"Tango Portraits"
By Beverley Brommert
This short but delightful exhibition of tango in its various forms proves the theory that the dance genre in question is best viewed in an intimate setting reminiscent of Argentinian tango salons rather than on a theatre stage.
The studio of the El Cacha Tango Company is the ideal venue for a show such as this: its dark walls and drapery generate a sense of warmth and romance, and the audience's informal seating, level with the dance-floor, gives the performance added immediacy by allowing spectators to see every nuance of emotion on the dancers' faces.
Tango Portraits is a well-conceived show, celebrating the writings of Jorge Luis Borges as well as Argentina's most famous dance-form.
... with the unusual males-only El Choclo (The Corn Cob) standing out for its aggression, and the blatant Milonguero Viejo (Old Tango Dancers) bringing an impressively assured performance from Christopher Stokes and Mareli Schroter.
A must for devotees of this seductive dance.
