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InteractiveTangoMilonga:Fragments
CourtneyBrown
ArizonaStateUniversity,Tempe,AZ,UnitedStates
[email protected]
Abstract.InteractiveTangoMilonga1:FragmentsisaninteractivedanceperformanceusingtheInteractiveTango
Milongasystem,whichenablesdancerstodrivemusicaloutcomesviatheirmovementswithintheArgentinetango
musicanddancetradition.Tangodancersaregivenagencyovermusicinordertoincreaseconnection,theArgentine
tangoconceptdescribingatranscendentexperienceofrelationandsynchronizationbetweenpartnersandmusic.
Motionsensorsareattachedtotheanklesandbackofeachdancer,andtheinformationcomingfromthesesensorsare
thentranslatedintotangomusic.Likeanimprovisingmusicianinanensemble,eachdancerreceivesmusicalfeedback
frombothhermovementsandherpartner’s.Thus,eachdancercanrespondtothemusic,receivingfurthermusical
feedback,becomingfurtherinvolvedinboththesoundandherpartner’smovements.
Keywords:NIME,Argentinetango,HCI,Embodiment
InteractiveTangoMilonga:Fragments
InteractiveTangoMilonga:FragmentsisaninteractivedanceperformancedancedbyCourtneyBrownandBrent
BrimhallinthestyleofArgentinetango.CourtneyBrownisalsothecreatoroftheinteractivetangosystemandthe
tangomusiccomposer.TheperformancewillbeastructuredimprovisationasArgentinetangoistraditionally
improvised,lasting4.5-5minutes.
Figure1.DancersusingtheInteractiveTangoMilongasystem
1
MilongareferstoaformalArgentinetangosocialdanceevent.
InteractiveTangoMilonga:FragmentsdemonstratesanewinstrumentformusicalexpressionfortheArgentinetango
danceandmusictradition.ArgentinetangodancewasbornindiverseimmigrantworkingclasscommunitiesofRíodela
Plata,combiningseveraltraditionsincludingthehabanera,theAndalusiantango,andthecandombe,anUruguayan
slavedance.Argentinetangomusicemergedafterthedancetradition,andunlikemostotherWesternsocialpartner
dances,likesalsa,nostandardbasicstepsettoaparticularrhythmicfigureexistswithinthedance.Instead,movement
ineachmomentistheresultofnonverbalcommunication.Tangodancecouplesrespondtothesamemusicwithdiverse
rhythms,movementqualities,andfigures.Tangodancemusicality,i.e.,howdancersengageandrespondtothemusic,
requirescreativedecisionsandnegotiationsbetweeneachleaderandfollower.Dancersimprovisetheirownmusical
interpretationsandalsorespondtotheirpartner’sviatouchandmovement.InteractiveTangoMilongaisanewmusical
interfacegivingvoicetothismovement,allowingskilleddancersanovelavenueofconnection,throughsound.
Movementqualitiesandactionsaretranslatedintomusicaloutcomesinanumberofways.Forexample,inthevideo
documentationinthelinkbelow,followerstepsandkickscontroltheonsetofpiecesofmelody.Additionally,perceptual
characteristicsofmovementaretranslatedtosimilarmusicalperceptualcharacters,buildingaunifiedtangomusicmovementperceptualspace.Manymovementandmusicfeatureswithdifferentweightingsdeterminewhich
perceptualcategoryeachfallsintoandhoweachismapped.Forinstance,thesmoothnessorchoppinessofthecouples’
movementsarereflectedinthemusic,howstaccatoorlegatoitis.Anotherexampleishowmovementdensityis
reflectedinmusicdensity.So,howbusyorsparsemovementisdeterminesthisqualityinthemusic–howmanynotes
areplayed,whatthethicknessoftheorchestrationis.Dancersmayalsoaddmusicalornamentsandgaincontinuous
controlovertheirtimbreandvolumebyperformingafewspecifictangogestures,suchasthecirclingfootadorno.
Argentinetangoislargelyasocialdance,takingplaceindancehalls,restaurants,andbarsratherthanthestage.The
spacebetweenperformersandspectatorsisfluidone,wherethosewhoareexpertsandnovicesbothdancetogether
andsharethedancefloor.Bydancing,participantsareengagingwithalargercommunityandlivingtradition.Argentine
tangoperformancegrowsoutofthissocialtradition,wheretangostudents,expertsandprofessionals,demonstrate
theirskillsandhighlypersonalstyletoanaudienceoffellowdancersduringamilonga,usuallyaroundmidnight.
PerformancehasalsobeenacrucialtotheexportofArgentinetangoandhownewdancerscometoknowandjointhe
globaltangocommunity.Theinteractivetangosystem,InteractiveTangoMilonga,isalsoprimarilyasystemforsocial
dance,andtheperformance,likewise,arisesoutofthetraditionofdemonstrationandinterpretation.
AdditionalInformation
VideoDocumentation:http://vimeo.com/courtneydbrown/interactive-tango-milonga-performance-demonstration
VideoExplainer:http://vimeo.com/courtneydbrown/interactive-tango-milonga
Biography
CourtneyBrown(creator,engineer,composer,dancer)isasoundartist,researcherandArgentinetangodancer.Sheisa
doctoralcandidateinDigitalMediaandPerformanceatArizonaStateUniversity,andagraduateofDartmouth’s
ElectroacousticMaster’sProgram.AformerFulbrightFellow,shedevelopedinteractiveArgentinetangodanceduring
herresidencyinBuenosAires,Argentina.Thison-goingprojectgivesdancersagencyovermusic,theirmovements
drivingreal-timemusicalcompositionwithinanArgentinetangosocialdancecontext.Throughthephysicalactof
creatingsound,herworksareacatalystforinvestigatingandalteringembodiedexperience.Hercontinuingproject,
‘Rawr!AStudyinSonicSkulls’,allowingbothgalleryvisitorsandmusicalperformerstogivevoicetoanextinct
lambeosaurinehadrosaur,wonanHonoraryMentionfrom2015PrixArsElectronicainDigitalMusics&SoundArt.For
more,gotohttp://www.courtney-brown.net.
BrentBrimhall(dancer)hasbeenanArgentinetangodancerforfiveyearshasabackgroundinmartialarts,yoga,
somatics,andpost-moderncontemporarydance.