Performed in smoky, parquet-floored clubs on the edge of town, tango was born from flirting with the forbidden: weathered gauchos swivelling with strappy-heeled ladies, sultry looks, and bandoneón ballads. Telling stories of nostalgia, heartbreak, and loss, it is said that the tango is a Greek tragedy condensed into a single song. Considered salacious by Argentine and Uruguayan societies, it was repudiated until it landed in the bourgeois dance halls of Paris, Vienna, and St. Petersburg before WWI, thus prompting the South American elite to reclaim it.

The early dances were characterised by lively flicks and exuberant music, but by the 1920s, tango had matured into a silky, duple-metre ballroom step. Today, new iterations are evolving, with young people sampling distinctive tango rhythms over techno, along with the burgeoning queer tango scene seducing a new generation back to the dance floor.

Since becoming internationally fashionable around a century ago, Argentina and Uruguay have continually fought over who invented it. In 2009, UNESCO decided that the dance originated in the Río de la Plata basin, a region that straddles both countries, reminding the two nations that, after all, it takes two to tango.

Today, tango pulses through cafés, bars and restaurants worldwide. In Buenos Aires, Piazzolla Tango, a Belle Époque-style theatre, pays tribute to the legendary Astor Piazzolla with weekly performances accompanied by a live orchestra. Step back in time at Bar Los Laureles, a legendary tango hotspot that has not changed since the 1900s, or stop by Rojo Tango, a star-studded salon that has welcomed celebrities such as Mick Jagger and Sting. The other tangopolis, Montevideo, hosts equally lively milongas, or bars, including the iconic Baar Fun Fun, the city’s tango epicentre since 1895.

To explore this legendary dance at its roots, stay at the Four Seasons Buenos Aires, ideally located near the historic Recoleta district and home to an impressive contemporary art collection. Alternatively, the nearby Alvear Palace offers elegant accommodations in a bustling, tree-lined neighbourhood.

Of course, you can book hotels at these exceptional locations and more at ASMALLWORLD Collection.