[Tango-L] Evolution of the embrace

[Sergio Vandekier]

Caroline says:

"Was wondering if anyone can point me in the direction of historical 
archives that outlines the evolution of the embrace? From what I understood, 
close-embrace was a result of increased crowding on the dance floors. But 
then I would hear that close-embrace had been the norm since the advent of 
tango.

I'm somewhat confused because when I look at old films, it's open. When I 
look at films showing tango from the 1950's to early 1980's, it's open 
again. Seems that only in the past few decades, close-embrace became the 
norm.

Being a history major - I am really interested to find out.

thanks,

The following is only my opinion on this subject others may differ.

1- Historical archives with respect to the tango choreography in general or 
to the embrace in particular are  very difficult to find.

The reason for this paucity of references (IMO) is due to :

1-Tango has always been improvised.  It consists of steps or very short 
moves or figures that are linked together according to the inspiration of 
the dancers at the moment. This caused an infinite realm of possibilities.

2- Tango was always despised by society in general due to its prostibular 
(brothel) origins, manifested in the embrace, the choreography and the 
lyrics.

At the beginning of the century society objected not the tango itself as 
much as it did the environment, the people and the pornographic lyrics of 
tango.
Educated people in general and writers in particular never wrote about tango 
choreography.


IMO close embrace was the norm from the beginnings of tango. This embrace is 
the one exemplified by dancers of "Canyengue Style".  Waist and knees bent, 
chest to chest, the right cheek of the man pressed against the left one of 
the woman, both looking in the same direction.  The left hand of the man 
together with the right hand of the woman held low, close to the left waist 
of the man.

Fray Mocho in 1903 and Gerges Clemenceau in 1909 already noticed that the 
original tango had changed.

Nicanor Lima wrote in 1916 a method to learn to dance tango.  His method had 
depurated the original tango to make it acceptable by Argentine Society in 
general.

The tango embrace has now an erect posture, there is separation between the 
bodies.

Many people were able to dance both ways, using either embrace close or 
separated depending on where they danced at the moment.

There were changes in the music and choreography.  The music became slower, 
the original tango lost its happy, rhythmic characteristic and became 
melancholic.  The chorography was simplified, purified of "cortes y 
quebradas".  The "tango liso" appeared".

Tango was danced in society with the members of the couple very close but 
with some minimal separation, there was no contact between the chests.  
People continued to dance the old way (bodies touching) in the periphery of 
the city.

In the 40s. old figures were resuscitated and new ones were created.  The 
tango Salon was danced in a very elegant form, as today. Erect position of 
the bodies with an elastic embrace which was necessary to perform the more 
elaborated steps and figures.

The embrace was in "V" with the right nipple of the man applied on the chest 
bone of the woman, this embrace has a closed side (the right side of the 
man) and an open side (the left side of the man).  The embrace is opened and 
closed according to necessity.

In the 50s., in the very crowded milongas downtown Buenos Aires, the embrace 
and the choreography had to be adjusted to those circumstances.  The embrace 
was kept close during the whole dance, the steps became short, the figures 
simplified once more.

Summary: Sequence in history was. Close embrace, close embrace with "light" 
or minimal separation, "elastic embrace" open or close according to 
necessity, close embrace.

At present we have people that always dance in "close embrace", people that 
always dance in "open embrace", people that use an "elastic embrace", people 
that adapt the embrace to the circumstances of the moment with respect to 
available room, type of music, partner, inspiration, etc.

Matamoro, Blas. "La ciudad del tango". Editorial Galerna. Buenos Aires, 
1982.

José Gobello, "Crónica General del Tango". Ed. Fraterna. 1980. Bs. As.

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