Outdoor Tango
When I first heard of tango in the streets of San Telmo I thought it awkward. I couldn’t imagine it being anything more than a spectacle to amuse tourists. And often it is. But When I first saw the dance in Plaza Dorrego I was surprised by how well it came off. The statuesque woman kicking her legs and flashing dark skin thanks to the long slit in her dress and slim young man gliding in his black suit atop the cobblestone felt natural. Even still, I doubted the authenticity of the performance would hold up to many viewings. (Below is a clip taken before my move here, but it is the same woman I’ve watched)
I spent a lot of time in and around Plaza Dorrego waiting for Short Cut to emerge from classes. How many times I’ve seen tango that way in the plaza and elsewhere in the city I don’t know. Perhaps dozens of times. Some partners are campier than others, like bald, heavy set, middle-aged man who occasionally slaps his young red headed partner’s ass in a playful ‘thrill of the chase’ drama before beginning to dance as though at their cafe tables are watching a music video. However, the concept still works. The dancers never seem out of place. Perhaps it is because tango is so much more interesting than the exaggerated image of the dancers clasped hands pointed in the direction they mechanically stride until stopping and shaking their heads violently, dipping the woman, and changing direction. Oh, and that business of the rose in their teeth. Or it could be that tango music is also better than the soundtrack that always seemed to accompany that ridiculous movie scene–no doubt a perversion of the classic La Cumparsita (particularly at 0:50, 2:10. and 3:12).
Undoubtedly, however, the setting is perfect. Some cultural periods, movements, eras (whichever you prefer) are born of something so deep in a collective consciousness it is inextricable. Before long these movements come to define the people better than anything that came before. Like reggae for Jamaica and salsa for Cubans and Puerto Ricans, tango still pulses in the veins of the city. There is a palpable romance everywhere that comes from the buildings, the music, the way people dress and behave. Taken from its surroundings, outdoor tango would just be another diversion at Disney’s Tangoland.
Explore posts in the same categories: Barrios, San Telmo
