Striking tangos and lyrical waltzes from TangoKinesis
This summer’s dance shows cater to all tastes; they range from classical ballet to modern dance and dance theater, and from traditional dances to flamenco and tango. Many major dance groups from abroad have already visited Greece, while others are expected to do so soon, and the public has responded to them very positively, revealing a real fondness for dance. This week’s dance show is by the Buenos Aires-based TangoKinesis ensemble, which will perform its «Tangos y Valses» on Wednesday and Thursday at the open-air Lycabettus Theater. TangoKinesis is not merely another tango ensemble: Its choreographies combine all the sensationalism of tango and the dynamics of modern dance. Ana Maria Stekelman, director and choreographer of the group as well as Latin America’s most popular choreographer, has created a demanding performance, in which eight dancers perform three separate choreographies, all of them original and pacy. Stekelman’s tangos are striking and passionate, humorous and fast, while her waltzes are breathtaking and lyrical, with references to their European roots. The group specializes in mixing modern and traditional tango, but the fact that the dancing couples are perfectly suited to each other makes their shows even more exciting. All the women come from classic dance schools, while all the men are tango specialists. TangoKinesis borrows elements from other kinds of dance too, therefore the music used in the shows ranges from traditional tango compositions combined with classical music to voice extracts and sounds of gunfire. The show’s lighting is designed by Omar Possemato and the musical production is by Edgardo Rudnitzky (including works by Astor Piazzolla, Vivaldi and Strauss). Nora Robles, Pedro Calveyra, Marcelo Carte, Martin Rodriguez, Gisela Natoli, Mercedes Appugliese, Facundo Mercado and Vanessa Odetti are the dancers. «Tangos y Valses» will also appear at the Ancient Olympia Festival on Saturday.