Review: SOCIAL TANGO PROJECT at National Arts Centre

Social Tango Project had an all-too-brief stop at the National Arts Centre this week, providing audiences with a glimpse into the welcoming community of Argentine tango.

A mix of original music, dance, abstract storytelling, and a bit of documentary footage (by Nora Lezano), the aim of Social Tango Project is to invite audiences to explore this form of dance and highlight the sense of community and belonging it can provide. You may walk into a tango club as a stranger, but chances are good that you will leave with friends.

On the streets of Buenos Aires, a woman paces impatiently, continually checking her cell phone. She wears a smart neutral pantsuit, with a beige overcoat. A couple accidently bump into her, apologizing and then dancing away. Intrigued, the woman follows them into a club where musicians are playing live music and couples in bright outfits are dancing, carefree. The woman sits at a table alone, observing wistfully from a distance – until she finally musters the courage to try the dance herself. She is self-conscious at first and, despite her tango partner’s encouragement, she is too embarrassed to continue. Before she leaves, a dance instructor hands her a business card. Later, we see the woman taking lessons at the instructor's school. The woman's dull attire has been replaced with a colourful dress, symbolizing her abandonment of the hum-drum, lonely life she led before. She and the other students have become part of this lively community where skill level doesn’t matter because the focus is on togetherness and having a good time. During the class scene, four couples, whom I assume are local students, joined the professionals on stage and they danced together with varying degrees of skill, a real-life reflection of the tango culture.

The show is choreographed by Agustina Videla, who recreates a traditional milonga on stage. The milonga dance is intimate, almost reminiscent of a waltz, where the partners stay joined throughout the dance. The ten professional dancers on stage perform intricate foot movements, complemented with lifts, jumps, and kicks. The music is largely poignant and emotive, accentuated by traditional instruments including a bandonion, double bass, guitar and piano. The singer’s velvety vocals are the perfect accompaniment to the soulful music.

Where Social Tango Project really shines is in bringing the dance back to its roots and original meaning. If you left the NAC’s Babs Asper Theatre tapping your feet and wishing that you too could tango, you’re in luck. Siempre Tango Ottawa, who hosted a tango social after the show in collaboration with NAC Dance, is giving a free introduction to Argentine tango on August 25, September 7, and September 15 – click here for times and registration details.

Social Tango Project is part of the NAC Dance’s Summer Programming. Click here to see what else is coming to the National Arts Centre's stage this summer.

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