An Evening of Tango

There was a full house at the Colony Theatre on Miami Beach this past Saturday night for a fantastic performance called Eras Del Tango. A live orchestra, a wonderful vocalist Cristina Longo and three pairs of tango dancers made the theatre come alive. To add to the performances, there were slides of photographs and paintings of tango dancers from the past.

I must start with the music that included a man playing the traditional Argentinean concertina called a bandoneon. Sometimes it squawked, sometimes it was melodic, but it brought us the sound of Argentina in every piece. Unfortunately the musician wasn’t credited in the program so I can’t give him personal kudos. All of the musicians were excellent and played continually throughout the show during dance numbers, vocals and their own orchestra pieces. Wonderful to hear this music live!

Cristina Longo, the vocalist with a delightful and powerful voice, sang six different songs throughout the evening. The pieces were all in Spanish and even though I don’t understand the language, they spoke to me. You could feel a collective swaying in the audience when she sang music that was familiar.

And then there were the dancers: three couples. Each had their particular style. The opening part of the program gave us a look at tango styles from previous eras. Picture a man and a woman both in suits, each with a hat; he with spats. The dance was sexy and funny and brilliantly executed by Jeremias Massera and Mariela Barufaldi, choreographers and producers of the show.

Next came a period piece in formal dress nicely danced by Jerry and Christine Perez.

My favorite of three wonderful couples was the youngest pair: Diego Blanco and Ana Padron. Their first appearance in Taquito Militar was a flirtation between a serviceman and a young girl who wanted his money. Their footwork was like lightning, their focus strong, the sense of comedy marvelous.

There were several group tangos that showcased all their talents including difficult lifts and turns. The dancers were beautifully lighted by Ron Burns, who added washes of color and pools of light to highlight each dance.

The costumes were excellent, the women’s dresses in particular. Each moved beautifully with the dancer. And each new dance brought on more and more costume changes that enhanced each number.

This company produced two performances on Saturday. I hope they will continue to produce and perform in South Florida. The audience was most appreciative.