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Product Description
Product Description
From the backstreets of Buenos Aires to Parisian high society, this is the extraordinary story of the dance that captivated the world - a tale of politics and passion, immigration and romance. The Tango was the cornerstone of Argentine culture, and has lasted for more than a hundred years, popular today in America, Japan and Europe. 'The Meaning of Tango' traces the roots of this captivating dance, from it's birth in the poverty stricken Buenos Aires, the craze of the early 20th century, right up until it's revival today, thanks to shows such as Strictly Come Dancing. This book offers history, knowledge, teachings and in-sights which makes it valuable for beginners, yet its in-depth analysis makes it essential for experienced dancers. It is an elegant and cohesive critique of the fascinating tale of the Tango, which not only documents its culture and politics, but is also technically useful.
About the Author
Christine Denniston is one of the World's leading experts on the teaching and practise of Tango, and has taught the dance on five continents since 1993. She contributes to the websites totaltango.com and history-of-tango.com.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This book is required reading for anybody who is interested in Tango. The more I re-read it, the more I like it. It takes us back to the roots and very reason for Tango's existence and survival into our own era. Christine Denniston's unique experiences offer us the missing link between the Golden Age of Tango popularity and today. Her encounters with older dancers in Buenos Aires at an exciting time when Tango was being reborn after many years of neglect are interesting in their own right but also explain so much about the dance as a vital part of Argentine culture.
In another sense, this book squares the circle. Those who currently learn Tango often find themselves taught a shallow pastiche of the dance and, particularly after one or two unpleasant experiences at Milongas, may come to wonder why they should bother. They may even have come to believe that Tango is no different from any other couple dance. Christine explains why the real thing is so much more rewarding when taken to heart as a vehicle for couple intimacy raher than aerobics or attention-seeking display.
This is a book for reading over and over again. Yes, the publisher has economised on paper. It really doesn't matter. A copy should be handed out by every Tango teacher to every newcomer to Tango
In another sense, this book squares the circle. Those who currently learn Tango often find themselves taught a shallow pastiche of the dance and, particularly after one or two unpleasant experiences at Milongas, may come to wonder why they should bother. They may even have come to believe that Tango is no different from any other couple dance. Christine explains why the real thing is so much more rewarding when taken to heart as a vehicle for couple intimacy raher than aerobics or attention-seeking display.
This is a book for reading over and over again. Yes, the publisher has economised on paper. It really doesn't matter. A copy should be handed out by every Tango teacher to every newcomer to Tango
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Christine is very well respected amongst the Tango community. She made the effort to live amongst, dance with and learn from surviving milongueros from the Golden Age. Through her research she brings a more credible history of Tango, avoiding the usual cliched caricatures. Her book covers the social history, the evolution of the music and the dance itself.
Her discussion of the dance is particularly interesting. Tango is much more nuanced and subtle than the strutting acrobatics often associated with the term "tango". It is a language for communicating with your partner, it has a grammar, a vocabulary and is incredibly expressive. Christine goes into some detail about the social dance as it was danced, and in particular the rationale behind its technique. Argentine tango is about "two hearts" moving as one, in a pleasant and comfortable way ... and not about strenuous kicks and flicks, and Christine gets this. Many books and even teachers do not get this.
This is a small easy to read book, but its full of valuable content. I have many books on Tango and this one is my favourite.
The only things that stops this being a 5-star is the book is printed on horrible cheap paper and the photos and illustrations are not very good. If she does a second edition I hope they sort this out!
Her discussion of the dance is particularly interesting. Tango is much more nuanced and subtle than the strutting acrobatics often associated with the term "tango". It is a language for communicating with your partner, it has a grammar, a vocabulary and is incredibly expressive. Christine goes into some detail about the social dance as it was danced, and in particular the rationale behind its technique. Argentine tango is about "two hearts" moving as one, in a pleasant and comfortable way ... and not about strenuous kicks and flicks, and Christine gets this. Many books and even teachers do not get this.
This is a small easy to read book, but its full of valuable content. I have many books on Tango and this one is my favourite.
The only things that stops this being a 5-star is the book is printed on horrible cheap paper and the photos and illustrations are not very good. If she does a second edition I hope they sort this out!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is a great little book and Christine writes it in a way that is very easy to read. Some books I've read which discuss the history of tango come across as rather dull, which never ceases to amaze me as tango is such a passionate subject! This is not the case for this book however. It is clearly written and easy to understand and really conveys the message of what tango is about - the experience, the communication, the connection, the completeness of the dance and she makes beautiful reference to the 'heart' throughout the book to describe the connection between the two dancers. She also covers the history of the golden age in a really interesting way which leaves the reader wishing they could have been there. She does go into some of the figures, but in all of them she retains the importance of the one to one communication of tango rather than the actual steps the dancer takes (although she does describe the steps as well.) This is bliss for the reader as achieving this is the hardest aspect of the dance and in comparison the steps are easy! It's a holistic view of tango, covering many aspects of the dance and bringing it all together in this little red book. It's well worth reading.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Ultimate Tango
I bought this book for my girlfriend who is really into Tango. She claims it is the best book on th subject she has read. Read more
Published 4 months ago by J. Owens
Should be mandatory before anyone's first tango class
This book is simply outstanding. If you are tempted to start learning tango you should read this first. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Fisk
Illuminating, interesting and useful.
Just a brief review here: this is well-written, authoritative guide to dancing tango which puts it in socio-cultural and historical context. Read more
Published 11 months ago by AViola
True to it's title
Unlike too many books these days, here is one whose title does not deceive. Once you have read it you will understand the meaning of Tango: what it is and where it came from and... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Brutus
Excellent news for all dance lovers
This book is a gift to all dancers, it offers detailed information about tango, its history and technique. Read more
Published on 8 Oct 2007 by N. S. Ozsoy
The Essence of Tango!
Learning to dance the Tango can be a confusing and sometimes frustrating experience. For those of us not brought up in the Tango culture of Buenos Aires, our first impressions are... Read more
Published on 4 Oct 2007 by C. B. Jones
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