This is a multi-session seminar and must be taken as a series.
January 23-April 3, 2014
Professor: Melissa Fitch
Forget the rose-in-the-mouth cliché, and discover how tango relates to art, activism, and even therapy. We will analyze films, advertising, theater, poetry, art, documentaries, material culture, digital art forms, and public protests to examine the production, consumption, and diffusion of meaning found in global cultural narratives related to Argentine tango. Students will learn how tango was used to champion women’s rights and modernization in Turkey in the early 20th century, and how Jewish prisoners used it as a symbol of life and endurance during WW II. Participants will explore how tango has merged with Eastern practices and beliefs such as martial arts and Taoism. One session will focus on the dance itself, including a demonstration and lesson.
