Melbourne Baldosa Tango Festival

The first edition of the 'Baldosa Tango Festival' brought together some of the most active dancers and teachers in the Melbourne Tango Community to showcase their skills and celebrate their different styles.

The ‘Baldosa Festival’ takes on the fascinating challenge of dancing Tango in a small space - the ‘Baldosa’ being typically associated with a 1x1 mt square - and combines it with Buenos Aires Street Tango/Live Music tradition to create a stimulating platform for innovative interpretations of the genre.

Within the spatial constraints of the ‘Baldosa’ couples are called to engage creatively with footwork, musicality, the embrace and other key elements of Tango. Performances will offer the public a unique opportunity to witness the powerful combination of improvised dance and live music. Each couple will interpret one song. There will be social dancing before, between and after performances.

DANCERS

CATEGORY 1: TANGO DANCERS AND/OR TEACHERS

David Backler & Dianne Heywood-Smith www.facebook.com/sidewalktango

Christian Drogo & Vanessa Andean www.facebook.com/vivadancemelbourne

Nadim Sawaya & Rina Sawaya

www.facebook.com/Tango-Esencia-Rina-Nadim-Sawaya-1529634037298697

Hernan Hernandez & Marce Ospina www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008663670345&fref=ts

Eddie Perez & Teresa Lavers

Jake Hart & Bex Wong

CATEGORY 2: OUTSIDERS

Kristian Wasilewski & Natasha Eracleous

MUSICIANS

A special live music ensemble has been formed for the ‘Baldosa Festival’ bringing together band leaders / arrangers / performers from different traditions - but united by a desire to develop a contemporary Tango vibe and sound for Melbourne.

ELIAN SELLANES: KEYBOARD

Elian is an Argentine music composer, performer and producer with international experience in Tango shows www.facebook.com/eliansellanesmusic

DAVE EVANS: PIANO ACCORDION

Dave is a renowned Melbourne based performer - member of Tango Mundo (www.tangomundo.org) and founder of the Band Who Knew Too Much (www.facebook.com/The-Band-Who-Knew-Too-Much-197812586003/?fref=ts)

DAVE DZANOVSKI: ELECTRIC GUITAR

Dave is a Melbourne based rock/pop performer founder of Neon City (www.facebook.com/Neon-City-783013645072937/?fref=nf) and Power Stryde (www.facebook.com/POWERSTRYDE/)

JUAN VERON: GUEST SINGER

Juan is from Buenos Aires and has co-founded Melbourne Tango ensemble La Busca Leona (www.facebook.com/La-Busca-Leona-822205561195268/?fref=nf)

This inedit ensemble will offer a repertoire of everlasting Tango Classics combined with a few jewels from Piazzolla’s New Tango.

VENUE

The first ‘Melbourne Baldosa Tango Festival’ was hosted by Bar Oussou, a funky world music venue based in Brunswick. The choice of a non-typical Tango venue is aimed to take dancers out of their “comfort zone” and stimulate interaction with a wider public.