The Hidden History of the Tango, Samba and Tap Dancing

Summary

This 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

• 🌍 Polyculturalism highlights that no culture exists in isolation, but rather as a product of continuous cultural exchanges.
• 💃 Tango, Samba, and Tap Dancing all originated from a blend of African, Indigenous, and European influences in their respective countries.
• ⚓ 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.
• 🎶 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.
• 🕺 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.
• 👞 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.
• 🎭 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.
• 🌀 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.
• 🎩 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.
• ⚖️ 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

00:00

🎶 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.

05:02

💃 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.

10:03

👞 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.

🌍 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.

🎭 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.

Keywords

💡Polyculturalism

Polyculturalism is the concept that cultures are inherently interconnected and continuously influence each other, rather than existing in isolation. This idea emphasizes the fluidity and hybridity of cultural practices, beliefs, and expressions. In the video, the speaker uses polyculturalism to explain the origins of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing, all of which are shaped by diverse cultural exchanges across time and space.

💡Tango

Tango is a dance form that originated in late 19th-century Buenos Aires, Argentina. It evolved from a blend of African, indigenous, and European (mainly Italian and Spanish) influences, making it a polycultural product. The video highlights how Tango, originally popular in marginalized communities, was 'whitened' over time to appeal to middle and upper-class audiences, which involved altering its music and sanitizing its multicultural elements.

💡Samba

Samba is a dance and music form that emerged in Brazil, drawing from African, indigenous, and European influences. It originated in Afro-Brazilian communities in Rio de Janeiro's favelas. The video discusses how Samba was also 'whitened' to make it more acceptable to Brazilian elites and international audiences, particularly under the government of Getúlio Vargas, which promoted a more sanitized version of Samba that downplayed its African roots.

💡Tap Dancing

Tap dancing is an art form that developed in the United States, blending African rhythmic dance styles with Irish step dancing and English clog dancing. It originated in urban, working-class neighborhoods where African-Americans and Irish immigrants lived in close proximity. The video explains how tap dancing, much like Tango and Samba, underwent a process of cultural erasure, where its African roots were downplayed to appeal to a predominantly white audience.

💡Whitening

Whitening refers to the process of modifying cultural practices to align with the tastes and norms of a dominant (often European or white) audience. In the video, this concept is applied to the histories of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing, where the original, multicultural elements were stripped away or sanitized to make the art forms more acceptable to middle and upper-class audiences. This process often involved downplaying African and indigenous influences.

💡Cultural Exchange

Cultural exchange refers to the sharing and blending of cultural practices, beliefs, and traditions between different groups of people. The video emphasizes how Tango, Samba, and tap dancing are the products of extensive cultural exchanges between African, European, and indigenous communities. These exchanges helped shape the unique characteristics of each dance form.

💡Five Points

Five Points was a neighborhood in Manhattan, New York City, known for its cultural diversity, where African-Americans and Irish immigrants lived in close quarters during the 19th century. The video mentions Five Points as a key location for the development of tap dancing, where African rhythmic footwork blended with Irish jig and European dance styles to create a dynamic and multicultural art form.

💡Marginalized Communities

Marginalized communities refer to groups of people who are socially, economically, or politically disadvantaged. In the video, the origins of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing are traced back to these marginalized communities—working-class neighborhoods, favelas, and urban areas populated by immigrants, enslaved Africans, and other oppressed groups. These communities were vibrant centers of cultural creativity, despite their marginal status.

💡Getúlio Vargas

Getúlio Vargas was a Brazilian politician and president who played a key role in promoting a more 'acceptable' version of Samba during his administration. The video explains how Vargas's government supported the whitening and commercialization of Samba to create a national identity that appealed to both domestic and international audiences. This process diluted the Afro-Brazilian roots of the dance.

💡Cultural Erasure

Cultural erasure refers to the process of removing or downplaying the cultural contributions of certain groups, particularly marginalized ones, in the representation of a cultural practice. The video discusses how this erasure occurred in the histories of Tango, Samba, and tap dancing, where African and indigenous influences were minimized or erased to make these art forms more palatable to dominant white audiences, both domestically and globally.

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