Tango: Art, History, and Physics

(3 Credits)

How can dance both reflect and redefine national culture? What are the physical principles underlying a dance? This interdisciplinary course on tango explores both its artistic and political sides, paying special attention to the role audio-visual technologies have played in our understanding of its history. We trace its roots in the port cities of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, its fusion of African, European, and local influences, and its growth into a global symbol of national identity. We examine tango’s shifting political status--from cultural opposition to Argentine national emblem-- and its global reach through music, cinema, and performance. In tandem, we study analytically and physically the principles embedded in tango’s movement (balance, parsimony, and coordination); experiment with a virtual choreographic robot; and offer students the chance to dance. Fieldwork includes visits to a professional tango show, a tango dance hall, and museum; interviews with dancers; and hands-on tango instruction leading to student-created choreographies performed to music by a robot, as well as to short dance sequences performed by partners (no-touch optional). By creating both human and robotic choreography from a simple vocabulary, students gain insight into the relationships among history, improvisation and aesthetics. This course will be taught at NYU Buenos Aires and will count as an Away J-Term course.