Social Tango Project sends message of hope

Lucía Aspiroz Larrosa and Roberto Zuccarino in Social Tango Project performs this week at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival. (Photo by Christopher Duggan)

Tango can save the world.
 
At least a small bit of it by creating a utopian space where race, gender, age, sexual orientation and citizenship status lose their power to divide. You can’t despise a person with whom you are dancing cheek-to-cheek.
 
That is the message and the aim of Social Tango Project, a charming ensemble from Buenos Aires that invites the world to unite in the language of the dance. And it’s first appearance at Jacob’s Pillow on Wednesday night in the Ted Shawn Theatre demonstrated not just its generosity, by sharing the stage with the amateur dancers of the Albany Tango Society, but also its firm belief that everyone can tango.
 
Over the years, I’ve seen many tango shows. Often they are staged in a hot and smokey nightclub with equally hot and smokey dancers who show off their hot and smokey moves. This was different. Here, 10 dancers portrayed the average person – one who by day goes about his business and by night seeks respite in a tango class and milango.
 
Opening to a film backdrop of a cityscape, likely the city where tango was born, a musical quartet strikes the opening rhythmic chords. A woman (Lucia Aspiroz Larrosa), unsuccessfully hailing a cab or bus, sees a happy couple and then a group joyfully headed in the same direction. She follows and finds a milango – a tango dance party where the music and dance are enticing.
 
Of course, the story progresses to her shy attempts to partner up, her first formal lessons, an infatuation with her partner and finally freedom to dance without limitations – an acceptance of all in this haven brought about by tolerant tango.
 
While Social Tango Project clearly sought to appeal to nondancers with its message, the artists of Social Tango were of the highest caliber. The musicians were top notch with Fulvio Giraudo at piano, Horacio Romo on the bandoneon, Humberto Ridolfi on violin and Cristian Basto on bass. Their musical interludes, that showed the skills of a keen percussionist, were as fascinating as tango’s flash.
 
It is a captivating dance – a mix of slow steps and slides with sudden quick twists of the hips and thrust of the legs that flick back and forth. But with Social Tango Project, the dance’s old reputation as stand-up sex slips away. Rather, it takes on a new meaning, a balm to keep the peace, to unite an increasingly divided world, an antidote to hate.
 
After seeing Social Tango Project, I’m a true believer. If everyone tangoed, it would be a better world.