Product Details

• Actors: Oscar Araiz, Sandro Briner
• Format: Classical, Color, NTSC, HiFi Sound
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: View Video Dance Series
• VHS Release Date: August 1, 1996
• Run Time: 57 minutes
• ASIN: 6300265498
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #358,439 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From its birth in the 1880s along the docks and in the slums of Buenos Aires, The tango reached its height of international popularity between the two World Wars. After a resurgence in the 1950s, newer dances pushed it into temporary obscurity. With the raging success of "Tango Argentino" on Broadway in 1985, the tango is hot again.

THE ORIGINS
Its origins remain a mystery. The Myth brings together the immigrants from Europe, together with the men of the port (portenos) and the gauchos. These blended with the Andalusian tango and the Cuban habanera, while borrowing the musical syncopation of the "milonga" gaucho dance, and the rhythms of the African "candombe" beat from the drums of black slaves. The stylized stories tell of solitude and longing, of lost love, unrequited love and tomorrow's love, of homesickness and hardship.

THE SENSUALITY
The tango comes from a people who are not afraid to touch. In a kicking and whirling mosaic of intricately intertwined arms and legs, the dancers court and entice each other with passion and sensuality. The mood is created and enhanced by the music, while unrestrained emotions are expressed by movement. Oscar Araiz, known for his work with the Joffrey Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada, has assembled 28 dancers from the famous Geneva Grand Theatre Ballet and choreographed this spectacular full-length show. It highlights the social and anecdotal aspects of tango in a series of musical dance vignettes.

For the people of Argentina, the tango is an exhilarating means of overcoming sadness, pain and loss of love. Instead of succumbing to the fatality of the situation, the tango, with its inseparable blend of dance and music, helped them face the risks of life.