Review by Choice Review
This is an informative, well-documented, valuable study written in a spirited style and well illustrated with color and black-and-white photographs. Merritt (adjunct, anthropology, Arcadia Univ.) distinguishes the "new tango" from traditional tango by its appeal to the tourist industry and its global reach as a cultural and sociological manifestation and a burgeoning industry. This lively history reflects the "interaction of local to global forces in the tango's development," which is relevant to the developing world dance and culture. The author is herself a dancer and so brings to the subject valuable perspective and self-reflection, including knowledge of the physical skills of a dancer, as well as the viewpoint of a historical and cultural anthropologist. She studies the new tango as a cultural manifestation, viewing it from a contemporary worldwide perspective and blending theory, practice, and cultural considerations. The fields of dance history, anthropology, and sociology need more literature like this. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. C. T. Bond Goucher College
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
