Tango Dance and Music (PDF)

This book investigates choreomusical aspects of tango argentino in translocal practice, in particular its current manifestation in Europe. It looks at translocal tango argentino in its many facets: movement structures, sound structures, dancers and musicians, and the complex relations between all of these factors that all have their share in shaping the practice. Beyond being the first extensive monograph about translocal tango music and dance, the book crosses borders in the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods, ranging from participant observation to statistical data evaluation, including optical motion capture for movement analysis. The book contains a brief historical overview of tango argentino practice in the 20th century, bringing together the development of music and dance in a holistic way to better understand the background of the current interconnectedness. The first main part of the book focuses on the "danceability" aspect of tango music. The exploration is based on tango DJs', tango dance teachers', and tango musicians' view of tango danceability as well as experimental approaches. The second part is dedicated to tango dance and its "musicality". It investigates with quantitative and qualitative methods tango movement repertoire and principles, and how these relate to tango musical features.