What Makes Argentine Dance Special

What is your dance and where is it from?

In the text, the writer focused on the Argentina's form of Tango dance. The dance involves gracious movements by a male and female partners and features hand holding and hips holding while gyrating to music and timely leg and body movements as seen in the video below: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taUfmQL4-w)

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What is the origination of the dance?

Introduced in the Argentinian republic during the 18th century, the Argentina Tango dance originated around River Plate in Argentina. The dance came about as a result of the interaction between impoverished natives of these areas with Europeans and slaves in the region. It is mainly a social dance associated with weddings and other such social gatherings.

What is the meaning of the dance?

The Tango dance presents the historical record of Argentina through the various means in which it has evolved. This is reflected in the fashion as well as the elegance that was the signature weapon used by the underprivileged against the mocks of the higher classes in the society. This ultimately led to its nicknaming as the "sorrow dance," bolstered by how it was performed, in silence and with improvised dance moves. The dance was used to honor deities and used in ceremonies ("What Makes Argentine Dance Special?").

An overview of the country and culture?

Argentinas is a South American country located south of Brazil and bordering Uruguay to the East. The capital city is Buenos Aires, which is the cultural, political and economic powerhouse of the country. The country boasts of more than 40 native languages and features a diverse cultural base including dance and music. The main language spoken is Spanish, although it also has a large number of Italian speakers as well as other minorities in the population. The country also features an array of different races among the population, creating a culturally diverse community.

Important facts of importance about this country or region?

The country is one of the largest in the Latin Americas, stretching over 4000Km from north to South. It features some of the world's most magnificent natural features and landscapes including the Andes mountain ranges among others. It also has one of the longest coastlines in the south Americas, given its strategic location at the southern point of the continent.

It is rich in natural resources coupled with an excellent highly educated population that enable it to become one of the strongest economies in the Latin Americas today. Among its most celebrated Cultures is the Tango dance that has spread its roots all over the world albeit with different variations depending on the country.

The political landscape of Argentina has been that of turmoil, given a long history of coups by the country's military thus subjecting the economy to wide fluctuations over the past years ("Argentina Country Profile").

What costumes and props are traditional worn, the significance behind the style or colour and why?

The Tango dance is mostly performed in light and elegant costumes as well as shoes to allow easy movements for both men and women. Women today are free to choose either long or short dresses as opposed to the past, even though they should reflect the elegance that is the signature of the dance. In the past, the main color was orange as it reflected the theme of the dance. Today though, the choice of color depends on the dancers as long as they resonate elegance and grace ("Tango Dresses - Guide To Tango Clothing And Fashion").

Where the dance is traditionally performed and where can we see it today?

The Tango dance is a favorite in official dance ceremonies in Argentina. Rarely does a dance celebration or part such as wedding go by without the involvement of the dance. Occasions such as informal family gatherings also prominently feature the dance style when they are held. In a way, it has become culturally ingrained in Argentina society as it incorporates respectful dance without the unnecessary, immoral variations that have cropped up in other parts of the world during recent times ("What Makes Argentine Dance Special?"). Today, with the evolution of technology, dance art is performed in theatres and broadcast over electronic media to the masses.

Who are famous dancers of this art form? Can anyone learn and perform this dance? Where do you learn this dance? Are there any restrictions like gender or age?

Some of the most famous Tango dancers in the country include Ada Cornaro who was active in the 1920s to 1940s. She was also an actress and was admired the world over due to her gracious dancing style and moves. In modern times, Abdel Guerrero has emerged to be one of the most famous professional Tango dancers in the Latin Americas due to this kind of dancing style. The Tango dance in Argentina has no age restrictions, and interested learners can enrol in professional dance schools and learn the art, though young children generally shy away from the sport.

What music and instruments accompanies this dance?

The Argentina Tango dance features a variety of moves which have been incorporated in the other forms of tango around the world. This specific form of tango features slow movement to fit a slow tempo with hand holding graciously gyrating hips of the partner. The dance style also works with a slow-moving tempo but could go well with several different genres of music. Most famous in Argentina is the slow Techno music that natives mostly dance to. This type of dance was the original form that has been adopted and modified by other players and which today form the basis of the modern Tango dance.

How has the dance been affected by commercialism and cultural appropriation?

Commercialism refers to the changes and modification done in order to make the dance commercially marketable while cultural appropriation refer to the manner in which the society view this practice. While the youth in Argentina have mostly adopted Western dancing styles that go with fast-moving Tempo, the Tango dance is practiced mostly by older generations in the society made up of people who still enjoy the kind of music that goes with it and who still enjoy the old culture of going out to such parties and dances.

Works Cited

"Argentina Country Profile." BBC News. N.p., 2019. Web. 14 Apr. 2019.

"Tango Dresses - Guide To Tango Clothing And Fashion." Dancefacts.net. N.p., 2019. Web. 14 Apr. 2019.

"What Makes Argentine Dance Special?." ThoughtCo. N.p., 2019. Web. 14 Apr. 2019.