As a long time admirer of Tango I have always found myself drawn to its versatility; what initially attracts me to this particular style of dance is how it is capable of so many emotions and how despite the rigid rules and etiquettes of its nature, Tango does not have to be inherently sexual or overtly flash. It is a dance that can be shared by two of the same gender, or a couple with a vast age difference, and what I have always loved is how in the moment of that dance, there is a great amount of context and respectively, expression.
German Cornejo has managed to encapsulate this perfectly from start to finish with ‘Tango Immortal’. I can wholeheartedly attest to being sat on a veritable rollercoaster of emotion and then spun around at high speeds by the sheer range that his choreography paired with a stage full of World Champion Tango dancers manages to convey.
From the start, one surmises simply by looking at the selection of music that this show aims to appeal to both Tango enthusiasts and those who are just after an evening’s entertainment. As someone who has practiced and studied the Argentine dance, I am thrilled to discover Tango classics such as ‘Rubias de New York’ and the frantic ‘Gallo Ciego’ and to anyone who would call themselves an enthusiast I can assure you that you will not go disappointed. Cornejo, in my eyes, is a mastermind of pacing, performance and precision.
Just when you think that sixteen dancers on stage prowling rapidly through each other to ‘Gimmie, Gimmie, Gimmie’ could perhaps be too much to look at to fully admire, the lights will rapidly cut out and a spotlight will shine upon just a single pair. It’s this ever-going contrast between dancing duos and full on synchronicity of the masses of legs flying around in a precariously lethal manner that will keep you on the edge of your seat: I was constantly enthralled by how precise the dancers were with each other, so when you are left with just two on stage you can really appreciate how good they are as individual couples.
And they are really good. I cannot claim to be an expert on Tango, but I could not fault a single one of them in any aspect of their craft throughout the entire performance. Watching Gisela Galeassi acrobatically spin around Cornejo himself to Adele’s ‘Skyfall’ was probably one of the most heart pounding experiences I’ve ever had sitting down, watching the whole ensemble dance to Footloose is enormous fun, and between songs the band plays you through some classic numbers with truly professional and organic enthusiasm that allows you to be slung back on that rollercoaster as soon as the dancers return to stage.
The lighting is phenomenal, the music is exquisite, the genuine love of Tango spills from every minute of performance and anyone who either enjoys good performance entertainment or proper stage Tango should be booking tickets when done reading this review. 5/5
Review written by Prerna Prasad.
Immortal Tango was shown at Sadler’s Wells from Tuesday 1st until Saturday 19th March. To find more about the dance company Tango Fire, visit here…
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