The Tango

Par
Hi my lovely dancers! 
Today I'm going to talk about this sensual and provocative couple's dance that appeared in Argentina at the end of the 19th century: the Tango. This dance has never ceased to be a sensation. 

Born in the working-class neighborhoods


We don't know the exact origins of tango. Probably a mix of Spanish flamenco, African rhythms and milonga, an Argentinean dance with melancholic but catchy accents. In any case, it made its appearance at the end of the 19th century, in the popular districts of Buenos Aires in Argentina and Montevideo in Uruguay.

PROFESSIONAL DANCERS, IN BUENOS AIRES STREETS, 2016


Between men 

Due to the lack of women, Argentines and European immigrants are getting into the habit of dancing with men. The La Boca district of Buenos Aires, frequented by thugs and prostitutes, became the meeting place for tangueros. They meet there to devote themselves to this dance that the bourgeoisie finds indecent. The first themes sung are sadness, nostalgia, abandonment, betrayal... The lyrics are fed with popular slang and even coarse words, which increases the bad reputation of this dance. 

Tango Madness 

In 1912, Enrique Saborido, an excellent dancer, introduced Europeans to this dance. Tango arrived in cafés and seduced by its sensuality, the complexity of its steps, the place given to improvisation and its changes of rhythm. In Paris, everyone wants to try this new dance. Tango is all the rage. All pretexts are good for dancing or attending shows. Schools are opening. This European recognition contributes to bring tango out of the Argentinean slums and opens the doors of the beautiful districts to it. Even the bourgeois can now practice this dance of seduction. 



PROFESSIONAL TANGO DANCERS, PHOTO BY TEMPODANCING

It's all in the eyes! 

To invite his partner to dance, the man gives him a deep look. If she looks away, he understands that she is declining the invitation. If she keeps her gaze steady, he can give her a light, more explicit nod. This delicate and discreet invitation, called cabeceo, avoids the humiliation of a face-to-face refusal. Not stupid! 

A little anecdote: in tango, each couple invents its own dance by improvising around the basic figures!

Comments

  1. Pauline.brg28 March 2020 at 12:19

    This dance is so beautiful. I dream of knowing how to do it !

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Contemporary dance

Par
Image
Hi my lovely dancers!  Today, I'm going to introduce you an essential part of dance: contemporary dance. This form of dance covers different modes of expression that appeared from the 1960s onwards. It is embodied notably in a generation of French choreographers who, in the 1980s, invented their own body language.  The American influence American choreographers such as Susan Buirge , Carolyn Carlson or Alwin Nikolais come to work in France. Alwin Nikolais directed the Centre national de danse contemporaine d'Angers, the first French contemporary dance school from 1978 onwards. Each in his own way will influence the French choreographers who will emerge in the 1980s.  A "sponge-dance" Receptive to other artistic disciplines, contemporary dance is nourished by multiple influences: circus, mime, comics, literature, cinema, plastic arts...video is also much used by contemporary choreographers such as Philippe Decouflé or Hervé Robbe . Others tr
Read more

How to stretch well in 6 steps

Par
Image
Hi my lovely dancers!  Today I'm going to share with you some tips and tricks to stretch as well as possible and avoid painful aches and pains in just 6 steps 😉 It will only take you 15 minutes of your time.  That's right! Who hasn't experienced those terrible aches and pains that make us unable to move and make us moan like a 99 year old senior? I can already hear you nodding.  Aches and pains often appear twenty-four hours after physical exertion and generally "reassure" us because if they are there it means that we've done a good job!  In short, it is FUNDAMENTAL to stretch well after a class or a dance performance. Don't neglect stretching because it allows you to amplify your movements and progress more easily in your sports activity by reducing muscle stiffness. When done properly, they promote muscle flexibility, improve posture and balance, prevent injury and increase body awareness.  Are you ready and willing? Let's get started!
Read more

Maintain a good diet without depriving oneself

Par
Image
Hi my lovely dancers!  Today, I'm going to talk about a daily good diet. To be in top shape and dance well, you need to take care of your diet 😉 Balanced meals will provide you with the calories you need. The rule of three For a good dietary balance, you should eat three meals a day, to which you can add a snack in the afternoon. Avoid snacking outside of these fixed appointments. 1) Breakfast: it must be copious. It should combine a cereal product (bread, cereals, rusks...), a lipid (butter, sunflower margarine...), a protein rich in calcium (milk, yoghurt, cottage cheese...), a fruit and a drink (tea, coffee, water...). PHOTO BY  FEMMES D'AUJOURD'HUI 2) Lunch and dinner: they must include a protein (fish, poultry, white meat, egg, ham...once a day only), a vegetable (green or dry), possibly a dairy product and a fruit. You can add a raw vegetable or soup.  PHOTO BY  FEMME ACTUELLE LE MAG 3) A healthy snack: in case o
Read more