GlamourTango Comes to Aaron Davis Hall

The passion and elegance of tango will take center stage at Aaron Davis Hall as City College Center for the Arts (CCCA) presents Polly Ferman's GlamourTango - A Celebration of Women in Tango on Thursday, March 29. Created and produced by Ferman, GlamourTango features an all-female cast of dancers, musicians and singers who come together to entertain audiences and bring to light the overlooked role of women in helping to shape this beloved musical and dance genre. The group will give two special Women's History Month performances at noon and 7 p.m.

A dance form that has become synonymous with drama and desire, tango has captivated fans around the world since its inception in early-20th-century South America. Originating in the River Plate region between Argentina and Uruguay, the tango fuses musical and cultural influences from Africa and Europe. From its nascence, tango emphasized male dominance with original tango dancing pairs being composed of two men and accompanying musicians typically being all-male.

The multimedia concert will include the irresistible music of Astor Piazzolla, Horacio Salgán, Anselmo Aieta, Pintín Castellanos, Rosita Quiroga, Enrique Mendizábal, Daniel Binelli, and more, as well as photos and video footage. Performers hail from Argentina and Uruguay. The show is a hat tip to little-known female tango pioneers such as Paquita Bernardo, one of the first women to gain notice playing the bandoneón, the accordion-like instrument central to tango music, and to female vocalists who emerged in the middle of the 20th century. GlamourTango premiered in Uruguay in 2008 and has since appeared throughout Latin America and China and in numerous cities in the U.S. and Canada, including Chicago, Milwaukee, New York, San Francisco, Montreal, Toronto and Quebec.

Under the artistic direction of award-winning director Leyma Lopez, the March 29 concerts at Aaron Davis Hall will feature Ferman (piano and musical director), Eleonora Ferreyra (bandoneón), Melisa Atoyan (violin), Iris Ornig (double bass) and Mariela Marco (vocals). Dancers Mariana Parma (also choreographer), Karina Romero, Azul Ibanez Fernandez, and Valentina Vire Avondet.

"It is my hope that GlamourTango helps reinforce the idea of equality and women's empowerment at such an important moment in women's history," said Ferman. "We want to give audiences not only a beautiful and entertaining performance, but also to introduce them to the female pioneers who helped make tango what it is today."

"We are very happy to welcome Polly Ferman's GlamourTango to Aaron Davis Hall," said CCCA Managing Director Gregory Shanck. "Polly is an amazing talent and ambassador for music and the show she has crafted in GlamourTango is one that will delight audiences."

For a sampling of GlamourTango, visit http://bit.ly/2F9odkX.

www.citycollegecenterforthearts.org,

www.glamourtango.com.

ABOUT THE ARTIST
Polly Ferman is an acclaimed pianist and leading interpreter of music of the Americas. Born in Uruguay and now based in New York, Ferman captivates audiences with outstanding performances of works by Latin American composers. Her numerous recordings constitute one of the most extensive collections of Latin American repertoire for piano. Ferman's tours as a soloist have included appearances with orchestras around the world, including the Chicago, San Francisco, Sacramento, Indianapolis, Tokyo, Philippines, Jarkov and Argentine National Symphonies, as well as on recital stages at Carnegie Hall, Tokyo's Takemitsu Hall, London's St. Martin-in-the-Fields, and Buenos Aires' Teatro Colón.

Also an entrepreneur, Ferman founded and directs PAMAR, Inc. (Pan American Musical Art Research), an organization devoted to presenting the rich variety of Latin American arts. Among PAMAR's projects is the annual Latin American Cultural Week (LACW) in New York City.

ABOUT THE CITY COLLEGE CENTER FOR THE ARTS:
The City College Center for the Arts hosts an ambitious, year-round calendar of student and professional performances. The mission of the City College Center for the Arts is to provide a creative arts center and focal point for the City College of New York, building a sense of community within the College, elevating the profile of Aaron Davis Hall in the greater New York area, and connecting the College to the surrounding community through the arts.