3450  Ban on Cortes And Quebradas

Date: Wed, 18 May 2005 10:48:46 -0600
From: Bruno <romerob@TELUSPLANET.NET>
Subject: Ban on Cortes And Quebradas

David Koucky asked:

>When did the milongas of Buenos Aires begin to ban cortes and quebradas?<

My 2 cents:

What I have read is that Cortes and Quebradas were a prohibited practice
carried over from times that tango was associated with brothels, the
underworld, and low class people, and was perpetuated well into modern days.


Historically, it was not permitted in family dances, and dance places. Jose
Sebastian Tallon in his book "El Compadrito" mentions that in **family
dances** if offenders were caught dancing with cortes and quebradas, they
were slapped on the face by the father, uncle, etc.

Cortes and Quebradas were also not tolerated in the dances at the patios of
the "conventillos" a.k.a cuarteles, these were buildings with patio(s) and
multiple living quarters or rooms to accommodate immigrants, or transient
people. The saying then was, "....We can be many things, but we remain
decent people".

Best regards,

Bruno