Review: German Cornejo’s Tango After Dark, Peacock Theatre
Review: German Cornejo’s Tango After Dark, Peacock Theatre
“It’s just a brilliant evening filled with awesome dance, glorious music and dazzling choreographies. Pitch perfect for these cold autumnal nights.”
I am hardly an expert in dance. I am not even particularly interested in dance. But the good news is, you don’t have to be and you will still find Tango After Dark thoroughly entertaining.
Brought to London by German Cornejo who together with his partner Gisela Galeassi is also one of its brightest stars, Tango After Dark celebrates the achievements of Astor Piazzola, the entire Nuevo Tango movement and the magical reality of Buenos Aires. The show is jam-packed with elaborate choreographies, technical prowess and beautiful creativity – each dance tells its own story.
As opposed to Cornejo’s recent project, the avant-garde show Wild Tango, Tango After Dark is as classical as it gets (including stunning, glittering costumes) and thought as an introductory course of sorts for the audiences whose only familiarity with tango comes through Strictly.
It is buzzing, colourful and exciting – each choreography is long enough to draw you in but not long enough to turn exhausting. The technical prowess of all dancers is astounding (and this remark comes from my companion who herself is a professional dancer) – and no wonder, since the majority of them have been World Tango Champions at some point in their careers.
There’s not much in the way of the set – if anything at all – but the creative use of lighting is more than enough to create the atmosphere of a dimly lit bar in Buenos Aires. The excellent band who remains on stage the entire time is also given a few moments to shine on their own, especially perhaps when they give their spectacular rendition of the most famous of all Piazzola tangos, Adiós Nonino. There are also two tango singers, both with voices vibrant and penetrating – Antonela Cirillo and Jesús Hidalgo.
The weakest point, and by far, comes twice in the show when the dancer performs with a prop bandoneon. It is rather odd, especially that the band’s actual bandoneon player, Clemente Carrascal, is very obviously visible behind her.
But any mishaps are frankly very minor and don’t take away from enjoyment at all. It’s just a brilliant evening filled with awesome dance, glorious music and dazzling choreographies. Pitch perfect for these cold autumnal nights.
Peacock Theatre, until 22 October
Image: Tango After Dark, credit Federico Paleo
