Latin American dance is about as varied from country to country as is any aspect of a country's culture, such as its signature foods, clothing, and festivals. Each nation boasts a unique style of dancing all its own. However, dance in Latin America has one common thread, be you in Brazil, Puerto Rico, or Argentina. Whether you are witnessing a passionate tango, a steamy samba, or a sensual salsa, there can be no denying that Latin American dance is born of sexual passions and is representative of sexual expression.
Latin American dance can be described as transgressive, in that it resulted from the crossing of various social boundaries. Transgressive dance is representative of the sexual encounters that occurred between members of different races and different social classes. It weaves the tale of the encounters of white European males with mestizo or mulatto women, a match that was universally frowned upon for centuries. Another encounter would involve a wealthy male from a high social standing with women of a lower, poorer class. This, too, was frowned upon, especially by the Catholic Church.
[...] Such a concept, that of intimate contact with more than one person of the opposite sex, is reminiscent of the sexual freedom enjoyed among the various races, which ultimately resulted in transgressive dance. The highly sexualized nature of Latin American dance is something that cannot be denied. It is evidenced in the history of the terms used to describe the different dances and movements. It is visible in the movements of the body and in the synchronization of the steps. [...]
[...] Another term that hints to the sexuality of Latin American dance is reboleio. This term refers to the movement of the buttocks during the popular Brazilian dance known as samba Unlike the tango from Argentina, samba is not a partner dance. In stead, samba is danced en masse and is often described as “jogging in place.” With its upbeat rhythms and romantic lyrics, sambas are traditionally danced at Brazilian carnivals. “Carnival dances also became the venue par excellence of cross-class sexual encounters---because they were public, because disguises hid faces and clothing, and because of the anything-goes carnival ethos itself” (134). [...]
[...] This, too, was frowned upon, especially by the Catholic Church. It was even banned in some places due to the sexual nature of the dancing and its tendency to “mock Catholic morality.” What was born of these encounters was an emergence of music that combined two or more cultures, a music that stood for the blending of the races and the social classes of the various regions. Transgressive music in Buenos Aires was once notorious for its association with prostitution. [...]
[...] However, dance in Latin America has one common thread, be you in Brazil, Puerto Rico, or Argentina. Whether you are witnessing a passionate tango, a steamy samba, or a sensual salsa, there can be no denying that Latin American dance is born of sexual passions and is representative of sexual expression. Latin American dance can be described as transgressive, in that it resulted from the crossing of various social boundaries. Transgressive dance is representative of the sexual encounters that occurred between members of different races and different social classes. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
