The San Francisco Bay Area, a mecca for creativity and talent, draws people from around the world. The same could be said of the Bay Area Tango community. People from all over the world gather here to connect on the dance floor or to share their talents and knowledge with others. One just has to attend any Bay Area milonga to know this is true; much talent graces our dance floors. And on a few occasions, these talented dancers and musicians collaborate, creating performances that inspire and celebrate our tango community.
This coming weekend, May 20th and 21st, just so happens to be a special weekend for Bay Area Tango. There are two Tango shows this weekend, plus the opening of a tango documentary about one of Argentina’s most famous Tango couples.
Nostalgias de Tango
Nostalgias
Lyrics by Enrique Cadícamo
Translation by Derrick Del Pilar
I want to get my heart drunk
so I can snuff out a crazy love
that more than love, is just suffering…
and I come here for this,
to erase the old kisses
with kisses from other mouths…
If her love was a one-day bloom
what’s the reason that I always feel
this cruel fixation?
I want to raise my drink to the both of us
to forget my obstinacy
and also so I remember her again…
The song Nostalgias plays a particularly important role in the show, Nostalgias de Tango, not only contributing to the title of the show, but is in a way a summary of the entire story.
Nostalgias de Tango, a narrated musical in two acts, is the collaboration between the Argentine tango band “Tangonero”, singer Claudio Ortega and dancers, Leo Landa and Alona Gorer. The story was written by Bay Area’s very own milongero, Leo Landa. Cast members include Caelyn Casanova as a dancer and narrator and musicians Alex Roitman on Bandoneon, Michèle Walther on Violin, Amy Zanrosso on Piano, and Sascha Jacobsen on Bass.
The plot follows the story of a couple whose chance encounter and subsequent unfolding events are influenced and colored by Argentine tango. Set in present day, the show highlights how the nature and the roots of Argentine tango, dating more than a century back, are still relevant and dangerously powerful in modern life. The plot blurs the edges between life and tango, past and present, reality and dreams.
Nostalgias de Tango also features a number of allusions and bows-of-the-head to several cultural staples in the world of tango, such as famous tango movies. You must see the show to learn which ones.
When: Saturday, May 21, 2016, 8pm
Where: Oshman Family JCC, Albert & Janet Schultz Cultural Arts Hall, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA
Cost: $30-$35 online, $40 at the door
Buy tickets: http://nostalgiasdetango.show/tickets/
Tango Night!
Another upcoming collaboration between Bay Area dancers and musicians is Tango Night produced by Alma del Tango with live music by Trio Garufa. It is one of the events showcased at San Francisco’s International Arts Festival. SFIAF celebrates the arts by bringing together a global community of artists and audiences. The organization presents innovative projects that are focused on increasing human awareness and understanding.
Why this is a must see? The incredible line up of local professional dancers that are part of the show. These include:
Andrea Monti & Adrian Durso
Ayano Yoneda & Felipe Martinez
Christy Cote & Marcelo Molina
Debbie Goodwin & John Campbell
Lisette Perelle & Diego Lanau
Mila Salazar & Casey Young
Rose Vierling & Anton Koukareko
Plus, Tango Con*Fusion’s; Debbie Goodwin, Rose Vierling & guest dancer Jasmine Worrell.
“Tango Night, an intimate evening by Alma del Tango, explores the rich diversity of the dance, from the close embrace of the social dance floor to the fast flying legs of the fantasia stage. Bay Area’s top professional tango dancers express their unique styles to the live music of the virtuosic international tango ensemble, Trio Garufa. Romantic, passionate, even quirky, these dancers dazzle the eye and capture the heart. ”
When: Friday May 20th, 2016, 8pm & 10pm
Where: Fort Mason Center for Arts and Culture, Gallery 308
2 Marina Blvd, Bldg A, San Francisco, CA
Cost: $20 General Admission
Tickets: https://fortmason.org/box-office/?eid=12157
Our Last Tango
Also opening this weekend, is OUR LAST TANGO, a documentary about the life and love story of Argentina’s most famous tango dancers Maria Nieves Rego and Juan Carlos Copes. They met as teenagers and danced together for nearly fifty years until a painful separation tore them apart. Relaying their story to a group of young tango dancers and choreographers from Buenos Aires, their story of love, hatred and passion is transformed into unforgettable tango-choreographies.
“OUR LAST TANGO” exclusive engagement opens Friday, May 20th!
Our Last Tango will be showing in both San Francisco and in Berkeley at these theaters:
Landmark’s Opera Plaza Cinema – 601 Van Ness Avenue near San Francisco’s Civic Center
Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas – 2230 Shattuck Avenue one block from UC Berkeley
And special to SF Loves Tango readers, Strand Releasing is offering a chance to win the movie’s soundtrack. See below for details:
“OUR LAST TANGO” SOUNDTRACK CD GIVEAWAY!
Enter for a chance to win a Soundtrack CD for OUR LAST TANGO courtesy of Strand Releasing! To be eligible, email SanFranciscoPromo@LandmarkTheatres.com by Thursday, May 26, 2016. Please write “OUR LAST TANGO GIVEAWAY” in the email subject line. Include your full name and mailing address in the body of the email. One entry per person. A limited number of submissions will be chosen at random from all entries and notified via email.