It has always proven a challenge to translate the tango, which as a popular dance of embrace was born in Buenos Aires and Montevideo between 1860 and 1890, into choreographic images showcased on stage. One of the tricky aspects is the need to convert a face-to-face positioning between the partners into more audience-friendly formations; moreover, onstage stylisation requires the movements to be more ornamented, exaggerated and pre-choreographed (rather than improvised).

In their one-hour performance Peso Medio, Lado Ciego, a troupe from Argentina consisting of two female and two male dancers, responded to this task by creating a fusion between contemporary dance and elements of traditional and modern-day tango. Their work, loosely based on a narrative depicting the struggle of a middle-weight boxer on the road to success, effectively captures the essence of the Argentine dance.

The performance very successfully conveys the passion and tension between the genders, and male prowess. True to the history of the tango as a dance executed in city neighbourhoods and brothels in Buenos Aires, it offers a highly intense, sensual, conflict-laden, and at times aggressive take on this dance genre with a decidedly urban feel.

As expected, the choreography accentuates duet work between man and woman, but this is interspersed with male-male duets – often depicting, or reminiscent of, fighting scenes – solos and a glimpse of trio dance. The dancing is of superb quality and extremely expressive, carried along by dramatic music and song.

Partner work is intricate and technically refined, and many of the lifts and dips truly spectacular. The images thus achieved – also thanks to the excellent lighting design – are memorable, and the dances’ eroticism is palpable.

Perhaps, however, the small company relies too much on their superior technique and the dramatic effects of their performance at the expense of its overall dramaturgy. One dramatic scene follows another, and there is relatively little variety, for instance in terms of accents or climaxes. It is almost as if – to use a comparison from a neighbouring art form – a whole opera is being sung on a high note. This leaves the audience little time to digest the events on stage and take a breath, and the performance little opportunity to explore the possibilities of playing with ‘falling’ and ‘rising’ actions, or to give selected scenes the chance to gather momentum.

The dancers’ stamina is, at any rate, admirable. The choreography’s symbolism remains somewhat obscure in places, at least for sections of the audience who do not grasp the meaning of the Spanish song texts, and I wonder whether an occasional change of costumes would benefit the piece by adding some visual diversity.

However, the superb dancing mostly compensates for this and the choreography provides sufficient surprise effects as well as sustained dramatic interest. Last night’s audience were enraptured and offered their enthusiastic applause. 
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