National Rhythms, African Roots - The Deep History of Latin American Popular Dance (Paperback, New)

When John Charles Chasteen learned that Simon Bolivar, the Liberator, danced on a banquet table to celebrate Latin American independence in 1824, he tried to visualise the scene. How, he wondered, did the Liberator dance? Did he bounce stiffly in his dress uniform? Or did he move his hips? In other words, how high had African dance influences reached in Latin American societies? A vast social gap separated Bolivar from people of African descent; however, Chasteen's research shows that popular culture could bridge the gap. Fast-paced and often funny, this book explores the history of Latin American popular dance before the twentieth century. Chasteen first focuses on Havana, Buenos Aires, and Rio de Janeiro, where dances featuring a 'transgressive close embrace' (forerunners of today's salsa, tango, and samba) emerged by 1900. Then, digging deeper in time, Chasteen uncovers the historical experiences that moulded Latin American popular dance, including carnival celebrations, the social lives of slaves, European fashions, and, oddly enough, religious processions. The relationship between Latin American dance and nationalism, it turns out, is very deep, indeed.

General

Imprint:	University of New Mexico Press
Country of origin:	United States
Release date:	2004
First published:	2004
Authors:	John Charles Chasteen
Dimensions:	232 x 166 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Paperback
Pages:	257
Edition:	New
ISBN-13:	978-0-8263-2941-7
Categories:	Books > Arts & Architecture > Performing arts > Dance > General Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > General Promotions
LSN:	0-8263-2941-1
Barcode:	9780826329417

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