It has become almost a clich’e, when two people are shown dancing the tango, a rose is clenched between the woman’s teeth. Why is this, and where did the practice originate?
Regards
FML
From Tango Nova:
Bumped, as I’m curious, too.
Perhaps the early motion pictures?
Valentino era?
I was thinking early motion picture too, but the question remains “Why” did they do it…
FML
Have done quite a lot of ‘international’ (as opposed to Argentine) tango, and have never done so with a rose in my mouth, or indeed with any other flora in any other bodily orifice. I can’t imagine why anyone would want to. The thorns underneath, love, stick into your gums.
The movie patrons were sure to know no kissing went on. I’m thinking it was a must to ensure this was plain.
That makes sense to me, but if so it would’ve been a voluntary restraint, predating the Hollywood Production Code [1934].
where else is she going to put the rose?
While they dance.
Seriously.
The rose-in-teeth is also a cliché for the opera *Carmen, *which predates the Valentino era by several decades. So when did this association come about?
But was “rose in the teeth” in the stagings of Carmen before Valentino?