[Tango-L] tango ni brothels

[Tony]

Hi Charles,
Interesting post, we're in accord that Tango was danced there, but I 
still don't see it as a credible place for its origins. You say maybe 
the first tango wasn't danced there, so perhaps we're not thinking that 
differently. But I'm not convinced that the early evolution of the dance 
took place there. As I see it, men learned dance in part to wow the 
women they were after, but the drive to make such  a complex dance that 
takes years to master can't be there in the brothel - the guys surely 
went with one thing in mind, and once the money was handed over, it was 
a done deal. I'm not ignoring the sexuality of the dance, but many 
dances have this, and some are more blatant (eg groin contact is the 
norm, whereas in Tango it is avoided.)

CD's explanation is that men, waiting for the services of the 
courtesans, being entertained by Tango musicians whilst waiting, would 
use the opportunity to practice... and hence be observed by upper and 
middle classes with whom they wouldn't normally mix - and yes, they'd 
write about this new dance they'd seen at the brothels. It seems a 
coherent explanation.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Tony

Crrtango at aol.com wrote:
> Tango in brothels is not a cliche or myth, it is true. You can read about 
> this in many places.   The world of mostly male, early Buenos Aires was a very 
> different world until enough women eventually came to balance it out.   In the 
> beginning the brothel was about the only place to find a woman, so it became a 
> social venue of sorts; dancing and music were a part of it.   The "very first" 
> tango may not have been played in one, nor were they the sole place to hear 
> tango, but tango definitely has roots there.   Tango was not considered very 
> respectable so there weren't any respectable establishments that would allow it. 
>   There are even some interesting theories about how the high ratio of men to 
> women would cause men to practice tango steps together so that when they were 
> in the brothels they could dance well with the courtesans, thus improving 
> their odds at having their favors.   
>
> It seems fairly obvious from many of the steps...not exactly a minuet.
>
> Cheers,
> Charles
>
>
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