Best known as the dance of love, the tango is now being studied as a treatment for depression.
University of New England psychology researcher Rosa Pinniger says she hopes to prove the passionate two-person dance is an effective alternative therapy for depression by carrying out a six-week trial.
Ms Pinniger says the nature of the tango is such that participants "switch off the automatic negative thought patterns that contribute to anxiety and depression".
"In learning tango movements you have to focus your attention and be completely in the present moment," Ms Pinniger says.
"You need to be constantly aware of - and connect with - your partner, and so you can't have extraneous thoughts.
"I believe that if people can experience freedom from their negative thoughts for just the three minutes of a tango dance, they'll realise that such freedom is possible."
Over the six weeks of her tango trial, Ms Pinniger will give free weekly tango lessons to 30 people who have felt depressed recently. Thirty others will be given classes in meditation, a more widely recognised alternative treatment for depression.
A control group of 30 will receive neither treatment, but will be offered either tango or meditation lessons on completion of the study.
Ms Pinniger hopes tango will prove to be a viable alternative treatment for those who find meditation difficult.
"While we already know that meditation can be helpful in the treatment of depression, not everyone can meditate," she says.
"But everyone who can walk can tango. It doesn't matter whether you're graceful or not - it's all mindfulness and connecting with another person."
