Argentine tango at Viennese balls
Argentine tango has made its debut in traditional Viennese balls
by S. Elefante, S. Jovicic, M. Elefante, R. Rodriguez for Tango Argentino@TU Wien & IST-Tango
Viennese balls have a long cultural tradition in the Austrian capital and their origin can be traced back to the 19th century, to the time of the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815) [1] [2]. Indeed, since the beginning of the 19th century several professional groups (e.g. medical doctors, lawyers, pharmacists) used to honor their respective profession by organizing balls. However, not only guilds held balls but also other interest groups (e.g. hunters) as well as persons who liked, for instance, masquerade balls. This tradition has survived until today and people can still enjoy the fascinating aspects of the balls and choose among more than four hundred different balls every year which underlines the still ongoing vivid interest for these events. The majority of the balls takes place in the beautiful historical Viennese palaces that offer a wide choice of rooms and halls with different musical styles allowing dancers to enjoy not only the classical three-quarter rhythm of the glorious Wiener Walzer, but also other dance styles such as rock ́n ́ roll, salsa or even disco music.