You are invited to tango, the world's most sensual and intimate dance, through the stories and memoirs of two American tangueros. The Temptation to Tango: Journeys of Intimacy and Desire will take you where no other book on tango ever has. Short fictional pieces enter the world of tango through the dancer's eyes, heart, and skin; expository pieces provide background with lively accounts of tango's history and evolution, of personal experiences learning to tango, and of the pleasures and challenges of adding tango to our own lives. Alternating fiction and non-fiction the way we have is the only way to capture the multiple voices of tango. Ours is not a "how-to" manual or an historical treatise, but a tour of the erotic steam of crowded late night dance floors as well as the frightening challenges to body and heart. The Temptation to Tango: Journeys of Intimacy and Desire is divided into four parts: "The Lure", "The Reality", "The Challenge" and "The Reward". First, we explore tango's romantic allure, mysterious origins, and exotic dark side. The first short story is about a Catholic priest whose hidden life of tango is exposed. Next, we focus on why tango is so hard to learn; the stresses on the body and inner-world of emotion. We investigate the cultural issues around dominance and submission. Six more short stories tell tales of couples and singles who take-on the tango with very different goals and results. Even after mastery of the dance, challenges abound: the tango scene and how to fit into it, the intimacy factor and how far to take it, and the impact on established relationships. What one can get from persevering along the arduous tango trail is sensual and emotional fulfillment, rewards frequently lacking in our society.

In this tale about the Tango, the characters' experiences are evoked with subtlety and depth. Their stories radiate the elation and contradictions that Tango arouses.

This is an open access book. The 5th International Conference on Literature, Art and Human Development (ICLAHD 2023) was held on October 20-22, 2023 in Chengdu, China. Literature is an art that reflects the social life and expresses the author's thoughts and feelings by shaping images with language as the means. Art is a social ideology that uses images to reflect reality but is more typical than reality. It includes literature, painting, sculpture, architecture, music and so on. Literature is one of the forms of expression belonging to art. Literature and art are difficult to separate by a clear boundary, but also for people to create more infinite imagination space. ICLAHD 2023 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of Literature, Art and Human Development research to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in Literature, Art and Human Development research and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in Literature, Art and Human Development research and related areas.

Click here to listen to Julia Ericksen's interview about Dance with Me on Philadelphia NPR's "Radio Times" Rumba music starts and a floor full of dancers alternate clinging to one another and turning away. Rumba is an erotic dance, and the mood is hot and heavy; the women bend and hyperextend their legs as they twist and turn around their partners. Amateur and professional ballroom dancers alike compete in a highly gendered display of intimacy, romance and sexual passion. In Dance With Me, Julia Ericksen, a competitive ballroom dancer herself, takes the reader onto the competition floor and into the lights and the glamour of a world of tanned bodies and glittering attire, exploring the allure of this hyper-competitive, difficult, and often expensive activity. In a vivid ethnography accompanied by beautiful photographs of all levels of dancers, from the world’s top competitors to social dancers, Ericksen examines the ways emotional labor is used to create intimacy between professional partners and between professionals and their students, illustrating how dancers purchase intimacy. She shows that, while at first glance, ballroom presents a highly gendered face with men leading and women following, dancing also transgresses gender.

Neapolitan Postcards gathers a diverse group of international scholars to investigate unexplored transnational aspects of the intimate yet globally popular canzone napoletana. Performed and beloved worldwide in almost every language, the style had hits such as “Funiculì funiculà” (1880) and “’O sole mio” (1898) which sold millions of copies. These hits fueled the tradition’s spread across the world over the course of the twentieth century with the eventual popularity of covers by singers and musicians of all music genres and styles, from popular music to opera and jazz. This book is the first scholarly work that considers the specific complexities of the international Neapolitan Song scenes through case studies from Argentina, England, Greece, and the United States, employing analyses of compositions, iconographical sources, international films, mechanical musical instruments, performances, and recordings devoted to the canzone napoletana.

""Habits That Transform"" explores the transformative power of small, daily actions in reshaping our lives. This insightful book delves into the science of habit formation, neuroplasticity, and the compounding effect of micro-habits, offering readers a fresh perspective on personal growth. By examining cutting-edge research and real-life examples, it demonstrates how tiny, consistent changes can lead to significant improvements in productivity, health, and happiness over time. At the heart of the book is the innovative ""micro-habit stacking"" technique, which helps readers build complex routines by gradually layering small, manageable habits. This approach makes lasting change more achievable and less daunting. The book's exploration of neuroplasticity reveals how repeated behaviors create and strengthen neural pathways, providing a scientific foundation for understanding why small habits can have such a profound impact. Structured as a journey of self-discovery and practical application, ""Habits That Transform"" guides readers through the process of implementing micro-habits in various aspects of their lives. It combines accessible explanations of complex scientific concepts with actionable advice, making it valuable for anyone interested in evidence-based strategies for self-improvement. By focusing on the power of incremental change, this book offers a refreshing and effective approach to personal transformation.