ARGENTINA

Argentina

Who?

Europeans brought the Tango to

Argentina and Uruguay in the late
1800s.
Mostly men immigrated in hopes to
make money and return home with
enough money to become wealthy.
Men had to go to big cities like
Buenos Aires to find women -especially in brothels.
Women would choose their clients
according to their skills on the
dancefloor.

How?

The Tango is a very sensual dance

performed by men and women and
has been referred to as making love
in a vertical position.
Sometimes is danced by a couple
as everyone else watches, but
sometimes they can also dance
closer to one another to let more
people in on the dancefloor.

Dance Movement, Meaning, and Norms

-The movement of Tango is swift and precise.
-The quality and the intent of the dance moves is everything in Tango.
-It focuses on the presentation and feel towards the partner that you are dancing
with.
-The underlining meaning of this dance is a romantic expression.
-The cultural norms that are associated with this dance are social connectedness
and personal expression with close partners.

FUN FACT:

The Dance Space

Salon Tango: Is suited for dancing on larger dance floors. This is usually danced with an open embrace
with space in between both partners. This space between dancers provides opportunities for moves such
as sacadas (leg thrusts), or barridas (foot drags).
Milonguero: This is a type of Tango that is best suited for small or crowded dance floors. The embrace is
very close and intimate. The partners bodies will usually touch at the chest area. Their faces and heads
are also usually in contact.

Fun Fact!
Argentine beef is famous around the world!

Asado (an Argentine

barbecue) is very
popular in the country
which has the highest
consumption of red
meat in the world.

Clothing

The clothing worn while doing the Tango is very fashionable

Women wear dresses that have slits down the side to make it easier to move
Womens shoes are usually high heels with a strap, the bottoms are usually leather or suede to make it easier to slide
on the floor for certain moves
In traditional Tango men would be very fancy and would wear a suit and tie. Tango is now more casual than it was
when people began dancing in the early 1900s.
Sometimes there are red roses used as props in the dancing

Music
Tango music can be either entirely instrumental or
may include a vocalist.
Most music includes these instruments:
-guitar
-violins
-flute
-piano
-bass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ic4PQ-tnwJw

Oppression
-Argentines either leave Argentina to flee democracy or dictatorship.
-Argentine communities in the United States are rare to come by and devalued by
being considered Other Hispanic.
-Argentines in the United States have lost a sense of their culture with the mesh of
mixed latin cultures. For instance, they are often mistaken for Mexican but have
adopted some of Mexican food, music, and dances.
-There are higher populated areas such as NYC or Miami where a genuine
community of Argentines are found.
Argentines have the lowest poverty rates, highest income, education, and
homeownership rates compared to other Hispanics in the United States.

Fun Fact!
The Tango is said to contain elements from the African Community in Buenos
Aires. This dance was influenced both by ancient African rhythms and music from
Europe.

Discrimination and Privilege

Xenophobia is a HUGE
issue in Argentina

White men have extreme

privilege over all other
races and genders.

Argentina has the

largest white population
in the Americas.

Argentina sided with

Fascist-Nazis in the early
1930s until closer to the
end of WW2.
Military coup in 1943 suppressed
many things in Argentina, including
the Tango for nearly ten years.

Many women continue to

be abused, discriminated
against, are forced into sex
trade, earn less money
and have a big
unemployment problem.
Was the first country in
Latin America to legalize
gay marriage!

Evolution and Celebrations

- The evolution of Tango has gone from a social atmosphere to more of a
competitive art. The majority of people that dance Tango are more mid-aged to
older generation.
- In Argentina now-a-days the more proper middle-higher class would dance the
Tango in competitions and workshops.
-During celebrations, the Tango was the highlight of the night, it set a certain tone
for the rest of the night. More of a personal connection was made. The Tango is
part of the Argentine culture and they dance it in connection to the type of love
that they have for others.

Lost and Found

Rich Argentines introduced Tango to Paris
and Germany, gaining social acceptance.
People loved it so much they put it in
big dance halls and movies.
Dance halls were downsized to small venues
due to the collapse of the economy.
Swing and Rock-and-Roll took over and
nobody seemed to care for Tango
anymore.
Tango Argentino was a popular TV program
Young people made it their own,
in the 80s showcasing the Tango all around
forming Tango Nuevo.
the world.

Effects of the Social Class

-The Tango in modern Argentina is very prestigious and for elegant, high class
people. The Tango was danced by the lower class to express a sort of sexual
nature. Since then the higher class has retained the same romantic feel while
refining it.
-In Argentina, the Tango is seen to be a refining characteristic of the upper class
and only to be performed by the elite.

Argentinas Economy & the Tango

Argentina is in an economic crisis

Unemployment, inflation, and increasing poverty has impacted the Tango
Not as many Tango magazines are made or sold
People arent going out to the Milongas as often
Many of the best Tango dancers are leaving Argentina to look for other
opportunities abroad

Fun Fact!
-

Most Argentines drink Mate every morning.

Its practically their Argentine version of coffee

-

They also have a Siesta or nap during the middle of day.

It lasts from about 1-5 in the afternoon.

-Argentines are a small percentage of Hispanics in the United States but are their own country and culture!
-Immigrated to the United States for a better life or opportunities like most of the population.
-Tango dance evolved the same way as African-Americans in NYC in lower-class districts of Buenos Aires.

Works Cited
"Learn to Dance Tango with Ballroomdancers.com." Learn to Dance Tango with Ballroomdancers.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 28 July 2016.
Meier, Carol. "Tango Its Not Just A Dance." YouTube. YouTube, 05 Aug. 2015. Web. 31 July 2016.
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqfyhDeuX0w>.
Theodoros, II. "25 Cool Facts About Argentina." List25. List25.com, 28 June 2016. Web. 31 July 2016.
<http://list25.com/25-cool-facts-about-argentina/>.
"History of Argentina." Argentina Travel Guide. AllAboutAR.com, 2012. Web. 31 July 2016.
<http://www.allaboutar.com/history.htm>.

Randall, Vernellia. "Racial Discrimination in Argentina." Racial Discrimination in Argentina. Human Rights Documentation Center, Sept.
2001. Web. 01 Aug. 2016. <http://academic.udayton.edu/race/06hrights/georegions/southamerica/argentina01.htm>.
"Free+tango+clip+art - Google Search." Free+tango+clip+art - Google Search. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug.
2016.
"Instructivo." : Martn Fierro, La Ida. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Aug. 2016.

Works Cited (continued)

"Argentine Tango." To Argentine Tango Dancing. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
Burdett, Brooke. "Argentina's Economic Crisis and Tango." Argentina's Economic Crisis and Tango. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
"History of the Tango." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
Garcia, Cristian. "Being Argentinian in the United States." Dartmouth.edu. WordPress, n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
Brown, Anna, and Eileen Patten. "Hispanics of Argentinean Origin in the United States, 2011." Pew Research Centers Hispanic Trends
Project RSS. N.p., 19 June 2013. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
"Fun Argentina Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about Argentina." Fun Argentina Facts for Kids - Interesting Information about
Argentina. N.p., 8 July 2016. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.
"Argentina Tango - History, Styles and Music." Argentina Tango - History, Styles and Music. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.