Sindy and myself attended the opening night last night and were treated to a fashion display by international designers Klûk and CGDT before the show which gave us a tantalizing taste of things to come as all the costumes were designed by Klûk and CGDT. These costumes were shown off to perfection by the beautiful and graceful movements of the dancers and simple yet effective lighting.
Set in the smoky Cafe Tango, the ballet tells the tale of Roxanne the hostess of the cafe and her passionate liaisons between the staff which causes many love triangles and tempestuous relationships to ensue.
The music is a lively mix of contemporary and traditional Latin dance, at times sensually slow and others vibrantly upbeat. Sean Bovim has really outdone himself with regards to the choreography the dance movements are fresh and contemporary and capture the mood and music brilliantly. By far the most innovative dance scenes are the table dance duets. These obviously are no ordinary tequila fuelled table dances that you would see down at your local but a tightly choreographed love tryst between two lovers who make diving under and twirling on top a table look effortless.
If ballet always seemed a little too tight or inaccessible to you then this production will prove that ballet can be appreciated by those of us who are a little less culturally educated about it. Sean Bovim has strived to make ballet more appealing and accessible to contemporary audiences and has achieved this spectacularly with Tango Nights. From the music and fashion to the beautiful choreography and sultry storyline there should be a little something for everyone to enjoy.
The season runs at the Artscape Theatre till the 8 February with matinees on Saturday 7th February at 2pm and on Sunday 8th February at 3pm, and nightly at 8:15pm. Tickets are through Computicket or Artscape Dial-A-Seat on 021 4217695 and advance booking is recommended.
