It must have been a curious scene: a tango-dancing couple demonstrating this pernicious dance in front of Pope Pius X at the Vatican. The bishops of Nancy and Marseilles had urged by letter in November 1913 that the Vatican take a stand against this debauched craze that was sweeping the ballrooms of Europe. It was not without results; His Holiness declared that "the tango should be considered an immoral dance and, consequently, should be banned. The ban backfired. While the Catholic Church and several European courts banned the dance, tango grew into a veritable craze outside.
In the lecture on the tango, cultural historian Bart Jan de Graaf will talk about the uproar this sweltering phenomenon caused.
Bart Jan de Graaf
Since 2012, Bart Jan has been freelancing and teaching courses with a cultural and ideas history content and is involved in various activities that can be summarized under the broad heading of "cultural education" (publications, presentations, activities in museums, lectures, and so on).
Tango Brutal
This lecture is part of the Tango Brutal festival. Discover the complete program here.