Many DCists’ tango knowledge draws exclusively from sexy Antonio Banderas dance scenes, Scent of a Woman, or that Shakira video in constant rotation at Gold’s Gym. But there’s an entire world of tango out there, and the district is showcasing the sultry dance this week during the Washington DC Tango Festival.

Tonight and Wednesday, tango goes to the movies, as the Argentinian embassy screens Tango Maestro — The Life and Music of Astor Piazzolla this evening, and Tango: The Spirit of Argentina on Wednesday. The first film focuses on Piazzolla, a composer that totally changed the musical landscape of tango; the second is a look at how the dance has transformed throughout the ages from a casual, neighborhood gathering to an auditorium-filling work of art. The screenings are free, though you must register online.

On Tuesday, take to the dance floor yourself and enjoy a tango dance instruction class for $10, taught by Anne-Sophie and Pablo. The dancers know their stuff; Anne-Sophie, for example, is the founder of a four-day local event known as the Tango Marathon, and Pablo has had his name in the credits of many films, as both a dancer and a choreographer.

The music of tango is showcased on Thursday, with the show Piazzolla’s Strings: Las Cuerdas de Piazzolla. Tickets for the performance, which features the Pan American Symphony Orchestra and violinist Amy Beth Horman, run $28. Horman’s performances have earned rave reviews from the Post and others, and she seems to have played at nearly every venue in the area, as well as with the New Mexico Symphony.

The week closes with a dance and music spectacular know as the Tango Summit: La Cumbre del Tannge. Here, the orchestra, instrumentalists and dancers all come together for an explosive concluding performance.