[Tango-L] tango ni brothels

[Floyd Baker]

On Sun, 09 Mar 2008 11:18:18 +0000, you wrote:

>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.)

You deny a basic origin but use as your reason only that it has
evolved into an such a complex dance that takes years to master.   
You lay it on the 'drive' required..?  You mean just to improvise?  Or
sex?  Or Simply wanting to show off?   Or make money?  What drive are
you speaking of?  

Personally I don't consider it a complex dance at all.  The ladies, as
did the cortesans, only need to step in one of just three directions.
And be ready to pivot, reverse direction, and a few other minor
modifications while doing any of those three steps.   It is precicely
that the men practiced together learning to think up and work out all
the modifications themselves, and how to integrate them and string
them, to be true leaders,  without asking anything more from the
ladies, that more and more of these modifications and foot patterns
came to be deployed to the ladies, by the leaders, one step at a
time.., came about...  

>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?
 
I hope that includes me..  :-)

It is not  a johnny come lately CD explanation.   Other than that CD's
got their information from the same sources we all have.   It has been
explained as being developed by men to take to the bordellos, for the
past 25 years of A/T history telling, in books movies, and the tales
from As.Bs. itself, that I'm aware of at least.   I've never heard of
any other explanation.  

Bordellos were not just cat houses btw.  They were fairly complete and
exotic places of entertainment.., offering lounges, drinks, games,
conversation, and of course dancing...  The ladies wanting to be
appealing to the men.., not the other way around..,  but they having
the time for dance lessons.   So they employed the kiss method.   

It is most certainly that which the men took and ran with.  They had
nothing better to do with their time, eh?  

>Cheers,
>Tony

I'm with you Charles.., below, but I'll snip your post anyway.., just
for bandwidth brevity.

Floyd

>Crrtango at aol.com wrote:
>> Tango in brothels is not a cliche or myth, it is true. 
<snip>

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