The Hidden History of the Tango, Samba and Tap Dancing
Summary
TLDRThis lecture explores the denial of polyculturalism in the development of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing, emphasizing how these art forms originated from diverse cultural exchanges. Tango from Argentina, Samba from Brazil, and tap dancing from the U.S. were initially influenced by African, Indigenous, and European traditions. Over time, these dances were 'whitened' to appeal to middle and upper-class audiences, erasing their multicultural roots. The lecture highlights how political, social, and economic factors contributed to this transformation, underscoring the broader impact of colonialism and racial hierarchies on cultural practices.
Takeaways
- đ Polyculturalism highlights that no culture exists in isolation, but rather as a product of continuous cultural exchanges.
- đ Tango, Samba, and Tap Dancing all originated from a blend of African, Indigenous, and European influences in their respective countries.
- â Port cities, like Buenos Aires and Rio de Janeiro, were cultural hubs where marginalized communities contributed to the development of dances like Tango and Samba.
- đ¶ Tango originated in Argentina from a mix of African, Indigenous, and European (Italian and Spanish) musical influences, but was later sanitized and 'whitened' to appeal to middle and upper classes.
- đș Samba, originally an Afro-Brazilian art form, also underwent a process of whitening to align with European tastes, becoming more acceptable to higher social classes and international audiences.
- đ Tap dancing in the United States evolved from a fusion of African rhythmic dance styles and Irish step dancing, particularly in urban, working-class neighborhoods.
- đ Tap dancing was stripped of its African-American origins as it gained popularity, especially in Vaudeville, with white performers often dominating the scene and utilizing blackface.
- đ The transformation of these dance forms, including the process of whitening, was driven by economic, social, and political motives to make them more marketable and acceptable to mainstream audiences.
- đ© The whitening of these dances helped them gain international recognition but erased their rich multicultural roots, reflecting broader racial and colonial hierarchies of the time.
- âïž These dance forms reveal the beauty and dynamism of polycultural exchanges, but their history also underscores the impact of racial hierarchies and the denial of their true, diverse origins.
Q & A
What is polyculturalism?
-Polyculturalism is the concept that cultures are inherently interconnected and continuously influenced by one another. It emphasizes the idea that no culture exists in isolation but is instead a product of various cultural exchanges and interactions over time.
How did Tango develop, and what were its cultural influences?
-Tango developed in the late 19th century in Buenos Aires and Montevideo, drawing from African, indigenous, and European influences, particularly from Italian and Spanish cultures. It evolved in marginalized communities of port cities, where immigrants, freed slaves, and local groups contributed to its formation.
What role did 'whitening' play in the transformation of Tango?
-As Tango gained popularity, it underwent a process of 'whitening' to become more acceptable to middle and upper classes and international audiences. This process involved sanitizing the dance and altering its music to align with European tastes, downplaying its raw, sensual, and multicultural origins.
How did Samba originate and what cultural influences contributed to its development?
-Samba originated from African rhythms and dances brought to Brazil by enslaved Africans and was combined with Portuguese and indigenous influences. It developed in the Afro-Brazilian communities of Rio de Janeiro, particularly in impoverished neighborhoods where people of African, indigenous, European, and mixed descent shared their musical and dance traditions.
How was Samba 'whitened' to fit into mainstream Brazilian culture?
-Samba's African elements were downplayed, and European musical structures were emphasized to integrate it into mainstream Brazilian culture. The Brazilian government and cultural institutions promoted a more 'acceptable' version of Samba, making it suitable for middle and upper-class audiences and international consumption.
What were the origins of tap dancing in the United States?
-Tap dancing emerged in the United States as a blend of African rhythmic dance styles, Irish step dancing, and English clog dancing. It developed in urban areas where African Americans and Irish immigrants lived in close proximity, particularly in working-class neighborhoods like Five Points in New York City.
How did the process of 'whitening' affect the presentation of tap dancing?
-As tap dancing gained popularity, white performers and producers began to dominate the scene, and the dance was stripped of its original cultural context. It was formalized and made less improvisational to appeal to a broader, predominantly white audience, often erasing its African American and multicultural roots.
Why was the 'whitening' of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing significant in a sociopolitical context?
-The 'whitening' of these art forms was driven by social, political, and economic motives to make them more acceptable to mainstream, predominantly white audiences. This process allowed for broader appeal, commercial success, and cultural acceptance, aligning with dominant cultural norms and aesthetic preferences.
What impact did colonialism and racial hierarchies have on the cultural transformation of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing?
-During the late 19th century, the world was influenced by colonialism and racial hierarchies, which promoted ideas of cultural purity and racial superiority. These ideologies impacted how Tango, Samba, and tap dancing were transformed, as their multicultural origins were often erased to fit into these hierarchical norms.
What does the speaker suggest is lost through the process of 'whitening' these dance forms?
-The speaker suggests that the process of 'whitening' these dance forms led to the erasure of their rich, dynamic, and multicultural origins. This erasure resulted in a denial of their diverse roots, masking the beauty and creativity that arise when different cultures come together harmoniously.
Outlines
đ¶ Introduction to Polyculturalism and Dance Origins
The speaker introduces the concept of polyculturalism, emphasizing that no culture exists in isolation and is the result of continuous exchanges and influences over time. Polyculturalism highlights the interconnectedness of cultures, showing how practices and expressions are shaped by mutual contributions. The speaker then connects this to the development of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing, illustrating their polycultural origins. Tango, originating in Buenos Aires, was influenced by African, Indigenous, and European (mainly Italian and Spanish) elements. The cultural melting pot of Buenos Aires' port cities allowed Tango to evolve in marginalized working-class communities.
đ Evolution and Whitening of Tango and Samba
Tango, after gaining popularity, underwent a 'whitening' process to align with middle and upper-class tastes, especially for international audiences. The sensual and multicultural aspects of the dance were downplayed, and the music was altered to fit European preferences. Similarly, Samba originated from African rhythms combined with Portuguese and Indigenous influences in Brazil. It developed in impoverished Afro-Brazilian communities. To integrate Samba into mainstream Brazilian culture, its African elements were minimized, and European musical structures were emphasized, aided by the government and multinational corporations in promoting this 'sanitized' version.
đ Origins of Tap Dancing and Cultural Erasure
Tap dancing emerged in the United States as a fusion of African rhythmic dances and Irish step dancing, with additional influences from English clog dancing. It developed in urban working-class neighborhoods, notably Five Points in New York City, where African Americans and Irish immigrants lived. African American dancers integrated rhythmic footwork with European dance styles to create a unique art form. However, as tap dancing gained popularity, white performers dominated the scene, leading to the erasure of its original cultural context. The performance style was formalized to appeal to a broader white audience, with tap dancing's African roots minimized or erased for mainstream acceptance.
đ Political and Economic Influences on Dance Forms
The whitening of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing was driven by social, political, and economic motives. To make these art forms more acceptable to predominantly white audiences, their multicultural elements were sanitized and modified. This facilitated their acceptance by middle and upper-class audiences both domestically and internationally. The transformation of these art forms also had economic motives, as more marketable versions could lead to greater financial success. In some cases, political agendas influenced these changes, such as the Brazilian government's promotion of a sanitized version of Samba to forge a unified national identity.
đ Conclusion: Cultural Erasure and the Impact of Whitening
In conclusion, the transformations of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing illustrate the broader sociopolitical and economic forces shaping cultural production. The original multicultural richness of these art forms was diluted through the process of whitening, driven by the racial hierarchies of the 19th and early 20th centuries. The denial of their African and Indigenous influences allowed these dances to be more acceptable to bourgeois audiences. The speaker critiques the erasure of this diverse history, arguing that it hides the beauty and creativity that emerge when cultures collaborate harmoniously.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄPolyculturalism
đĄTango
đĄSamba
đĄTap Dancing
đĄWhitening
đĄCultural Exchange
đĄFive Points
đĄMarginalized Communities
đĄGetĂșlio Vargas
đĄCultural Erasure
Highlights
Definition of polyculturalism emphasizing interconnectedness of cultures.
Tango's polycultural origins from African, indigenous, and European influences.
Tango developed in marginalized communities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo.
Tango's evolution from a working-class dance to a sanitized, middle-class art form.
Samba's origins from African rhythms and dances in Brazil.
Samba's development in impoverished neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro.
Samba's transformation to fit European musical structures for mainstream acceptance.
The role of the Brazilian government in promoting a sanitized version of Samba.
Tap dancing's emergence as a blend of African rhythmic dance styles and Irish step dancing.
Tap dancing's origins in urban areas where African-Americans and Irish immigrants lived.
The process of whitening in tap dancing to appeal to a broader, white audience.
The erasure of African-American contributions to tap dancing's history.
The sociopolitical and economic motives behind the whitening of cultural art forms.
The transformation of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing for broader appeal and commercial success.
The influence of political agendas on the promotion of sanitized cultural art forms.
The denial of the multicultural roots of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing in the process of whitening.
The impact of racial hierarchies and eugenics on cultural production.
The conclusion on the importance of recognizing the dynamic nature of multicultural art forms.
Transcripts
hi you're in class with Dr
T hi guys today I want to talk about the
denial of poly culturalism in the making
of Tango sambba and tap dancing Tango
sambba and tap dancing are all popular
parts of popular culture one from
Argentina one from Brazil and tap
dancing started in United States but
first let's talk about the meaning and
definition of polyculturalism
polyculturalism is a concept that
cultures are inherently
interconnected and continuously
influenced by one another it emphasizes
the idea that no culture exists in
isolation let me repeat that it
emphasizes the idea that no culture
exists in isolation but is instead a
product of various cultural exchanges
and interactions over
time polyculturalism acknowledges the
fluidity and hybridity of cultural
practices beliefs and expressions
Expressions highlighting the mutual
influences and contributions among
different cultures right and I just want
to repeat it emphasizes the idea that no
culture exists in isolation but is
instead a product of various cultural
exchanges okay so we have the definition
of polyculturalism so let's talk about
the poly cultural origins of Tang Tango
Samba and top dancing Tango in the late
19th century in Buenos Iris and monito
Drew from African indigenous and Europe
European influences and the European
European influences were mainly for what
is today Italy so Italian and what is
today Spain so Spanish it was a Melting
Pot of different musical traditions and
dances that evolve in the marginalized
communities of these port cities right
port cities port cities are always
places where different groups of people
gather together and usually these are
hubs of cultural exchange Tango
developed in the workingclass
neighborhoods often in bres and bars
frequented by immigrants free slaves and
local marginalized groups the dance and
music reflected the diverse cultural
backgrounds and social struggles of
these communities as tangle G popularity
it underwent a process of whitening to
become more acceptable to the middle and
upper classes into International
audiances this involved sanitizing the
dance altering its music to be more inl
with European tastes in presenting it in
more quote unquote refined settings the
raw sensual in Multicultural aspect of
Tango were downplayed or erased to fit
the cultural norms of the dominant
Society we see something similar in
Brazil with the origins of Samba s
originated from the African rhythms and
dances brought to Brazil by enslaved
Africans combined with Portuguese and
Indigenous
influences it was a product of the
cultural exchanges in the afro Brazilian
communities of Rio de janiro quote
unquote
faelas SRA developed in the impoverished
neighborhoods where afro Brazilians
predominantly lived these areas were
vibrant cultural hubs where people of
African indigenous and also European and
mixed descent shared infus their Musical
and dance Traditions to integrate sambba
into mainstream Brazilian culture it's
African elements were downplayed and
European musical structures were
emphasized the Brazilian government and
cultural institutions promoted a more
quote unquote acceptable version SBA on
the government of jti varas his
administration made it more suitable for
middle and upper class audiences and for
international
consumption this process involved
changes in instrumentation Rhythm and
performance style also helped to promote
it on the radio uh that is Vargus he
helped to promote it on the Reddit in
addition multinational corporations
helped in making s more diluted
promoting European performers like
common Miranda for example who became
the international face of Brazilian
music but also of
Samba thank you man I'll be thinking on
you
the Kio
McDougle
quick finally I like to talk a little
bit about tap dancing which of course
is Origins comes from the United States
well tap dancing emerged in the United
States as a blend of African rhythmic
dance styles and Irish step dancing with
influences from English clog dancing it
developed an urban areas where
African-Americans and Irish immigrants
lived in close proximity one of the most
famous neighborhoods being Five Points
uh in New York City Manhattan
tap dancing originated in these
workingclass neighborhoods also in
Philadelphia Boston you had examples of
this um but tap danc tap dancing
originated in these workingclass
neighborhoods particularly in the
context of what became menual shows in V
voeville which were popular forms of
entertainment particularly among the
more marginalized and lower class
communities African-American dancers in
corporated their rhythmic footwork with
the Irish jig and other European dance
forms creating a unique and dynamic art
form as tap dancing gained popularity
white performers and producers began to
dominate the scene the dance was
stripped of its original cultural
context with an emphasis on formalized
less
inational styles to appeal to a broader
predominantly quote unquote white
audience in the 19th century many
African-Americans were mocked and
demonized as culturally and
intellectually inferior as whites
dressed in
blackface using African derived music
and dance right
so many Euro Americans begin a practice
of
blackface while
simultaneously using the music and dance
of
afrodescendants and Broadway production
shows showcase a sanitized version of
tap dancing often erasing its African
amican in Multicultural Roots presenting
it as a white art FL the early
Multicultural history of Tango was often
out overshadowed by his later more
refined European
versions this Aras should serve to make
Tango more plat and Elite audiences and
international consumption this was the
case with Samba and tap dancing as well
the version of Samba that g National and
international popularity was a sanitized
whiten version which matched its roots
in the afro Brazilian
communities the history of tap dancing
often highlights its development in the
context of Ville and Hollywood
downplaying the significant
contributions of african-amer dancers in
the art fr's Multicultural Origins this
eraser helped to make tap dancing more
acceptable to White audiences and more
marketable in the mainstream
entertainment the whitening of Tango
somber and dancing was driven by social
political and economic motives to make
these art forms more acceptable to
mainstream prod genly white audiences
this process involved sanitizing and
modifying the original multi cultural
elements to align with dominant cultural
norms and Aesthetics the whitening of
these art forms facilitated their
acceptance by middle and upper class
audiences both domestically and
internationally by aligning more closely
with European or mainstream American
tapes these stances gained broader
appeal in commercial success the
transformation of these RS form was also
economically motivated by making them
more marketable to a wider audience
performance producers and cultural
institutions could capitalize on their
popularity leading to Greater Financial
returns in some cases the whitening of
these art forms was influ influenced by
political agendas very specific
political agendas for example the
promotion of a sanitized version of
Samba was part of Brazil's effort to
forge a national identity that could be
addressed by all social classes and
presented to the world Tango was used as
a way of creating a national identity as
well in
Argentina but also as a way of the of
emphasizing its European Roots by
denying that Tango had anything to do
with an African past or with afrod
descendent
people moreover that it it was actually
uh art form from the gutter that is from
lower and more marginalized communities
so in conclusion the Transformations
highlight the broader
sociopolitical and Eon economic forces
at play in the cultural landscape
underscoring the link
of cultural Purity and the complex
dynamics of cultural adoptation and
acceptance the original Multicultural
nature of Tango Samba and tap dancing
made them rich in Dynamic art forms they
were rich in dynamic as these
Multicultural or what I have said
polycultural that these cultures emerge
from different cultures coming together
but the process of whitening served to
erace their diverse roots to make them
more Bourgeois in nature we also must
remember in the late 19th century was
the time of Empire and colonialism
through the world and racial hierarchies
were order of the day the 20th century
we would see something called Eugenics
the ideas of racial hierachies have been
transformed into ideas of inferior and
Superior races that that were supposedly
proven by bogus and pseudo science those
ideas had a tremendous impact in how
cultureal production would be
organized in order for uh cultural art
forms to be celebrated they had to go
through a processing of whitening this
unfortunate circumstance led to a denial
of the Glorious history that shows the
beauty of diversity and when cultures
are fre able to create in a harmonious
way thank you
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