This book examines a controversial topic that has yet to be addressed in the literature on Argentine tango, the most recent incarnation of tango nuevo (new tango) dance. Alternately attributed to acrobatic moves, disrespectful kids, electronic music, the influx of foreign bodies and cash into Buenos Aires, and increasing globalization of the contemporary tango community/industry, nuevo and the debates surrounding it illustrate the complexity of cultural politics today. Surveying Argentine and tango history, the book underscores the role of the imagination in the dance's evolution, as well as t ... More

This book examines a controversial topic that has yet to be addressed in the literature on Argentine tango, the most recent incarnation of tango nuevo (new tango) dance. Alternately attributed to acrobatic moves, disrespectful kids, electronic music, the influx of foreign bodies and cash into Buenos Aires, and increasing globalization of the contemporary tango community/industry, nuevo and the debates surrounding it illustrate the complexity of cultural politics today. Surveying Argentine and tango history, the book underscores the role of the imagination in the dance's evolution, as well as the presence of elements associated with nuevo-fusion, innovation, and foreign influence-from its origins over a century ago. Testaments of the dance's healing and addictive properties are juxtaposed with portraits of machismo and violence in tango venues old and new to illustrate tango's emotional depth and psychological challenges, while also pointing to questions surrounding the “newness” of nuevo. Highlighting the tensions between evolution and preservation in the survival of cultural phenomena, the book attends to the intersection of culture, economics, and globalization in contemporary tango, where modern yearnings for authentic experience, tourism and heritage programs that commodify and politicize culture, and contemporary efforts to push the boundaries of tango, meet. Throughout, individual voices speak to the romance of tradition and the enduring significance of place in a globalized era. The result is a moving exploration of the continued transformations of a beloved cultural tradition.