“The Meaning of Tango: the story of the Argentinean dance”
by Christine Denniston.
“When I first fell in love with the Tango, I aimed to make myself as nice to dance with as possible so that good dancers would want to dance with me.”
“I was very fortunate to have encountered a group of people determined to understand how Tango was danced in Buenos Aires. To begin with, we took classes where we could and shared the little information we had. Often we found that the things different people told us about the Tango were contradictory and confusing. There was only one thing to do: go to Buenos Aires and find out how it was done.” (Quoted from the introduction)
More quotes:
“the length of time a person has been dancing may give little indication of how pleasant they will be to dance with – unless their experience of learning the dance has allowed them to learn at least part of what was learned by the people who danced in the prácticas and milongas of the Golden Age.”
Exploring the Heart of Tango: From Dance to Cultural Passion
I had the pleasure and honor to be interviewed by Vance Woods (Independent Writer/Editor | Team Lead – Translations/Copy Editor – USA | Archivoz Magazine | Cataloger Valley Library Oregon State University) for his blog “Becoming Argentina.”
We talked about how I got to where I am today and how the Escuela de Tango de Buenos Aires came into being, about Tango as a multifaceted manifestation in dance, music, poetry, and more. He asked me what my favorite tango lyrics are, about Tango, Argentina, and Buenos Aires, about the effects the Covid-19 pandemic has had on Tango culture, about what it means to be a milonguero, on Tango as an industry as opposed to Tango as a cultural practice, and how these two aspects interact; and why do you I think that Tango has so strongly appeal.
I enjoyed so much this interview and I know you are going to enjoy it too.
Director & writer: Sally Potter. Stars: Sally Potter, Pablo Verón.
In this movie you may identify many elements that you had gone through in your own process of discovering the art and passion of Tango.
The plot is simple: A scriptwriter comes to Paris to work on her film. There she discovers Tango and takes lessons, developing a relationship with a dancer.
The film, a co-production of Argentina, France, Germany, Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
The soundtrack includes original iconic Argentine Tango recordings.
“Si sos brujo: una historia de tango” (original title)
Stars: Emilio Balcarce, Leopoldo Federico, Ernesto Franco, and more…
Si Sos Brujo is a heartfelt, inspiring film that could do for Argentine Tango what the Buena Vista Social Club did for the music and musicians of Cuba illuminating an evolving culture, a way of life and the triumph of preserving one of the most intricate musical traditions of the world, following nearly 50 years of relative obscurity.
This beautifully shot documentary brings the compelling story of a group of young Argentine musicians racing against time to learn and preserve the elegant and nuanced music played by the legendary Golden Age tango orchestras of Buenos Aires in the 40s and 50s.
If you are familiar with the names of Pugliese, Troilo, Di Sarli and D’Arienzo, this film is essential viewing.
Learn more about Argentine Tango watching: “Tango, bayle nuestro”
“Tango, Our Dance” (English Subtitled)
Interviews with milongueros, Argentine Tango masters and performers in 1987.
Director Jorge Zanada spent years researching and recording the Tango’s place in Argentine culture.
The sensuality and stylized ritual of the tango are captured in this illuminating documentary.
Most riveting are the milongueros-the amateur dancers who preserve the pure, traditional steps.
Their intimate stories about their personal experiences reveal the intensity that feed their individual Tango styles.
Numerous tango aficionados, including actors Robert Duvall and Juan Carlos Copes (star of Broadway’s TANGO ARGENTINO), make special appearances. A passionate valentine to what Martha Graham called “the most beautiful dance of this century.”
Watch this movie in YouTube (no subtitles)
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