In July 2008, I went back to Singapore to give a series of tango workshops. There were already more than four pairs of tango teachers existing in our small tango community of Singapore. In which no more than twenty dancers could really call themselves regular and hardcore tango addicts who dance every week.
Hence the main challenges I faced were: What made me special from the other teachers? How could I attract students? What could I offer to the tango community that the other local teachers could not?
I thought to myself one very obvious advantage I had was the fact that I had been in Buenos Aires dancing tango for the past two years. Which no one else in Singapore could say they did the same.
So my tagline was "Bringing Tango from Buenos Aires to You". True essence that separates just a series of dramatized choreographed movements from the real tango; the 'Buenos Aires tango'.
True essence which separates the fake 'Made-in-China' Armani t-shirts and the real ones. That which separates an americanized 'chinese chop suey' and real exquisite cantonese food.
Essence of true tango from Buenos Aires... What an ambition. What snobbery. But is not it the very thing thousands of tango pilgrims come searching for in Buenos Aires?
What then? I asked myself... Is so special about this 'Buenos Aires tango'?
For the lack of a better word; culture. This thing that makes 'Buenos Aires Tango'; that makes it 'porteno'; that makes it authentic, is the whole culture behind the dance.
So what then? Is the 'culture' of tango? That would include the social codes and etiquette of the milonga, the different dance styles and the reasons for their existence, the history of the dance, the music and so much more.
Hence, while I was back in Singapore as a much better dancer technically; while I had learnt some complicated and exciting sequences; while I had observed and copied some fancy women's feet adornments; the most important thing I possessed were the firsthand experiences and insights about the cultural aspect of the dance.
The things I got after two years dancing in the traditional milongas of Buenos Aires; with the argentine dancers... they really got something the very few foreigners possess.
The things that I really wanted to convey to the participants of my workshop. Hence I wrote a series of articles which were called 'Midsummeer Nights Tango Introduction Series.' In hope to open the door for my students, to the essence of this wonderful dance called tango.
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Midsummer Nights' Tango Introduction Series: Part 1
Low Class Beginnings
Around 1870s, a large number of European and african immigrants came to Argentina, Buenos Aires. Bringing along with them their native music and folk dances. These European folk dances; polkas, waltzes, were mixed with the African candombe and other South American folk dances, particularly the 'habanera' from Cuba. A new type of dance was formed the 'milonga'or 'tango'.
At that time, 'tango' or 'milonga' also meant a place to dance or a gathering place. Indeed amongst the gathering places of the low class immigrants in the busy port of Buenos Aires, the dance and music of tango flourished. They were typically poor and desperate, hoping to make enough money to return to Europe or bring their families to Argentina. The evolution of tango reflects their profound sense of loss and longing for the people and places they left behind. These men would meet and dance with prostitutes in a scandalous 'close hold'; chest to chest and cheek to cheek.
In those days, men outnumber women greatly; as such even prostitutes had to be impressed and seduced by the men's dancing skills. Men would practise amongst men before getting good enough to dance with women.
But tango soon found itself to the rich upper class young men of Buenos Aires. These young men would visit the slums of Buenos Aires and their brothels. They were fascinated by what they saw. How exciting and scandalous this dance is! Bodies rubbing together, legs invading each other's space, with flirtatious looks and caresses; they were enthralled and began to teach their upper class female cousins and friends.
Although the dance began to spread to the mid and upper classes, tango remained pretty much a vulgar, low class dance between the gangsters, pimps and prostitutes.
Europe and Tango's Golden age
In the early 1900s, the rich sons of Argentina began travelling back to Europe, especially Paris. The high society of Paris embraced this risquι and innovative dance of the young and wealthy latin men. Tango spreaded from Paris to the rest of Europe; it was the dance of the moment!
The upper class argentines were forced to accept this once low class and rejected dance as a form of national pride. Tango returned to Argentina with triumph and thus, ushered in the golden age of tango, which lasted from the 1930s to late 1950s.
Military Junta and Tango's Decline
Tango's decline started in 1950s, where there was great economic depression in Argentina and Argentina was ruled by military dictatorship. The dictatorship banned the dance as the music started to become political. At the same time, rock and roll became very popular, taking over tango.
Resurgence
Mid 1980s, the show 'Tango Argentino' opened in Paris and received critical acclaim worldwide. Once again, tango was popular. Late 1990s, Gustavo Naveira, Fabian Salas and Pablo Veron introduced the 'tango nuevo' style. Since then, many different tango academies emerged and tango is currently a worldwide phenomenon, reaching even our tiny Singapore shores!
