The Meaning of Tango – The Story of the Argentinian Dance
by Christine Denniston
To dance with the women in Buenos Aires the immigrants had to learn their dance – and learn to do it in a way that pleased the women, or the women would not dance with them. The unique pressures of this extraordinary city, in this extraordinary moment of its history, formed the evolving Tango, and made it into something more than just a dance.
Roots Run Deep
What a wonderful read, folks! Save yourself the countless hours of research it takes to trace Argentine Tango back to its roots. Start with this book and follow Denniston, on her personal journey to Buenos Aires, as she interviews the remaining dancers of the Golden Age for a glimpse of how the tango started.
Through her research, she uncovers how Argentina was the source that spread the tango message throughout Europe, the Americas, and to other countries around the world. Those of you interested in how competition tango first gained interest will enjoy her section covering American and International styles of the dance.
She elaborates how the men in those days danced with other men in hopes of winning the approval of female dancers at the milongas. Interestingly enough, the leaders spent up to nine months following before ever being given the chance to lead. Imagine how good the men in your tango community would be if they followed that philosophy!
Christine wraps up the book with an introduction to the evolution of tango music and stage tango that followed the revival of the dance in the early 1980’s. You’ll love the section with the thorough explanation of how the embrace was initiated in the Golden Age and the detailed tango walking instructions for both leader and follower.
A Worthwhile Investment
This book looks great on your bookshelf and is typographically designed using my favorite font Futura Light (you have to be a font geek to appreciate that).
Invest the measly $15 and buy your copy from Amazon.com. Not a bad price for the invaluable insights on how your hobby of choice came to be called the Tango and the detailed technique tips at the end of the book.
Keep dancing,
Panayiotis Pete Karabetis
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{ 3 tango-induced comments… read them, love them, and add your 2 cents! }
I can’t imagine how much extra energy it takes to dance tango! But, I love watching the beautiful girls dance tango… I’ll check out the book.
I ordered the book and am looking forward to its arrival. More comments to come once I’ve read it.
You’ll love it! It’s very basic, but will help you start thinking about they way things were so you have something to compare to the way things are now. So much has changed!