Alicia Cruzado From Ballet Slippers to Stiletto Heels
Tucumán." "Cruzado." Even if Spanish or Portuguese are not one of your languages, the names do sound sort of familiar. Cruzado: Does that refer to the old Brazilian monetary unit, the Cruzeiro? Not exactly. In this particular case, Cruzado pertains to Argentine-born Alicia Cruzado who has danced, taught, choreographed and directed the art of numberless dances around the world in every conceivable kind of shoe from slippers to high heels.
The Brazilian monetary unit has a varied and sometimes confusing history so we'll save that for the last.
How about Tucumán? That's the bird with the enormous, colored beak, right? No. That would be toucan, a bird found in many tropical climes. Tucumán in northwest Argentina is the country's second largest city, founded by Spanish conquerors in 1565. It attained independence from Spain in 1816.
Thus, Cruzado, Cruzeiro, Tucumán, Toucan all have a connection with South America. In this instance, we choose Cruzado. Alicia Cruzado was born in Tucumán, Argentina. Older references describe it as "the most important industrial city in northern Argentina." Bringing this rather dry description up-to-date, Cruzado explains: "In 1959, the Argentine Government created a school for all the arts....dance, theater, music and ballet. Called 'Ballet Estable de Tucumán,' it is the [area's] official school."
Cruzado was involved in dance long before that, however. In her soft, musical, Catalonian accent (her family came from that part of Spain), she begins: "I danced ballet in Argentina for thirty-two years. When I was thirteen, the doctors came to my mother and said, 'She has flat feet.' They recommended special dance lessons. So my mother took me to ballet school and she took care of my feet. Every day, massage." With a small, sweet sigh, the dancer whispers, "It was so nice."
At thirty-three, she became the Director of 'Ballet Estable de Tucumán.' Ultimately, that marked the beginning of worldwide terpsichorean sojourns which, presently, have brought her to Vermont where she coaches professional dancers, creates choreographies and produces shows. From there she travels to New York City where she is Resident Tango Teacher at the Argentine Consulate; she is also Vice President of the Argentine Tango Society there. Furthermore, she goes to the Argentine Embassy in Washington, D.C. where she conducts tango classes.
Explaining, she elaborates, "These classes are a gift for the people....children and adults. Myself and other teachers, we have between forty and sixty students. Beginners and Intermediates. [Particularly] I am very happy about the classes in New York City because all the students go to the Milongas for 'social' tango. It's a code. They have to keep their toes on the floor. Not to kick out their legs like in staged tango."
So this is about tango? Not ballet? Cruzado is amused at the concept of a distinction between the two since in Argentina, the tango just naturally transcends all dance forms. "We all danced tango in the family," affirms Cruzado. "I danced with my father. My cousins. We do that. Always. My family are all natural dancers.
"But in 1960, we danced more rock and roll. That was the time. Then people asked, 'Why don't you dance the tango?'" Laughing heartily, she recalls her response. "Oh, that is for old people!"
Cruzado observes that in Argentine schools, dance, per se, begins officially at age six "....and the schools are free like here." (It seems prudent not to mention our exorbitant school taxes!)
When she was eighteen, Cruzado began her teaching career in Tucumán. "You have to go for ten years before you get a title. And you have to study classical ballet, French, music, history of music and dance, maquillage, scenery, lighting, sound. Everything. I did everything about the stage. Then you are asked, 'Do you want to become a ballet dancer or a teacher?' I thought ballet is a very short career."
In 1992, at forty-seven, Cruzado received a Juilliard scholarship. She started by teaching ballet, then was told she was needed to work on the forthcoming--and eventually to be acclaimed--show, "Tango Pasión." Dancer Magazine's review appeared in Miami in March of 1994. "Tango Pasión "toured the globe. "I became the Assistant Choreographer," says Cruzado. "For the Broadway production, I became the Dance Captain."
She did not remain at Juilliard for long "....because I lose my possibilities outside [the school]. And I was frustrated. My English was so bad. Later, a wonderful thing happened.... Zarius Hochman. In Tucumán he [had been] with me for one year. Imagine my surprise when, while teaching in Fairfield, Connecticut, I hear my name called. It was Zarius Hochman from Poland! He came to teach in the USA. I screamed. I cannot believe it! He speaks four languages: Polish, English, French, Portuguese. So when he speaks Portuguese, I could always understand him because it is similar to Spanish. I love him. Once he sent a letter to me inviting me to teach in Poland and in Norway." Almost apologetically, she gives a shivery, whispery little smile. "It's very cold there." Thus, her love for Hochman notwithstanding, she eschewed the colder parts of the world and chose her numerous, aforementioned venues in America which include Champlain College in Vermont and Dartmouth in New Hampshire.
The teacher / dancer / choreographer / director enjoys coupling different dance genres like tango mixed with flamenco. "I keep the torso like flamenco but the feet in the tango mode. This dance is wonderful and we went to Athens, Greece. It had a huge impact on people. Body movement has a relationship with Physics, Math and Physiology. When you teach how to move the body, you can apply it to all the dances....to the tango. I have created a new class [of dance] mixing tango with ballet. I call it 'Tango Workout.'"
July of 2006 saw the introduction of "I Tango" under the Artistic Direction of Cruzado at the Lisner Auditorium in Washington, D.C. She describes the production: "This show is not about tango's history; it is about interpretations of tango; it is a search for the essence of tango. When I direct companies, choreograph their shows, I think when I see them, I am in the shadows, watching. Standing in the shadows checking everything. And my heart still dances. When I teach, first I say your blood starts to run. You are not your body. You [meld] with your partner and you embrace to the music. The music makes you express yourself. That is a very important element to teach [even] before you move your feet. The music makes you dance."
As she expresses her feelings so beautifully, Cruzado seems to metamorphose - she becomes one in a million. Who knows? Whether she danced in ballet slippers or in stiletto heels, perhaps Brazil renamed a given monetary period (until 1990) in her honor. Nah. But it's a thought. It was called The Cruzado.