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Milonga. Arts Centre April 2015

What a night! It’s great to see a dance show and be swept away by the experience and not be analysing the dancing or choreography, Milonga is just the show to do that.

There have been a number of Tango dance performances come through Melbourne in the last couple of years and while the dancing is almost always of an exceptional standard some of the productions lack imagination in their staging. I was excited to see Sandler’s Wells, a renowned dance company with a contemporary director and choreography bhdjslabhjlbh creating a tango performance, and I wasn’t disappointed. Milonga includes seventeen performers, ten Tango dancers from Argentina, two Contemporary dancers and 5 musicians.

The staging was clean but immersing. Video imaging and cut outs were used to fill out the crowds and walk you through the streets of Argentina giving it a strong connection to its cultural context as well as being visually exciting. The music was excellent including both some old favourites and new repertoire all performed by a tight band who played with passion and poignancy. Costuming was simple, elegant and well designed to fit the individual look of each couple dancing.

Tango at its best, the dancing was at once original and authentic, innovative and paid homage to its roots, cohesive, with good unison but displaying the individual quality and expertise of each couple. This is the most I have enjoyed a dance show in years!

This little write up may not be of much help to the Melbournians as we went to see it on the second last night of a very short run at the Arts Centre, but if you happen to see it advertised for another city that you are likely to be near, then beg, borrow or steal a ticket and get yourself along.

More information about the show

If you want to learn Tango then Phoenix Dance Studio can help you. Click here to inquire about lessons.

 

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