By Naomi Rees, Austin Community College
¡Buenos días a todos! I am Naomi, and I’m excited to share my adventures with study abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina! I’ll be studying the cultural nuances and influences of Argentine tango while in Argentina.
Tango performance on the Avenida 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires, a famous street in the capital of Argentina
I am currently majoring in Creative Writing and Spanish at Austin Community College, ACC, and hope to gain some level of fluency in Spanish in the coming years. I love dancing, fighting, and music. I’ve been a martial arts instructor for the past three years; I play flute and try to play piano; I’m learning to lead salsa. (It’s not typical for a girl to lead, but I like to be in charge, and I appreciate the guys who let me lead.)
This summer, I will be traveling to Buenos Aires, Argentina to study Spanish and to learn more about tango. Tango is as unique to Argentina as jazz is to the United States. I’m excited to learn about this cultural element of Argentina! Argentina has a rich history with diverse influences; I’m curious to
learn what factors have influenced tango, from the transatlantic slave trade, native music, Spanish colonialism, or sounds from the Carribean? And how tango differs from the forms of latin dance I am familiar with, such as salsa, cumbia, merengue, and bachata?
Our program in Argentina has two tango experiences scheduled: one a performance, the other a lesson. I’m looking forward to experiencing tango first hand, and I plan to ask lots of questions! (I excel at asking questions; I’m often the one the professor is shushing in class.) To ensure I’m making a robust inquiry, I am going to research a bit about the history of tango… I’m getting my wisdom teeth pulled next week, so I anticipate a lot of time to research. After our return from Argentina, I hope to compile what I’ve learned and slake my curiosity with further research based on the answers I’ve found. Maybe someone mentions a factor I’ve overlooked, or a social element of which I’m ignorant. I want to learn and get a sense of the culture of Argentina as expressed by tango.
As I am mere weeks away from embarking on the program, I find myself confident and excited. Be it bad weather, traffic, communication difficulties due to the language barrier, getting off schedule… I’m here for it. It’s all part of the adventure. Especially communication fatigue, since that’s when language skills are truly tested.
I plan on taking one bag. I need no more than four pairs of clothes. I like elegant simplicity. A duffle bag travels easily, no checking of luggage; why take more than I need? Anything I desperately lack I can buy in Buenos Aires, since it’s a city the size of Los Angeles. Until then, strictly the essentials. Plus, I’ll save room for gifts upon my return!
I’m excited to share my discoveries about tango in Argentina! ¡Hasta que esté en Buenos Aires!
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