The ice & fire of Tango

Another round-up of good Tango reading, viewing and listening from around the internet.

When an Icelander tries to Tango…

…fire and ice meet:

One could understandably deem tango as antithetical to Icelandic winter. Tango, with its fiery passion, and unrestricted, flowing movement. Iceland, with its ice-y, frigid, stiff, functional point-A-to-point-B movement. But, within the warmth of Iðnó on Mondays and Kramhúsið on Fridays, Icelanders shed coats and boots to don ballroom shoes and light dress.

Interview with a Tango tutor

Fun interview with Strictly Come Dancing's Argentine tango choreographer, director of London Tango Academy and TV host, Maria Tsiatsiani:

Dance has the power to connect us on a deeper level. No phones, no distractions — just people moving, feeling and becoming happier together.

The man keeping the bandoneon alive

In Buenos Aires, there is a man who can tune a bandoneon alive:

With a quick flick of the wrists, Guttlein popped off the outer button case to reveal the instrument’s wooden interior, lined with rows of plated metal reeds. With a file, he began scraping at the one that corresponded to the note he’d just played, slowly removing a thin layer of steel. Then, he held the file between his teeth as he snapped the button case back on and played the same note again. It was now smooth and singular, wavering gently in the air like the voice of a lonely singer. “Now that’s a pure sound,” Guttlein said. “I don’t know how else to describe it.”

Enchanting feature, this one.

Review: Tango After Dark in New York

This sounds worth catching if it tours near you:

Each piece in this program has a distinct form of passion and energy that builds in unique ways despite existing within, what some may call, the confines of tradition and cultural authenticity. Cornejo pushes against this notion, proving there is much to explore and bring out in performance for any audience while honoring heritage and without departing from the genre where he is an undeniable virtuoso. Even though every moment in Cornejo’s choreography itself is so consistently acrobatic, strong, and often sensual, the range of emotions every member of the company portrays is impressive. There are so many little stories within the larger landscape of Tango After Dark. Much of the time, the contrast of surprisingly melancholic pieces are the most impactful.