Submitted by Margaret Costello on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in Argentina sponsored by the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures…
This week, we got to see a tango show and I think that it was probably one of the top highlights of this program. We have been learning a lot about tango within our classes such as its origins, what the music means and what the dance symbolizes. As for the origins, tango was created right here in Buenos Aires. This is really cool because we were able to see a tango show in its birthplace. However, the show was very modern and much different than what tango was like when it first originated. The music that is sung during tango dances is always very sad and about loss of love. Tango music also contains a lot of lunfardo, which is the slang they use here in Argentina. Lastly, the dance is very sexual, erotic, and dramatic. We definitely saw this exemplified at the tango show that we saw. Overall, this was an amazing experience and one of my favorites so far. It was great to experience something that we have been learning in class since week one.
