, the hip movements and fast, passionate rhythms would lead others to insist that salsa brings the heat.
Is Salsa Dancing Intimate?
Salsa dancing is not intimate in the way tango is – body contact is brief. The couple does not dance in such close proximity, and it is also a very energetic dance.
That said, salsa is suggestive and sexy in its own way, but it is a more party vibe than sensual. Salsa is an accessible dance, but the old saying holds about it being easy to learn and impossible to master – it is very fast-paced.
Because you can dance solo or within a group, it is very sociable. You can participate even if you don’t have a partner, giving it a different level of intimacy than a dance between a couple. There are lots of different types of Salsa steps which can be mixed and improvised.
There are salsa clubs in almost every city, including some surprising locations you wouldn’t usually associate with Latin dance.
What Is Tango Dance?
Tango is the more intimate of the two Latin dances, primarily because of the amount of body contact. Tango is a partner dance originating from Rio de la Plata between Argentina and Uruguay.
Argentine tango is the most famous tango style and is more intimate than ballroom tango.
The Argentine style first developed in the 19th century in Montevideo and Buenos Aires, although the exact origins are hard to pinpoint.
The dance hit America in the early 20th century, where people were shocked by the close body contact and seemingly aggressive movements. The golden era of tango was during the 1930s.
Partners can dance in an open style where the two dancers are at arms’ length, or they can tango in a close, intimate hold. Unlike salsa, tango is all about the relationship between two people and is only ever danced by a couple.
Is Tango Dancing Intimate?
Tango is powerful, sensual, and one of the most intimate Latin dances. It is on a par with the rumba when it comes to connection, but it has a sharpness and electric frisson that is usually not seen in the rumba. Rumba is all about fluidity.
Tango dancers mirror one another, which explains the importance of connection. It is a very technical dance, precise with specific steps. The complexity of the routine is usually just as mesmerising as the connection between the dancers.
Tango requires the partners to be in a close embrace, with their chests pressed together. It is a raw and authentic dance that explores and tests the relationship between man and woman.
Unlike other dances, the woman is not ‘led’, but the man and woman are equal, weaving contact and separation throughout the dance. The balance suggests either partner can seduce the other, playing with the classic positioning of the man leading the woman.
Tango also can offer the opportunity for personal expression and improvisation. The dance continues to evolve with different influences from around the world.
While traditionally between a man and a woman, few could forget the legendary pairing of John Waite and Johannes Radebe in the BBC hit series ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in 2021. The two male partners showed a powerful with sparks flying. Their performance debunked the theory that tango passion is only for male and female dancers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Salsa and Tango the Same?
Apart from being Latin dances, tango and salsa couldn’t be more different.
Salsa can be danced solo or in a group, whereas tango centres on the intimate relationship between two people. Their styles, musical derivation and history are all distinct.
Most people have a preference for one dance or the other. For novice dancers who feel uncomfortable with the intimacy of tango, particularly with an unknown dance partner, salsa is a much more light-hearted and accessible choice.
It’s easy to assume that salsa is an easier dance to learn because the style is more open. Plus, there are numerous different steps compared with tango's precision.
However, salsa is deceptive. Both dances are equally challenging, just in different ways. Salsa seems a looser, less regulated dance, but precision in steps and technique are still just as important.
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