Very Brief History of Tango

• Draw or find an image of a 19th century Buenos Aires tenement (“conventillo”) where communal tango music and dance occurred
• Discuss differences between
  • Golden Age style social dancing
  • Stage adaptation of the 80s
  • Ballroom adaptation
• Contrast club-based learning (men’s clubs) with ballroom-informed learning
• Read the below and reflect on tango in the context of 20th century history: “This is the essence of what makes tango unique. Because of its environment, it evolved as a dance whose aim was the giving of pleasure to the other person, with the understanding that giving pleasure to the other person was the wisest road to pleasure for oneself.” – Christine Denniston, The Meaning of Tango
• Articulate the musical and cultural influences, that gave rise to tango and contribute to its evolution.

Credit: Felipe Martinez for social dancing video