2761  Dancing and Municipal Ordinances

Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2004 05:38:04 +0000
From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Dancing and Municipal Ordinances

This is my translation of Daniel Lapadula's note.

Old and historical Municipal Ordinances of the City of Buenos Aires in
reference to dancing and dancing halls.

In answer to many questions and confusion on this subject...I tried to do
some investigation and placed a phone call the archives of the government of
the city of Buenos Aires.

Result of my call was that:
Early in the morning I received an answer from Ms. Maria del Carmen, an
officer of the government of the city. I was still sleepy when I took a few
notes of the conversation that took place.

She mentions a Summary of municipal rules, year 1917, page 717.
One can visit the archives to examine them personally, but photocopying is
not allowed due to the fact that the paper materials are very old and
delicate. (as explained by the officer above mentioned).

Municipal Ordinance - June 22 1915 -

The following prohibition applies both in the street or inside any dancing
hall.

The use of costumes similar to those of priests, those of the armed forces
or any indecent attire.
It is expressly forbidden for men to wear women's costumes or the opposite
(for women to wear men's clothing).

March 2nd, 1916 - Decree from the Municipal Executive Authority:

Addendum to the Ordinance of June 22 1915 - couples formed by men are not
allowed to dance in the above mentioned places.

Article 1074 - Public dances wearing costumes are allowed during Carnival
days. It is necessary to obtain a Municipal permit and such dances shall
finish by 4 am.

Another article forbids men or women to dance with each other in public or
private places where dancing is allowed by municipal permit.

It seems that these regulations applied not only to tango but to any type of
dancing (fox-trot, jazz, Latin, etc.).

I will continue these notes only if there is interest, please let me know.

Best regards, Daniel.

Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2004 19:51:11 +0000
From: herve michel <herve_michel1@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Dancing and Municipal Ordinances

It is funny...i have a friend from that country called Haiti...in his
country I believe that is is illegal for a man to wear a woman's dress or
act like 'behave' as a woman(Napoleonic code)...but during carnival...there
has been for the last 100 years or so a group of burly man dressed in
flamboyant hot red and pink dresses all man...some of them were lumberjack
in Canada...they hold hand and look so free...one of the most prominent of
these man...a macho man(75)..se know he is macho...he loved a woman when he
was 17 and she passed away...no one remember her well.. but he is macho
because he has a deep voice...on Carnival day in Haiti...from his apartment
in brooklyn...he put on a red mini skirt and a whole lot of make up...and
drink 5 bottle of rum by himself and there is a picture of his best friends
and former long time room mate manuel((passed away recently(67)...he does
not look so macho BUT he loved one when he was 21 and she left him for a
soccer player... so after the man finish drinking the rum he takes his room
mates picture and dance with it slowly to the beat of haitian carnival...I
had a chance to meet him and I ask him what was the meaning of this...you
see I have had a little training in anthropology so I try to understand
these funny haitians...he told me something so wise...he say that it is to
celebrate the time when he in manuel were young and so in over with these
woman that they had to put on woman's dress together and go to the carnival
parade...I got it from the horses mouth no bourgeois chicago anthropologist
can say anything else..i discovered the secret of why these man wear these
dresses and dance and dance and dance and feel sooo alive and free....so can
someone explain to me why the government would not let these argentine macho
man dance with each other to celebrate women...



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>From: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
>Reply-To: Sergio Vandekier <sergiovandekier990@HOTMAIL.COM>
>To: TANGO-L@MITVMA.MIT.EDU
>Subject: [TANGO-L] Dancing and Municipal Ordinances
>Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2004 05:38:04 +0000
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>This is my translation of Daniel Lapadula's note.
>
>Old and historical Municipal Ordinances of the City of Buenos Aires in
>reference to dancing and dancing halls.
>
>In answer to many questions and confusion on this subject...I tried to do
>some investigation and placed a phone call the archives of the government
>of
>the city of Buenos Aires.
>
>Result of my call was that:
>Early in the morning I received an answer from Ms. Maria del Carmen, an
>officer of the government of the city. I was still sleepy when I took a few
>notes of the conversation that took place.
>
>She mentions a Summary of municipal rules, year 1917, page 717.
>One can visit the archives to examine them personally, but photocopying is
>not allowed due to the fact that the paper materials are very old and
>delicate. (as explained by the officer above mentioned).
>
>Municipal Ordinance - June 22 1915 -
>
>The following prohibition applies both in the street or inside any dancing
>hall.
>
>The use of costumes similar to those of priests, those of the armed forces
>or any indecent attire.
>It is expressly forbidden for men to wear women's costumes or the opposite
>(for women to wear men's clothing).
>
>March 2nd, 1916 - Decree from the Municipal Executive Authority:
>
>Addendum to the Ordinance of June 22 1915 - couples formed by men are not
>allowed to dance in the above mentioned places.
>
>Article 1074 - Public dances wearing costumes are allowed during Carnival
>days. It is necessary to obtain a Municipal permit and such dances shall
>finish by 4 am.
>
>Another article forbids men or women to dance with each other in public or
>private places where dancing is allowed by municipal permit.
>
>It seems that these regulations applied not only to tango but to any type
>of
>dancing (fox-trot, jazz, Latin, etc.).
>
>I will continue these notes only if there is interest, please let me know.
>
>Best regards, Daniel.
>