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TANGO: An Expression of Contemporary Relationships
It takes two to tango!
Posted October 20, 2015
An Expression of Contemporary Relationships
By Dr. Ana Nogales
The emergence of the tango can be dated back to the late nineteenth century in the Southern Cone region of Latin America. This region was permeated with an influx of European immigrants, the majority of whom were single men and held proletariat jobs such as artisans and laborers. When they were not working strenuously to provide for themselves, they would gather with fellow immigrants to drink and dance the night away. These immigrants easily identified with the lyrics of the tango that spoke of the arduous working class experience of the time. Tango ultimately became a symbol of the underground culture and the struggle to survive.
Initially, tango was a combination of preexisting genres such as Polkas and Corridos. It was during this early phase that troubadours, otherwise known as poets, recognized tango as a platform to tell their stories in a way that they were unable to in the past. Tango brought their stories to life and provided their audiences with vivid imagery to accompany the words of the songs. It additionally served as a means for immigrant men and women to dance and mingle, although it was primarily danced by men. Due to the provocative nature of the dance and the rawness of the lyrics (as well as being synonymous with alcohol), it was resisted by mainstream society and was shoved to the confinements of the underground culture. For this reason, whorehouses became a safe haven for tango.
It was not until later that men who danced tango were officially deemed as “hoodlums” by the public. While the term was relatively in relation to their perceived delinquency, it also signified the patriarchal dominance that existed in their culture and the “machismo” essence of the time. The woman’s place in the tango was no different than what it was in society: passive and subordinate.
Despite the hardships that they endured in their daily lives, the hoodlums did not cry about their sorrows, nor did they feel pain because they had the tango to alleviate them at night. Tango provided them with a space to unite as societal rejects without judgment from outsiders. They could discuss their struggles and their discontents with society and not have to worry about reprisals of any kind. Ultimately, tango was the only opportunity for these distraught individuals to be themselves, as society precluded them from doing so.
The superfluous amount of male European immigrants in Latin America was immediately conducive to the sexual exploitation and trafficking of women. Much like today, women were typically lured in through deception as they were promised a way out of the poverty that consumed them in their daily lives. Thus, at its darkest phase, tango symbolized the gratification of men through the sexual degradation and abuse of women.
Later, the turn of the century initiated the integration of women into the dance in a more prominent way than ever before. With this, romance began to take its course manifested in poetry with the lyrics of the tango. This quixotic style was introduced in Paris after the First World War, at which time the dance finally gained global public acceptance.
Despite the fact that women were gaining some significance in regard to the Tango in France, it ultimately remained male dominated on a national scale. It exposed a gender dynamic that is present in domestic violence: power and control over women. Fortunately, contemporary tango confronted and transformed this style into a dance where both men and women are of equal importance to its performance. This transformation is indicative of a more modern school of thought that condemns abuse and deems it as both intolerable and detrimental to the union of a man and woman.
Both the choreography and style of the dance is symbolic of an imminent relationship between two people. The man initiates the dance alone to draw the attention of the woman and proceeds to invite her to join him. Once linked together, the man guides, leads and directs the woman with his right arm over her waist; mirroring the same effect in which a man typically governs a heterosexual relationship.
The movements of the modern tango reflect a relationship where mutual respect and harmony exist. The postures of the dancers signify the lack of intimidation of one another in their companionship. The sensuality of the hug is a symbol of acceptance that allows for connection and engagement. While both partners may temporarily drift and dance independently, they ultimately reunite as one to end the dance in synchronized harmony.
Thus, a relationship and the tango can be interpreted in similar ways. Without mutual respect and trust, neither dance partners nor romantic partners can flourish. It takes two to tango!
