Olé Everybody! It's the Tango!
It is almost always a surprise meeting a performer up close and personal after you have seen them perform on stage. So it was with the "New Generation Dance Company" General Director, Karina Romero and the Artistic Director and Choreographer, Dardo Galletto - a performing husband /wife team who brought glamour, passion, and the intoxication that is tango to their debut performance. Romero and Galletto arrived for their interview one morning, and I had to blink to make sure these two were, indeed, the vibrant duo that had performed at Symphony Space the night before. They could have been my upstairs neighbors, wheeling a baby carriage with their round-face, smiling daughter happily munching on Cheerio-O's, both parents thin as rails, handsome, charming, and thoroughly knowledgeable about parenting as well as tango. Both are Argentine-born and communicated through heavily accented English their love for their native movement language and their zeal in wanting to present the authenticity of their beloved tango to Americans.
Tango is a dance with a rich cultural heritage, a complete identification with the country of its origin, Argentina, and a technique, make no mistake, the tango is a technique like Graham, ballet, or hip-hop. The emphasis is on jutting legs, assertive partnering, women locked securely in the arms of their dashing escorts while falling into swoon-like dips only to be pulled back and whirled through a series of fiery turns. It is just about the sexiest, most passionate, bordering on erotic, relationship between man and woman to be showcased within a proscenium arch.
Galleto and Romero established their company with a mission to present tango so that the audience does not get bored. (Bored and tango seem rather an oxymoron.) The company performed recently at New York's Symphony Space Theater with their featured guest artists from Argentina, Carlos Copello and his partner Mariana Dragone. Copello, the Fred Astaire of tango in Argentina, commanded both the stage and his gorgeous partner, Dragone. Her hands on his upper body and neck spelled out 'I am yours, lead me wherever you like' as they melded together with eyes locked in an intensity of desire. Indeed the tango is a body-melding dance, except (as I learned) the anatomy above the waist may be tightly- pressed together, but the body must curve away below the waist. The female arches her lower back so markedly that one thought it could easily become a nesting place for neuralgia. Her partner supports her with a sure hand on her upper back. "This is the correct way. Always the man leads," Galletto explained, " and the women must follow." Chauvinistic, to be sure; politically incorrect, possibly: exquisite to watch: absolutely.
Romero and Galleto married in Argentina while he was on tour with Julio Bocca's company. She was eager to come to America, arriving on a Wednesday, performing with a partner on a Friday. Galleto joined her after his commitment to Bocca was completed. They were asked to join the faculty of Sandra Cameron's school in SoHo. "I said 'let me think about it,'" Romero recalled, "and Sandra was a bit surprised but very pleasant. Now she has become our sponsor and mentor. We use the school for rehearsals which is a large saving, and we continue to be grateful to her for launching our careers and sustaining us in America."
Galletto, who is most interested in establishing his company on a regular performing basis, invited the two famous names of Argentinean tango, Copello and Dragone, plus Copello's son, Maxi and his partner Maria Blanco to launch the company in New York. All were outstanding. Because of his ballet background Galletto also included ballet and pointe work in many of the numbers. Mixing the two classical dance forms may (or may not) open new horizons for Galletto's choreography, but the program certainly stood out most for its tango-based numbers. A word here about the audience, obviously tango lovers and probably dancers on all levels. Most were dressed as if they were to be called up on stage momentarily; stiletto heels, sparkling jewelry, and fine fabric gowns for the women; black suits and ties for the men. This is one of the aspects of tango that is so refreshing. One does not have to be a wraith, nor do you have to be 19. On the contrary, the tango speaks of an ageless flesh-to-flesh connection for all, seasoned or rank beginner, teen or senior citizen, tall, short, or slightly overweight --anyone caught in the defining rhythms of the music and eager to dance.
For the second act, chairs were set up across the back of the stage to simulate a club atmosphere. The women idled in and took a seat. This is the setting for a milonga, an Argentine dancing party. Romero explained that in Argentina the students and performers usually want to dance some more after class or a performance. "You want to try it yourself, and in Argentina this is the way," she said, emphasizing that the men lead and the women sit and wait to be asked. "Oh my God, yes, we are waiting for the men to ask us to dance," Romero said, rolling her eyes in anguish. One had to wonder just how long she had had to wait, while others might wait for time unending. Are the prettiest ones the first to be asked? This is a question Romero was reluctant to answer. "You have to wait until someone asks, 'can you dance with me,'" she repeated, somewhat trying to pass over this worrisome fact.
Would American women take this sitting down, or in spite of protocol, would they just eye a prospect, get up and say: Dance with me! Whichever - the tango has caught on with audiences and students alike. It is easy to learn, gorgeous to watch, and (by the way) a good opportunity to override inhibitions and meet someone.