Photo by Preillumination Seth on Unsplash [December 21, 2018]
Research Questions/Intro
- How does the Argentine Tango provide an outlet for the queer community to express themselves in Urban Latin American Spaces?
- How does the Argentine Tango transform gender roles in Urban Latin American Spaces?
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash [February 13, 2017]
Narrative/Overview
This research project dives into the relationship of ballroom dancing and gender and sexuality in Urban Latin American Spaces. This is an interesting relationship to hone in on because it dives into the expression of gender and sexuality in a more abstract sense if the queer community is not able to express who they are through their physical appearance, they would find another outlet that allows them to do so. As for the Tango’s relationship with women, it places an emphasis on patriarchal societies and how women are actively trying to go against that. This research proposal would be most ideal for academics who study Latinx American countries and scholars who are well-versed in the fine arts. While this is intended for history classes, it could also be used as a source for performing arts classes. This research kit poses the following questions, “How does the Argentine Tango provide an outlet for the queer community to express themselves in Urban Latin American Spaces?” and, “How does the Argentine Tango transform gender roles in Urban Latin American Spaces?” These key questions will be guiding my research in order to create an adequate research kit.
When one pictures the Argentine tango, they imagine a man and woman making cuts and breaks with their bodies while gliding across the dance floor. The man leads the woman through the motions, and she quickly follows his twists and turns. The Argentine tango is a classic example of binary roles in fine arts. Since it was first introduced in the late 19th century, women and other feminists believe that the binary roles should disappear. The LGBTQ+ exemplified the lack of gender roles after tango’s resurgence in the 1990s. They have slowly evolved the Argentine tango into what is now considered “Queer Tango.” While there are still men and women that dance the Argentine tango with one another, the queers have claimed the tango as their safe space and a way to express themselves. The Argentine tango has allowed space for social change in Urban Latin American spaces for women and the LGBTQ+ because women combatted the concept of the gender roles by attempting to take the lead in dance, while and becoming more inclusive for the queer community.
According to Sirena Pellarolo, the Argentine Tango is a result of “the coming together of rural milongas (Pellarolo, 2008),” which include a mix of Spanish and Italian tunes and candombes: a style of music and dance that originated from enslaved African (Mizen, 2017). In order to understand the change women and the LGBTQ+ brought to the Argentine tango, one must first understand the history of the tango itself. This shows us how the dance has always changed over time. Initially, the tango evolved out of a multi-racial working class neighborhood in southern Buenos Aires. The dance, at first, was considered a fight dance that was executed strictly by men back in the 1800s. According to Marvin Holt, the tango was an act of pretending to fight, but then it turned into an actual fight (Holt, 2017). It was more prevalent amongst the lower classes in urban spaces like Buenos Aires. But later on in the 1910s, a more refined version of the tango came along when it spread to Europe by the Argentinian elite. There has been much development within the dance over the last two centuries in terms of who became accessible to it and how it has transformed into a dance that was used in movements for feminism and the LGBTQ+ community.
Historically, Argentina has been a patriarchal society where men are given formal or legal rights — ones which women had to fight for. The power dynamic between men and women has always been a dominant/submissive relationship, in which the women would comply with what the men would say. This holds true socially, politically, and economically, but this relationship can also be seen in the Argentine tango. As previously mentioned, men lead the dance, while the women follow in his footsteps trying to keep up with the fast-pace of the dance. Juliet McMains, author of Rebellious Wallflowers and Queer Tangueras: The Rise of Female leaders in Buenos Aires’ Tango Scene, examines the male/female relationship in this ballroom dance. She writes, “Women note that the differing responsibilities of tango leaders and followers have consequences that shape the social environments in which tango is practiced (McMains, 2018).” By this, McMains means that a lot of feminists believe that the control that the power dynamics between people dancing the tango creates social change, whether it be good or bad.
A prime example of the power dynamic between men and women dancing the tango could be found in popular culture. In the 2006 musical (turned movie) Rent, it displayed struggling artists in New York facing hardships like making ends meet, relationships, and sexual health. In a scene from the movie, two of the main characters–Mark and Joanne–sing about a common [ex] lover: Maureen. Through song they talk about Maureen, and eventually begin to tango. Joanne swiftly takes the leading role from Mark, while he complains that following a woman is hard. Later in the song, Mark, Joanne, and Maureen tango together, making it visually unclear who is trying to take the lead and who is trying to follow. The, “Tango: Maureen,” emphasizes Joanne’s dominance over Mark goes against societal morale. Even though Joanne’s comment about taking the lead in heels was small, it was monumental because it was a woman trying to assert dominance over a man through dance. This signifies that the Argentine tango was a tool in creating a space for social change through the expression of the fine arts. By taking the lead, it was breaking from the heteronormative rules of society, allowing a woman to gain independence and move freely in urban spaces in Latin America.
The LGBTQ+ has transformed the standard binary of the Argentine tango into something of their own. “Queer Tango,” as it is now referred to, was a development in the late 1990s, in which the norm in tango classes was men leading and/or following other men due to the lack of women in these classes. In another scholarly article written by Juliet McMains, Queer Tango Space: Minority Stress, Sexual Potentiality, and Gender Utopias, she claims:
[Queer tango] is the intentional creation of a space in which the disruption of gender roles in the dance itself can influence the social structures surrounding the dance. Thus, even more important than who is dancing or how they are dancing, queer tango depends on a where. Queer tango is enabled through the designation and naming of a queer space that creates possibilities for alternate social interactions, relationships, and experiences to come into being, even if only temporarily, for the duration of a single milonga, festival, or class. (McMains, 2018)
McMains places an emphasis on queer tango being referred to as a where, instead of what. As mentioned previously, there are many areas in Buenos Aires, Argentina that are catered specifically for the queer community; places they are able to gather and feel accepted as well as safe. In the Gay Buenos Aires: The Essential LGBTQ+ Travel Guide, it lists many things to do in Buenos Aires that is fun and safe for people in the queer community to experience. One of these things include the Piazzolla Tango Show: a performance inspired by Astor Piazzolla. They offer tango lessons prior to the show– creating a safe space for those part of the LBGTQ+ (Queerintheworld.com, 2020). Queer Tango allows those willing to participate to freely express themselves through the use of their bodies and the art of dance. This offers a safe space for queers and allows them to socialize, exchange, learn and practice tango as a new way of communication (Queerintheworld.com, 2020). Because women fought to combat the gender roles in the Argentine tango, it became a segue for the LGBTQ+ to transform it into something of their own. This has significantly impacted urban Latin American spaces such as Buenos Aires, Argentina. The capital of Argentina has become a hub for Queer Tango because of what the city has to offer for the LGBTQ+ community.
Since the passing of same-sex marriage in Argentina in 2010, many safe spaces have been created for the LGBTQ+; one of them being the tango. Gender roles are non-existent, and men, women, non-binary people, whatever they identify as, have been given the freedom to decide if they want to lead or follow when taking dance classes in Buenos Aires. McMains claims, “[In Buenos Aires], never did a teacher suggest I dance the ‘women’s role’ when I came to class expressing an interest in leading, even when there was a shortage of followers (McMains, 2018).” This places an emphasis on the lack of binaries people have moved towards in urban Latin American spaces. It is important to take note of this because it encourages women and queers be who they want to be freely, without the constraints of societal norms.
Through the expression of fine arts, a space for social change was created. The Argentine tango aided women to break the gender role stereotypes by taking the lead and having the men follow them. This was apparent in the American musical, Rent. It also catered to the queer community by creating a safe space for them and helping them express themselves without the judgement of others. This was done by having activities specific for the LGBTQ+ only in Buenos Aires, Argentina. While one merely thinks that the Argentine tango is just a type of ballroom dance with sharp movements and intimate chemistry with one’s partner, it is also a catalyst for social change in urban Latin American society.
Photo by Nihal Demirci Erenay on Unsplash [April 17, 2019]
Primary Sources Annotated Bibliography
Havmoeller, B. (2015). The Queer Tango Book. The Queer Tango Project. 11. Retrieved November 28, 2022, from http://queertangobook.org/publications/the-queer-tango-book-2015/
In the prologue of The Queer Tango Book, there is a poem written by Kristín Bjarnadóttir describing the tango using one’s five senses. This is a good source to use for the research kit because it is a more abstract take on what the Tango is. In the beginning of it, there is a serene tone then it transitions into a more rigid tone, describing how the tango engulfs a person. This is good to reference in a research proposal because it is a creative way to describe the tango and it could be related back to how women and LGBTQ+ feel when they tango.
McMains. (2018). Queer Tango Space: Minority Stress, Sexual Potentiality, and Gender Utopias. TDR : Drama Review, 62(2), 59–77. https://doi.org/10.1162/DRAM_a_00748
This source writes more like a memoir, but it is still helpful to a research kit. McMains describes the lack of binary in the tango, and how that developed in the 1990s. She also discusses the concept of “Queer tango” as a whole, and how that differs from the classic Argentine tango. This opens up even more discussion because she relates it back to psychological concepts: minority stress, sexual potentiality, and gender utopias.
Queerintheworld.com. “Gay Buenos Aires: The Essential LGBT Travel Guide!” Queer In The World, Queer In the World, 4 Aug. 2021, https://queerintheworld.com/gay-buenos-aires-travel-guide/.
This source is a travel guide specifically for people part of the LGBTQ+ who want to travel to Buenos Aires, Argentina. This is a compiled list of a lot of things to do in the city that are queer-friendly, and places that are safe spaces for them. It is a good source to reference when creating this research kit because it lists a lot of places queer people can tango or even watch others tango, which places an emphasis on how the Argentine Tango has had an impact on the LGBTQ+ community.
Photo by Stéphan Valentin on Unsplash [August 9, 2018]
Secondary Sources Annotated Bibliography
Columbus, Chris, director. Rent, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, 2006, Accessed 29 Nov. 2022
About thirty minutes into Rent, two of the main characters Mark and Joanne converse through song about their common interest: Maureen. As they sing, they begin to dance the Argentine Tango. Joanne suddenly takes the leading role from Mark, shocking Mark and causing him to complain about how hard it is to follow. This scene in Rent is great to reference in this research kit because it shows how women combat the gender roles in tango, and goes against the patriarchal history that the tango has.
Holt, M. (2017, April 13). Music – the dance of the tango. Fairburn Royals. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.fairburnroyals.com/music-dance-tango/
Marvin Holt describes a brief history of the tango which is useful when curating research proposals. This was a very concise article regarding tango being considered a fight dance before becoming a ballroom dance. It shows how the tango has changed in the last two centuries, making this a good article to use when wanting to discuss change and/or continuity over time in regards to the Argentine tango.
McMains. (2018). Rebellious Wallflowers and Queer Tangueras: The Rise of Female Leaders in Buenos Aires’ Tango Scene. Dance Research, 36(2), 173–197. https://doi.org/10.3366/drs.2018.0237
This source is especially useful for research about the relationship between the Argentine Tango and gender and sexuality. McMains dives into the development of the Tango and how it transformed into a dance that a lot of LGBTQ+ people use as an outlet to express themselves because of its revival in the 1990’s where men practiced together in class because it wasn’t common for women to be taking a dance class. This connects to her McMains’s other point, in which she dives into women having to conform to such a binary, dominant/submissive standard, in which the women would do more work following, while the men led the dance.
Mizen, G. (2017, January 19). A brief history of the Uruguayan candombe. Culture Trip. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://theculturetrip.com/uruguay/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-uruguayan-candombe/
This source is helpful because it draws onto the history of components that have contributed to the development of the Argentine tango. The Candombe was an essential part of establishing syncopated rhythms in the tango, which is why the tango is such a distinctive type of ballroom dance compared to the rest. The brief history of the candombe allows the readers to get a better understanding for the roots of the tango.
Pellarolo. (2008). Queering Tango: Glitches in the Hetero-National Matrix of a Liminal Cultural Production. Theatre Journal (Washington, D.C.), 60(3), 409–431. https://doi.org/10.1353/tj.0.0064
This source is useful when conducting research on the Argentine tango because it describes a lot of the history. It touches a lot on how the dance spread to a lot of European countries before it became the center of an archetype– the Latin Lover– in Hollywood movies. This article was interesting because it touched on the hetero-normative topics and how it contributed to the history of the tango.
Glossary
Queer Tango: “[The Queer Tango is] a space for tango open to everyone. A space for meeting, socializing, learning, and practice that seeks to explore different forms of communication between those who dance. The queer tango does not presuppose the sexual orientation of its dancers nor their taste for occupying one role or another when dancing.” (Docampo, 2009) http://buenosairestangoqueer.blogspot.com/2009/04/que-es-tango-queer.html
Milongas: “Like the tango dance, the milonga relies on close physical proximity between dance partners. However, it’s typically looser, less complex, and faster-paced than the tango. The dance may also incorporate elements of comedy, including improvisations and jerky or exaggerated moves.” (Masterclass, 2021) https://www.masterclass.com/articles/milonga-dance-guide
Minority Stress: “A concept developed by psychologists to describe the cumulative effects of alienation and anxiety members of any group (e.g., racial, ethnic, sexual) endure in a world where they are continually facing microaggressions, harassment, and isolation.” (Meyer, 2003) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2072932/
Candombe: “Candombe is a rhythm– a style of drumming and dance that first surfaced among the young people of African slave descent in the late 18th century.” (Mizen, 2017) https://theculturetrip.com/uruguay/articles/a-brief-history-of-the-uruguayan-candombe/
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