Last Updated on May 13, 2022
German Cornejo returns to the Peacock Theatre with Wild Tango
Making its world premiere at the Peacock Theatre, Wild Tango is an absolute feast of Argentine Culture which features fresh and electrifying new work by internationally acclaimed Argentine tango champion German Cornejo. The spectacular show is inspired by the origins of tango when two men danced among themselves with that unique connection, complexity, synergy, and strength generated between male dancers. This is the first time a large-scale international production about tango is performed mainly through a cast of men, exploring this traditional dance from another perspective.
Credit: Leo Mason
Born in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province in 1986, German started studying Tango dancing aged 10. At 15, he graduated from Gatell Conservatory of Dance with an honorable Master of Tango degree. German also broadened his skills by studying classical and contemporary ballet, jazz and acrobatic techniques in the following years before qualifying for Master of Choreographic Composition at the National Institute of Arts. German was trained by a wide variety of teachers including Nélida Rodriguez, one of the legendary Tango Argentino’s first ballerinas. German won the “Gold New Talent” prize in 2003 and the “Competition of Gold Dance” in 2005 as well as becoming the World Champion of Tango dancing. In Wild Tango, we definitely see the variety of ballet, jazz and acrobatic techniques infused with tango on display throughout the show.
The show starts with a backdrop of storage containers with the words Wild Tango underneath. An English voiceover then narrates that the origins of tango started with two men dancing with each other in order to impress women when they passed by while this scene is reenacted by dancers. The backdrop is then pulled up to reveal the musicians of the tango ensemble with Luciano Bassi on voice and guitar, Matias Rubino on bandoneon, Jeronimo Izarrualde on drums and Ovidio Velazquez on the piano.
The first number had a party festival vibe with eight guys in black dancing in duos complementing the leading dancers German Cornejo and his partner Gisela Galeassi. Dancing together since 2011, German and Gisela easily flowed and seamlessly moved into various lifts including one really impressive position where Gisela was hoisted above German’s head in a standing box split. This was followed by male and female duets where the contrast between the male and female numbers was a novel sight to witness. Both numbers showed off the company’s acrobatic capabilities really well.
Credit: Leo Mason
The boundaries of aerial play and partnered dance were also explored in a number where two women wore an aerial harness while their male partners stayed on the ground. I’ve never seen anything like it, and it was a very playful number to witness. However, the show-stealer for the first half had to be the one where five men showed up in black corsets, black pants, black hats and sported black canes. For some reason, this look and vibe reminded me of Madonna’s moves in Britney Spears’ Me Against the Music music video. It was very cool. Another number to note was an aerial piece where up to three dancers were in the air at one time in various contortions and synchronised movements.
Credit: Leo Mason
The second half started with the song “Matador” as the cast donned one-piece blue or light green jumps with red t-shirts underneath. Some were playing malambo drums and some were playing more modern drums while everyone held drumsticks in both hands. It was a very lively number and I thoroughly enjoyed it. One of my favourite numbers was a trio where Gisela dances with two men and seamlessly switches partners between both of them when executing tango moves. There was also another impressive duet between German and Gisela where the slick execution of their complicated lifts makes it seem like child’s play.
The finale was very techno-dance-like and resembled a clubbing or rave vibe with the dancers sporting pink tops and white bottoms with pink splatters of paint. It got the audience into a rapturous mode and the audience in the stalls gave the company a standing ovation at the end. Overall, I thought this was a great Argentinian dance variety show with amazing costumes that gave me a good introduction to their culture. My only regret was that I didn’t understand the Spanish music that they were playing because it might have given me more context on what was going on. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the show, especially the new takes on familiar moves by fusing various dance forms and cultural elements together.
Explore tango at its wildest at the Peacock Theatre!
Peacock Theatre
Portugal Street
London
WC2A 2HT
12 – 21 May 2022
Tickets from £18.00
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