{"product_id":"tango-nuevo-carolyn-merritt-9780813042190","title":"Tango Nuevo","description":"\"Required reading for anyone who understands the electrifying power that dance has to transform a life. Exceptionally well written. . . .  Merritt's] lively, engaging writing style is unique--it can go from side-splittingly funny to poignant in the time it takes to execute a \u003ci\u003eboleo\u003c\/i\u003e.\"--Melissa A. Fitch, author of \u003ci\u003eSide Dishes: Latina American Women, Sex, and Cultural Production\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe Argentine tango is one of the world's best-known partner dances. Though tango is much admired and discussed, very little has been written about its ongoing evolution. While the dance is steeped in history, the younger generation has begun to push tango into new and provocative realms.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the most cutting-edge performances, men and women switch the roles of leader and follower; ideas from swing, salsa, and blues are freely incorporated; and dress has become anything but traditional. While some may refer to this as \u003ci\u003etango nuevo\u003c\/i\u003e, the term has been met with much resistance.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this innovative work, Carolyn Merritt surveys tango history while focusing on the most recent iteration of the dance and the \u003ci\u003epr ctica\u003c\/i\u003e scene that has exploded in Buenos Aires since the early 2000s. She examines this growing, thriving community of young and eager dancers who are pushing the tango beyond its traditional limits, along with the spaces they've created within which to dance, socialize, and experiment in ways more befitting their ages, desires, schedules, and attitudes.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter starting with an overview of tango, Merritt leads readers through the traditional dance halls and the less formal \u003ci\u003epr cticas\u003c\/i\u003e of Buenos Aires to tango communities on both coasts of the United States. Along the way, her personal observations show the dance's emotional depth and the challenges dancers face in tango venues old and new. Merritt's investigation also demonstrates how innovation, globalization, and fusion, which many associate with \u003ci\u003enuevo\u003c\/i\u003e, have always been at work in tango.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCombining sensuous prose, provocative images, and heart-wrenching stories, Merritt presents an unflinching look at the complex motivations driving the pursuit to master this intricate dance. Throughout, she questions the \"newness\" of \u003ci\u003enuevo\u003c\/i\u003e through portraits of machismo, violence, and elitism in contemporary tango. The result is a book that highlights the tensions between preservation and evolution of this--or any--cultural art form.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCarolyn Merritt lives in Philadelphia, where she teaches anthropology and performance studies and works with the ThINKing Dance project.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Carolyn Merritt\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0813042194\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780813042190\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e University Press of Florida\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 11\/11\/2012\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 272\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.20lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.00h x 6.00w x 1.00d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2013","brand":"Carolyn Merritt","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":46640570564863,"sku":"9780813042190","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_6a762a06-11e8-4e08-a34c-c13ba9bc39ca.jpg?v=1740669981","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/tango-nuevo-carolyn-merritt-9780813042190","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}