Dances of Argentina

The gaucho – ‘a beggar on horseback’ whose dance music was the strumming of a guitar and the jingling of his spurs – was the civiliser of the pampa. His presence, more than anything else, led to the creation of the essentially Argentine folk dance; for while the folk culture of the northern provinces is shared with Chile, Peru and Bolivia, the dances of the plains, the Chacareras and Escondidos, are Argentina’s own exclusive property. And they bear still the hall-marks of the gaucho, that remarkable mixture of Spanish courtesy, gravity and elegance combined with the sinewy toughness of the Indian.

Mr. Lloyd, who was a member of the Editorial Board of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, and of the International Folk Music Council, roamed Argentina from the River Plate to the Bolivian frontier. And wherever he went he delved into folklore, particularly in the provinces of Salta and Jujuy. Music and step notations for two dances from these areas, which are rich in dance and song, are given in this book, together with two from the gaucho plains. In addition, there are four colour plates showing the traditional costumes worn.