Argentinian Choreographer German Cornejo’s Wild Tango boasts about an evening of South American culture, enticing them with a night of passion and an ‘explosion’ of tango, contemporary dance, urban, malambo and circus. Inspired by the origins of tango, this show features a mostly male cast (there are only three female dancers out of eleven).
The first act opens with a steamy duo surrounded by dancers in hooded black costumes surrounding them, with a live band – drums, piano, a guitar, accordion and vocalist at the back of the stage, adding to the authenticity of the evening. They take themselves quite seriously, but it is nonetheless feisty. Their costumes appeared somewhat of a hindrance, with hoods slipping down, but the overall atmosphere was electric.
The dances aren’t connected by a narrative or apparent theme, but this is unimportant and does not change the slick transitions between performances. Each one is unique, fast-paced and upbeat. When the aerial is introduced, the dancers create impressive positions while swirling in the air, although not completely in unison. Moments of the performance could be cleaned up for the full WOW factor.
Despite the emphasis on the power of two men dancing tango together; generating strength and synergy, there was a distinct lack of chemistry between the male partners. I was not expecting sparks to be flying from this new perspective, however some dancers- as remarkable as they were seemed to be going through the moves as one, rather than working with their partners. Act two steps it up a notch with bouncy, lively dances, incredible trios, acrobatics and a bigger focus on the band. Cornejo and Gerardo Casas’ costume designs combined a mix of leather, shiny vampiresque cloaks, sparkly leotards, denim patches and fluorescent boilersuits. Again, the theme was disconnected but certainly eye-catching in a garish way.
Wild Tango is on the precipice of something great, with a little more fine-tuning and a touch more chemistry it has the potential to be a 5* show.
Review by Hannah Storey
Rating: ★★★
Seat: Stalls K6 | Price of Ticket: £45
