Men Dancing with Men in Argentine Tango
There are myths on how men started dancing tango with one another. One myth is that while the men were waiting to be "serviced" they had nothing else to do but refine their dancing skills. A second myth is that the bordellos provided the waiting men with tango band for their amusement, while they waited. While both undoubtedly happen, it doesn't count for the large numbers of men who danced together nor for the wide-scale acceptance of same-sex dancing that is quite rare in other cultures.
The first reason comes from how tango was originally danced; which was out on the streets, for the tango at that time was the dance of the poor. They had less access to venues to tango and less boundaries. And so these influences created a culture which accepted many things, including dancing in the streets.
Tango was changed forever by the influx of European immigrants in the early 1900s. For example, it became unacceptable for women to dance in the streets. Also, men and women in public together was unacceptable and embracing one another was a scandal. And many young women were only allowed to go to milongas if they were accompanied by their parents. But as there were men who could afford to go to these venues, there were some that couldn't so their only option was to continue to dance in the streets. And if a man wanted to dance in the streets, he had no choice but to dance with another man.
Dancing was seen as a way to a woman's heart. And since men majorly outnumbered women in Buenos Aires in the early 1900s, competition was fierce and every edge counted. So young men could tune their skills for a long time by going to men-only practicas until they were ready to enter the couple floor where only the good dancers tango-ed. So this reinforced the need for male-only dancing. By first watching, then learning how to follow and then (when he was good enough) lead with a another young man, a male would then be taken to a milonga for an arranged dance with a woman.
The third reason for men dancing tango with men is that tango was considered immoral by the upper class and the authorities. So much so that there was a formal initiative to close all cafes and ban tango music from being played on the streets. For example, in 1916 a law was passed in Buenos Aires that banned dancing between men in dance establishments. An attempt was made to slowly eradicate it from Argentina, and we find an account in 1919 by Joaquin Belda, who in his visit to Buenos Aires for 6 months wrote that most of the cafes were either closed or empty. This of course resulted in even further reduced access to couples dancing tango, so to dance tango, men had to dance with each other.
The first reason comes from how tango was originally danced; which was out on the streets, for the tango at that time was the dance of the poor. They had less access to venues to tango and less boundaries. And so these influences created a culture which accepted many things, including dancing in the streets.
Tango was changed forever by the influx of European immigrants in the early 1900s. For example, it became unacceptable for women to dance in the streets. Also, men and women in public together was unacceptable and embracing one another was a scandal. And many young women were only allowed to go to milongas if they were accompanied by their parents. But as there were men who could afford to go to these venues, there were some that couldn't so their only option was to continue to dance in the streets. And if a man wanted to dance in the streets, he had no choice but to dance with another man.
Dancing was seen as a way to a woman's heart. And since men majorly outnumbered women in Buenos Aires in the early 1900s, competition was fierce and every edge counted. So young men could tune their skills for a long time by going to men-only practicas until they were ready to enter the couple floor where only the good dancers tango-ed. So this reinforced the need for male-only dancing. By first watching, then learning how to follow and then (when he was good enough) lead with a another young man, a male would then be taken to a milonga for an arranged dance with a woman.
The third reason for men dancing tango with men is that tango was considered immoral by the upper class and the authorities. So much so that there was a formal initiative to close all cafes and ban tango music from being played on the streets. For example, in 1916 a law was passed in Buenos Aires that banned dancing between men in dance establishments. An attempt was made to slowly eradicate it from Argentina, and we find an account in 1919 by Joaquin Belda, who in his visit to Buenos Aires for 6 months wrote that most of the cafes were either closed or empty. This of course resulted in even further reduced access to couples dancing tango, so to dance tango, men had to dance with each other.
About the Author:
Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin have been choreographing, educating, performing and composing amazing choreography for over thirty years. The operate NYC's premier dance center. If you are want to kcurrently more history of any dances make sure you check out their site. They are currently teaching dance lessons in NYC.
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