D2:Argentine Tango Dance - DNCE 095 Z1 - Course Syllabus

8/3/2019 D2:Argentine Tango Dance - DNCE 095 Z1 - Course Syllabus

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DNCE 095 Z1 (CRN: 61239) Argentine Tango Course Syllabus -- Page 1 of 6

© By Elizabeth M. Seyler 2012 All rights reserved.

Argentine Tango: Collaborative Art & Cultural ExchangeDNCE 095 Z1 (CRN: 61239) ~ 3 credits

Pending approval as a diversity (D2) course. Contact Elizabeth for updates in March 2012.

Elizabeth M. Seyler, Ph.D., Instructor

Dance and Continuing Education ~ University of Vermont

Instructor Contact Information

[email protected], 802-318-4959 or 215-432-1023 (cell)

Course Description Thousands of people dance Argentine tango every week in Burlington, Montreal, New York, BuenosAires, Paris, London, and beyond. What makes it so special? Discover tango's appeal, history, and culture.This course offers an introduction to Argentine tango for dancers and non-dancers, including how to dancetango, how to understand tango music, the importance of its lyrics, and how to interact in a tangocommunity. The course recounts tango’s history from the 1800s to the present, including the politics of immigration and how the arts and cultures of Africa, Europe, and Latin America shaped tango’sdevelopment. The course examines how dance and music reflect and express individual and culturalidentity, how current tango practice around the world affects health and well- being, tango’s role in the

context of current cultural and economic issues in Argentina and Uruguay, and tango’s capacity to promoteindividual growth and cultural pluralism. Students dance, study music, read scholarly articles, write papersand poetry, create visual art, and engage in class discussions and debates. The course celebrates multipleintelligences and encourage students to take ownership of their learning. Guest dancers, musicians, andhistorians from nearby tango communities help students understand and connect with tango’s expression inNorth American society.

Each time the class meets, we will dance, study music, and engage in class discussion. No danceexperience is necessary, and people of all ages are welcome. Instructor Elizabeth Seyler, PhD, has taughttango since 2006 and creates a friendly, welcoming environment for people all ages and abilities. Studentsshould come dressed in comfortable clothing, wearing socks or clean, hard-soled shoes that pivot easily ona wooden floor. High-heeled shoes are not required or recommended.

Significant Learning Goals

Upon completion of the course, students will:1. be able to dance basic tango in connection with their partner and with the music, including effective

collaboration and communication skills;2. be able to identify the three types of tango music and some well-known vocalists or orchestras as well

as understand some tango lyrics and the importance of lunfardo (a form of slang that evolved alongsidetango dance and music at the turn of the twentieth century);





3. be able to describe the history of tango dance and music from the late 1800s to the present, includingtango’s source in multiple cultures and current economic and cultural issues;

4. be able to engage in thoughtful oral and written discourse on the meaning of “dance” and “culture” andhow tango reflects and expresses individual and cultural identity;

5. have a better understanding of how dancing tango embodies one’s relationship to self and other and

how it can support cultural pluralism; and6. know codes of interaction for tango events in cities in the Northeastern United States and Canada.

General Course Information Course Policies/ExpectationsTo successfully participate in this course, one must be in good physical condition – that is, able to walk, dogentle torso twists, and balance for 30 seconds on one foot. One must also be willing to move throughspace in close physical contact with fellow students. When moving and dancing, in particular, studentsmust be respectful, patient, and compassionate with each other. Tango will come easily for some and moreslowly for others. A supportive, encouraging, team approach to learning is essential.

Attendance ExpectationsAny absence or tardy arrival will only put you behind in the material, much of which cannot be made upsince it involves group participation. A one-class absence is allowed, but you must inform me via email orphone three hours ahead of time, including the reason for your absence, and you must interview at leastone class member to find out the specifics of what you missed (to be written up in your portfolio). Everyabsence after the first absence will lower your FINAL grade by 5 points (that is, an A becomes an A-, or aB- becomes a C+). If you arrive 5 or more minutes after class has begun, you are considered tardy, withtwo tardy arrivals equaling a one-hour absence. After a sum of 3 one-hour absences you will be asked todrop the course or receive a failing grade.

Religious ObservanceThe official UVM policy for excused absences for religious holidays: students have the right to practice thereligion of their choice. Each semester students should submit in writing to their instructors by the end of the second full week of classes their documented religious holiday schedule for the semester. Faculty mustpermit students who miss work for the purpose of religious observance to make up this work.

Academic Honesty & ProfessionalismAll students are required to be familiar with and adhere to the “Academic Honesty Policy Procedures”delineated in the following website. http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf ).

AccommodationsAccommodations will be provided to eligible students with disabilities. Please obtain an accommodationletter from the ACCESS office and see one of the instructors early in the course to discuss whataccommodations will be necessary. If you are unfamiliar with ACCESS, visit their website athttp://www.uvm.edu/access to learn more about the services they provide. ACESS: A-170 LivingLearning Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405. PH: 802-656-7753, TTY: call 711(relay), Fax: 802-656-0739, Email: [email protected], Instant Messenger: UVMaccess. General officehours: 8:30am – 4:30pm Monday through Friday. Call to make an appointment.

http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf

http://www.uvm.edu/access


mailto:[email protected]




http://www.uvm.edu/~uvmppg/ppg/student/acadintegrity.pdf





Required and Recommended Readings/Resources

Students should purchase the following required CD on the first day of class ($8).¡Bailemos Tango!: A Century of Tango on the Dance Floor , Rhino Records 2000.

Other required readings — from among this list but not including everything listed here — will be on

Blackboard.“An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance” by Joann Kealinohomoku in Impulse (1970): 24-33.

“Effect of a Community-Based Argentine Tango Dance Program on Functional Balance andConfidence in Older Adults” by Patricia McKinley, et. al. in Journal of Aging and Physical Activity,vol. 16, issue 4, 2008.

“Five Premises for a Cultural Sensitive Approach to Dance,” by Deidre Sklar in Moving History /

Dancing Cultures: A Dance History Reader , edited by Ann Dils and Ann Cooper Albright.Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press, 2001.

The Meaning of Tango: The Story of the Argentinean Dance by Christine Denniston. Anova Books,2008

Paper Tangos by Julie Taylor, Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1998

Tango: The Art History of Love by Robert Farris Thompson, New York, NY: Pantheon Books, 2005.

"Tango Bar" (movie) featuring Carlos Gardel, Paramount 1935.

Tango!: The Dance, the Song, the Story, edited by Simon Collier, New York, NY: Thames & Hudson,1997

“Tango: The Obsession” (documentary) by Adam Boucher, Adam Boucher Films LLC, 1998.

“The Tango Philadelphia Story: A Study of Community, Age, Health, and Argentine Tango” byElizabeth M. Seyler in Tango, body to cultural body: Dancing together for better life, Québec: Pressesde L’Université du Québec, 2009. (Published in French as “L’Histoire du Tango à Philadelphie:Étude sur la communauté, l’âge, la santé et le tango argentin” in Tango, corps à corps culturel: Danser

en tandem pour mieux vivre.)

“Dance, Music, and Spirit: A Phenomenological Study” by Elizabeth M. Seyler; scheduled forpublication in 2012 by Presses de L’Université du Québec in French as “Danse, musique et ésprit : une

étude phénomenologique.”

Tango and the Political Economy of Passion by Marta E. Savigliano Boulder, CO: Westview Press,1995.

Tango Voices by Donald Cohen, Music Sales America, 2007.





Assignments

All readings must be completed before the beginning of the class when they’re due. See Blackboard for reading assignments, discussion questions, and reminders of other assignments and due dates.

Important: All written assignments must be typed and double-spaced in 12-point Times New Roman with

1-inch margins, page numbers, and your name and the date at the top of the page.

Class ParticipationActive participation in class is essential when we are dancing,listening to music, and engaging in discussion. The quality of your contributions is far more important than the quantity. Noone should dominate discussion. Rather, comments that arerelevant, informed, and contributed regularly will enhancediscussion and reflect well on your grade. Well-conceivedquestions are welcome.

PortfoliosPortfolios are intended to help you absorb, integrate, reflect on, and express your learning throughout thecourse. Complete a total of two portfolios during the course. Each portfolio submission must include atleast two of the following three items (for example, one essay and two pieces of visual art, or three poemsand two pieces of visual art), and you must submit at least one essay during the course.

1. One typed essay (3 pages) that addresses one of the following topics or a topic we agree on atleast two weeks before the portfolio is due.a. Is learning about tango shifting your understanding of how dance and music relate to history

and/or culture? If not, why not? If so, how?b. Summarize the lyrics of a tango song and explain how they relate to the period when they

were written. What do the lyrics tell us about social life, identity, and values at that time andplace?

c. Describe how something you have learned about tango relates to your life or your community(e.g., physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, spiritually, economically, politically). Usespecific examples.

d. What have you learned so far about Argentine tango that has surprised you compared to yourunderstanding of it before this course? Please describe in detail.

2. Two original visual representations in watercolor, pen and ink, charcoal, collage, or other mediumthat express your understanding (to date) of tango’s history and/or culture. For each visualrepresentation, attach a half-page description of what it means to you and how it relates to coursecontent.

3. Three original poems in your choice of meter and style that are at least 12 lines long on any topicwe are discussing in class. If you choose haiku or another very short style, the requirementincreases to six poems. For each poem, attach a half-page description of what it means to youand how it relates to course content.

Essays and art descriptions will be graded for relevance to course content as well as spelling, grammar,punctuation, and organization/flow. Artistic items will be graded for artistic merit, relevance to coursecontent, and honest expression of your learning/understanding.





Late Submissions: Grades on portfolios will be reduced by 10 points (out of 100) for each day that itemsthat are handed in late. Portfolio items will receive a 0 grade if handed in more than 3 days late.

In-class Self CritiquesThis activity is designed to help you practice self-celebration, self-critique, and good communication skills

for social dance. It will be part of your grade in terms of class participation, not how “well” you dance.After dancing a few songs with the same partner, everyone will stop and write in response to questions Igive you regarding your own facility with key elements of dancing: connecting with your partner, listeningand responding to your partner, the musicality of your movement, your tango technique, your self-expression, and your internal experience (what you think and feel). You will then work in pairs to sharewhat you wrote. Your partner will share what he/she appreciates about dancing with you and will answerquestions you pose regarding things you would like to improve. You will then dance with someone elseand do the same exercise again.

In-class Aural Music TestYou will listen to songs that I select at random from “Bailemos Tango” (our CD for the course) and be

asked to identify (in writing) three out of the following seven elements for each song: the title, the type of tango music (tango, vals, or milonga), the orchestra name, the vocalist’s name, the general meaning of thelyrics, the instruments being played, and/or the tango era when it was written.

In-class Dance TestThis test measures your understanding of basic steps, patterns, and codes of movement and interaction. Itis not an evaluation of how “well” you dance. There will be two parts: 1) a few written questions aboutetiquette and conduct at milongas and practicas and 2) an opportunity for you and your partner to identifyand demonstrate steps and patterns from class.

In-class Written History TestYou will complete a written in-class test on the history of tango, consisting primarily of multiple-choiceand short answer questions.

Student Evaluation/AssessmentWeightings of Assessment ComponentsIn-class participation 45 %Portfolios (2 total) 25 %In-class aural music test 10 %In-class dance test 10 %In-class written history test 10 %

Grading Scale

A+ 97-100 B+ 87-89 C+ 77-79 D+ 67-69

A 93-96 B 83-86 C 73-76 D 63-66

A- 90-92 B- 80-82 C- 70-72 D- 60-62





Electronic Submissions/Internet Use

Papers and other assignments may be submitted in printed form or via email to [email protected] [email protected] before class starts on the day the assignment is due. Readings will be available onBlackboard, as will links to assigned videos and web pages.

Overview of ContentContent may change slightly to accommodate student interests. I’ll remind you of upcomingassignments at the end of each class, and they’ll be posted on Blackboard.

Week 1Dance: Tango walking, partnering, turning, navigation, 6-count basicHistory/Culture: The cultural preparation – Africans, Europeans, and South Americans in Argentina

and Uruguay set the tango stageMusic: Candombe, milonga, and canyengueAssessment: none

Week 2Dance: Pivoting, leading steps with steps or pivots, parallel versus crossed walking, the molineteHistory/Culture: Tango Mania in Paris and Europe 1913 to 1914Music: Early tango music, tango vals; the importance of tango lyricsAssessment: In-class Self-critique #1

Week 3Dance: Ochos forward and backward, boleos, more on the molineteHistory/Culture: Tango of the Golden Age 1920s to 1940sMusic: Tango of the Golden Age 1920s to 1940s; the evolution of lyricsAssessment: Portfolio #1 due

Week 4Dance: the cross, 8-count pattern, open embraceHistory/Culture: Tango’s dormancy and political repressionMusic: Piazzolla and tango’s continued evolution Assessment: In-class Self-critique #2

Week 5Dance: traspie, ocho cortado, pauses and musicalityHistory/Culture: Tango’s international revival beginning in the 1980s; current topics in culture,

economics, health, and politics

Music: Tango nuevo and other contemporary tango musicAssessment: Portfolio #2 due

Week 6Dance: reviewHistory/Culture: Current tango and reviewMusic: ReviewAssessment: In-class tests

Documents

D2:Argentine Tango Dance - DNCE 095 Z1 - Course Syllabus