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Tango
Fire Heats Things Up If the thought of a night of tango finds your mind wandering to a sultry soirée replete with lone accordion, think again. You're more apt to find a bandoneón filling the air with its smoky sound. Popular in Argentina, the bandoneón (unlike its folksy cousin the concertina) was originally intended as an instrument for religious music. German immigrants to Argentina brought bandoneóns, the lug nuts of the tango orchestra, with them at the turn of the century. Thanks to progenitors like tango god Ástor Piazzolla, the unmistakable tango voice influenced a century's music and movement.
In this era of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing With the Stars," it's sometimes important to take a step or two back and remember that true artistry can't be learned — however plucky the B-level celebrity — overnight. The tango, oft imitated by Hollywood, is a cultural phenomenon, a coming together of tendrils of influence too boggling to tease apart. Tracing its roots takes you on a voyage to slave-trading Africa, Northern Europe and South America. But if you peel away the influence of immigration, colonialism, the development of music, popular dance forms, of visual imagery and film, it's a story that lives and breathes today. Tango Fire, produced by the Eugene Ballet Company with Argentina's Estampas Porteñas, offers an opportunity to dig into the real deal for a night. No crap imitators, no sycophant "judges" — just knife-blade precision and mastery of craft. The evening brings the bandoneón to the Hult for a religious experience of sorts — to witness great dance done well. A living tribute to cultural expression, it crackles with energy. The following is an interview with Tango Fire's artistic director, Carolina Soler. How did tango originate in Argentina? The immigrants from Africa brought tanguere to Argentina. Later, when the European immigrants came to Argentina, they brought polka, waltz and habenera. All these styles of music were mixed together to create tango. From Buenos Aires to worldwide ballroom is quite a leap — what popularized the dance form? Tango's popularity lies in the fact that you dance with a partner whom you embrace. It's seductive when a lot of other dance styles are impersonal. How does improvisation come into play as you are choreographing or performing? There is no improvisation in the performance. It is all choreographed. Tell me about the music that accompanies your performance. There is a four-piece band with a bandoneón, violin, piano and double bass, a typical tango quartet. In the performance the music takes you from the older style of tango in 4/4 tempo to the more modern style, which is 2/4 tempo. How do audiences respond to the performances? Are they dancing in the aisles? Audiences love the performance. They give us a standing ovation every night. For your performance here in Eugene, what does your company hope to share? To communicate the tango culture, the artist's feelings, energy and the love of the art form.
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