Argentine tango

Category: Social / show (non-core on DWTS)
Also known as: Tango argentino, Salon tango
DWTS performances in dataset: 157
Average total score: 29.5
First appearance: Season 8, Week 4 — Lil' Kim & Derek (Taquito Militar)
Lift rule on DWTS: Allowed (non-core / specialty style on DWTS).

Origins and history

Argentine tango emerged in the Río de la Plata region (Buenos Aires and Montevideo) in the late 1800s among working-class and immigrant communities. It fused African, European and local dances such as the milonga and habanera. After spreading to Europe and returning transformed, distinct social styles (salon, milonguero, nuevo) developed. On Dancing with the Stars it is treated as a specialty style outside the ten core ballroom/Latin dances, so lifts are permitted.

Sources

• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Tango — Río de la Plata origins
• Wikipedia: Argentine tango — Social styles and embrace
• TV Insider: DWTS lift rules explained — Argentine tango allows lifts on DWTS

How it is danced

Aspect	Detail
Time signature	2/4 or 4/4
Tempo (MPM)	Varies socially (~30–34 typical)
Tempo (BPM, approx.)	~120–136 typical social band
Character	Intimate, improvised walking dance built on connection, ochos, ganchos and pauses; on DWTS often theatricalized with lifts allowed.
Hold / frame	Close embrace (abrazo) or open embrace; axis shared or independent depending on style (salon, milonguero, nuevo).
Basic steps & figures	Caminata (walk), ochos, cruzada, molinete, sacadas, ganchos, boleos; improvisation over set figures. DWTS versions add theatrical lifts and tricks.
What judges look for	Connection and intention, clean ochos and leg hooks, musical pauses, drama without losing partnership; lifts are allowed (non-core style).

Competition tempi cite WDSF Competition Rules E.3.2 and related DanceSport charts where applicable; theatrical styles are song-driven.

History on Dancing with the Stars

Statistics below are computed from the Data with the Stars SQLite performance and score tables (not invented).

• Times danced: 157
• Score range: 12.0 – 40.0 (total judges’ score as stored)
• Perfect nights (every judging mark = 10): 29

Average score by era

Era	Performances	Average total
S1-10	26	25.36
S11-20	50	30.59
S21-30	58	29.14
S31+	23	33.05

Best scores

• 40.0 — S18 W8: Amy & Derek — Heart Upon My Sleeve (Avicii)
• 40.0 — S23 W6: Jana & Gleb — Hands to Myself (Selena Gomez)
• 40.0 — S23 W9: Laurie & Val — Cell Block Tango (Kander and Ebb)
• 40.0 — S24 W7: Normani & Val — Quizás, Quizás, Quizás (Andrea Bocelli feat. Jennifer Lopez)
• 40.0 — S25 W6: Lindsey & Mark — Human (Sevdaliza)

Lowest scores

• 12.0 — S8 W4: Steve & Karina — Cité Tango
• 16.0 — S8 W4: Holly & Dmitry — Libertango
• 19.0 — S8 W4: Lawrence & Edyta — Suite Punta Del Este
• 19.0 — S25 W2: Nick & Peta — She's a Lady
• 20.0 — S22 W2: Marla & Tony — Don't

First perfect nights (all marks 10)

• S8 W4: Gilles & Cheryl — Assassin's Tango (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S8 W10: Shawn & Mark — Asi Se Baila El Tango (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S8 W11: Gilles & Cheryl — Assassin's Tango (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S10 W7: Evan & Anna — Bust Your Windows (total 30.0, 3 judges)
• S10 W9: Nicole & Derek — El Capitalismo Foraneo (total 30.0, 3 judges)

Most-used songs

• Assassin's Tango — John Powell (3×)
• Bust Your Windows — Jazmine Sullivan (3×)
• Angelica — Rodrigo y Gabriela (3×)
• Libertango — Bond (2×)
• Mi Confesión — Gotan Project (2×)
• They — Jem (2×)
• Tango a Pugliese — Orquesta Color Tango de Roberto Alvarez (2×)
• Sin Rumbo — Otros Aires (2×)

Charts

• Data CSV: data/argentine-tango-by-season.csv
• SVG: charts/argentine-tango-frequency.svg, charts/argentine-tango-score-trend.svg

Watch top performances

• Dylan Efron’s 20th Birthday Party Argentine Tango | Dancing with the Stars — S34 W9, score 40.0, Ain't No Sunshine
• DWTS - Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) - Tango — S34 W7, score 38.0, Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)
• Jenna Dewan and Val Chmerkovskiy’s Horror Movie Night Argentine Tango | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W7, score 37.0, Uninvited
• Danielle Fishel’s Wicked Night Argentine Tango | Dancing with the Stars — S34 W6, score 36.0, No Good Deed
• Amber Glenn and Pasha Pashkov’s Horror Movie Night Argentine Tango | Dancing with the Stars — S35 W7, score 36.0, Perfection

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Educational fan reference. Dance histories paraphrased from cited sources; DWTS stats from project data. Not affiliated with BBC Studios or Disney.