© Carole Edrich 'Buenos Aires tango' reviews Zotto in reviews recent Tango Por Dos reviews more Carole Edrich reviews Discuss this review (Open for at least 6 months)

Rich costumes and sophisticated sets combined with sensual grouped poses, patterns of interlaced limbs, semi-clad women, oversized bandoneons and perfect technique. The music pulled the audience in, drawing them through a slightly long but stunning spectacular in which scintillating sacadas and beautiful boleos were punctuated by musically fluent changes in direction and pace.

The audience only really engaged properly towards the end of the first half. Here passion built through a spellbinding instrumental rendition of Piazzolla’s “Lo que Vendra” and was then maintained in Gallo Ciego by Miguel Angel Zotto’s performance with Daiana Guspero and six members of the cast.

Zotto’s jumps and embellishments were stylish and perfectly timed. His partnership with Guspero worked well. Particularly engaging was the humorous ‘leg choreography’ (Coregrafia de piernas) where Zotto dipped his foot in front of the stage while dancing with rhythmic precision from stage left to right to be answered in kind by a coquettish Guspero as they moved back the way they had come. This theme was developed at the end of the show when each couple dipped one foot off the stage as they moved through Zotto’s signature patternings while displaying a sinuously sensual complexity of steps.
 

Despite all this there was something lacking. The perfect technique sometimes felt prissy and dancers seemed somehow over-careful as if they were working on a slippery surface or one that was wet.

When does a well-loved dance format become just a cliché? Is it due to injuries, argument, fatigue or an overused plot? Is it a result of less easily identified qualities such as spirit, feeling, passion or projection? Has the line been crossed here and was the awkwardness due to injuries, argument or first-night-nerves? I hope to return to find out.