How to Apache Tango with Hook & Princess Tiger Lily
A historically accurate princess dance
Isn’t the Edwardian era magical? From the industrial revolution to dance innovations, the turn of the century was full of change. Books like “Peter Pan” and dances like the Apache Tango were created in the Edwardian era. It would be Edwardian for Captain Hook to dance the Apache Tango with princess Tiger Lily in the story “Peter Pan.”
Birth of the Apache Tango
The Apache tango was a dance invented by the Apache street gang in 1900 France. This gang of “lost boys” was not your friendly neighborhood boys. They were named by the media after the Apache Indians. These ruffians were violent and ruthless thieves.
Apache Gang exploits
The Apache tango was a depiction of the gang exploits. After 
confrontations with the police, gang members would descend into the underground clubs like Moulin Rouge and re-enact their conquests in dance. From these beginnings, the Apache tango came to be known as the dance of the underworld.
Character of the Apache Tango
The apache tango had a distinctive character. It is described as a quarrel between a couple. Moves include fake slaps, drags, and hair pulling. In rebellion to the constrains of Victorian virtues, upper-class French women would pay Apache gang members to teach them this illicit tango. This ultimately led to the standardization of tango to clean up its unsavory elements. These same passionate elements have drawn Hollywood to glamorizing it in films like “Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”
Hook Tango
For Hook, I have put together moves from historic footage of Apache gang members dancing their tango. The first section with Hook and Tinkerbell I took from a 1902 clip on you tube. The second section I took from the dance scene in the movie “Les Vampires” with real apache gang members dancing.
How to Dance the 1902 Apache Tango Hook & Tinkerbell:
Walk Side by Side
Rhythm Slow 4 steps
Both partners step forward- Right, Left. Right, Left in cuddle position low hand hold Ladies right arm over left arm on the Gentleman’s right side.
Roll Out & In
Rhythm – quick & quick.
Gentleman: draw right hand toward body in a circular motion leading lady to roll out to her right, Right foot side, Left foot closes to right foot, side left foot, return to cuddle- circle right arm anti-clockwise, Left foot side, Right foot closes to left foot, right foot side.
Lady turning right-Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side,
Lady return rotating left- left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side.
Natural Turn Chasse
(like a polka or Victorian waltz) Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman rotating to the right across the lady’s path, left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side. Rotating lady around Gentleman, small steps Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side.
Lady rotating to the right, small steps Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side. across the gentleman’s path, left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side.
Outside Spin
Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman dance 1-3 of the natural turn chasse, on 4-6 lead the lady in an outside turn clockwise.
Ladies dance 1-3 of the natural turn chasse. On 4-6 take 3 steps turning clockwise and end facing our partner in closed position.
Repeat Natural Turn Chasse
Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman rotating to the right across the lady’s path, left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side. Rotating lady around Gentleman, small steps Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side.
Lady rotating to the right, small steps Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side. across the gentleman’s path, left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side.
Roll Out & In with hand behind the back
Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman dance 1-3 of the Natural turn chasse taking joined left and right hand behind the ladies back to join -right to right. On 4,5,6 roll the lady out to the right in a clockwise direction. On 7-9 rotate right hand in an anti-clockwise direction rolling lady back into closed position.
Tinkerbell pretend stage slap Hook.
How to dance Apache Tango from “Les Vampires” with Hook & Princess Tiger Lily:
Walk Side by Side 
Rhythm Slow 4 steps
Both partners step forward- Right, Left. Right, Left in neck wrap position high hand hold Ladies right arm over left shoulder on the Gentleman’s right side.
Roll Out & In
Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman – draw right hand toward body in a circular motion leading lady to roll out to her right, Right foot side, Left foot closes to right foot, side left foot, return to cuddle- circle right arm anti-clockwise, Left foot side, Right foot closes to left foot, right foot side.
Lady turning right-Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side,
Lady return rotating left- left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side.
Repeat Walk Side by Side and Roll Out & In.
Dip on man’s right side
Rhythm Slow, Slow.
Gentleman bend knees.
Lady- bend up and over gentleman’s arm, then recover to closed position.
Natural Turn Chasse 
Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman rotating to the right across the lady’s path, left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side. Rotating lady around Gentleman, small steps Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side.
Lady rotating to the right, small steps Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side. across the gentleman’s path, left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side.
Outside Spin
Rhythm quick & quick.
Gentleman lift joined left and right hand to lead the lady in an outside underarm turn clockwise on steps 4,5,6 of Natural turn chasse.
Ladies dance 1-3 of the natural turn chasse. On 4-6 take 3 steps turning clockwise under joined left and right hand and end facing our partner in closed position.
Repeat Natural Turn Chasse & Outside Spin
Roll Out & In ending with dip on gentleman’s left side
Rhythm quick & quick, quick & quick, slow.
Gentleman – Dance 1-3 of the natural turn chasse. On 4-6 draw right hand toward body in a circular motion leading lady to roll out to her right, Right foot side, Left foot closes to right foot, side left foot. To return on steps 7-9 roll lady in – circle right arm anti-clockwise, Left foot side, Right foot closes to left foot, Left foot side with ladies right hand around left side left knee bent in a dip.
Lady turning right-Right foot side, close left foot to right foot, right foot side,
Lady return rotating left- left foot side, close right foot to left foot, left foot side and place
Stage Slap Hook
Music
The song I used was a copyright free “Argentine Tango Bandonian” by Doug Maxwell. My preference for music is “Tango Apache” by the white horse theater company.
Film Location
Thank you to our film location, the Cherry creek reservoir. Cherry creek dam was completed in 1950. It was the first of three dams completed to reduce the flooding to Denver from the Platt river.
One thought on “How to Apache Tango with Hook & Tiger Lily”
Comments are closed.