Liza Mitchell
Voted “The Best Musical Show of the Year” by Latin ACE of New York, Tango Lovers brings an international passion and flavor to the Jacksonville stage. “It is a great distinction and we are very proud of it,” says the show’s producer Pierina Lerida Asti-Schulz who has been involved with the company since 2011. “We are very happy because we have been working very hard for this.” The critically acclaimed company represents the best of the tango genre with a cast of renowned dancers, musicians, and singers. The event is staged September 19th with two performances at 5pm and 8:30pm at the Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts.
Tango Lovers was founded in 2002 by Alfredo Lérida, previously recognized as Tango Artist of the Year in New York City. Lérida leads the vocals accompanied by an extraordinary group of internationally awarded musicians and dancers from Buenos Aires and Montevideo. The cast of Tango Lovers Company is an ensemble comprised of young dancers led by 27-year-old artistic director, Marcos Ayala, who became a world tango champion at 20. Last year, two other dancers from the company won the 2014 World Tango Dance Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. They will perform under the rhythms of an orchestra directed by multiple Grammy Award nominee, Gustavo Casenave.
“It’s dance, music, and song,” says Asti-Schulz. “For the Anglo audience, there is no problem understanding what the singer is saying because the dancers interpret the music. Tango is for everyone. We tell stories that anyone in the audience can relate to. A lot of people in the audience will identify with what we represent.”
Tango Lovers is one of the most dynamic, exciting, and sensuous tango performances touring the world. Beyond entertainment, the production shares the cultural essence and evolution of tango through the art of dance and music. “We are a very passionate culture, and that’s what we give to the public. We share that passion and sensuality of our culture with the audience. It’s a very unique type of music. If you don’t feel it, you can’t express what you are trying to communicate to the audience. You have to feel the music in your blood.”
Tango Lovers is a journey through the history of the dance and transports the audience from the Golden years of Tango to contemporary times. “People can expect to see an evolution of Tango from the 40s and 50s to present. They will see a unique show that they haven’t seen before,” says Asti-Schulz. “We appeal to all generations. People from the 40s and 50s feel the Tango is from their time. However, we try to reach people of all generations. We have contemporary Tango. We dance to Bohemian Rhapsody from Queen. That is a beautiful piece. Tango is for everybody.”
Argentina and Uruguay have been exporting their talent to the world for decades. Prominent names in the tango arena such as Villoldo, Francisco Canaro, Carlos Gardel, Gerardo Matos, and Astor Piazzola are widely known around the globe. People from all over the world and different cultures are attracted to the genre and thousands of Milongas—houses where tango is danced—exist in countries such as Russia, Japan, China, Australia, Turkey, Morocco, and Germany. In 2009, this deep-rooted tradition of dance and music from the Rio de la Plata basin was declared by the United Nations as part of the world’s intangible cultural heritage.
With a global vision and the objective to reach different generations, Tango Lovers Company offers an exquisite and glamorous perspective of classical tango, inspired by the vortex of big cities and relationships among people. Tango Lovers Company displays avant-garde aesthetics, bringing a masterful interpretation of one of the most sensuous musical genres to life.
Date/Time: September 19, 5pm and 8:30pm
Venue: Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, 300 West Water St
Tickets: $35-80
Contact: Ticketmaster 1-800-745-3000 or www.tangolovers.com
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