Tango is serious

One of my beginner students was telling me. "Tango is serious, salsa is all about messing around, but in tango you have to stay within limits". Those might not have been the exact words (I wasn't recording what she said) but definitely she was touching a subject that I think is very stereotypical and not truth to reality, that tango is all about seriousness.
Tango looks quite daunting. For a lay person, it's a very intricate dance, with apparently little space to put your feet on, and with lots complicated moves that seem just impossible for the common mortal to do. The music doesn't help that perception either. Dozens of instruments playing sometimes very melodramatic melodies with romantic voices and lyrics...
But tango is FUN! Even in those Pugliese or Di Sarli tracks, where the waves of music are as big as it can get, you can always dance with fun. It may be within limits, but it's all about fun. The day that I am not having fun while dancing, I'll stop.

Tango is only serious when you make it serious.