★★★★ Thirty years after his death in 2021, one hundred years after his birth in 2022: two more than auspicious occasions to remember Astor Piazzolla, today an undisputed reference in the music of our country. Any unsuspecting listener can identify his revolutionary style, which started the ‘new tango’ or ‘avant-garde tango’, with harmonies and rhythms unthinkable until his arrival. Style that still retains its freshness today, and is the starting point for new looks and proposals.
Dance has never been immune to the spell of Piazzollian beats, whether in large format or in the intimacy of a duet, whether with pointe shoes, bare feet or heels. “Astor, Nosotros” is a good example of such versatility, effectively merging modern dance and tango. Five couples are the protagonists of this successful show that bears the seal of quality of Leonardo Cuello, a choreographer with a consolidated career in stage tango.
The initial parade marks an oneiric atmosphere that Cuello achieves thanks to the use of slow-motion movements. In that beginning, elements that will be a constant are already exposed: Astor himself (very good characterization of Federico Ibañez), the sound of the waves of his native Mar del Plata, the muse, the contrast with the city, its speakers and its bustle . There is a temporal evolution marked by Nora Churquina’s excellent wardrobe that ranges from light dresses from the 40s to current ripped knee jeans, passing through elegant wide pants. Churquina is also responsible for an intelligent set design that adapts to all the scenes, based on a rolling staircase and six mobile translucent structures that absorb, imprison and expel the dancers according to the expressive needs of the work.
The current note is given by a lesbian scene, which demonstrates the adaptability of Astor’s music. ‘Escualo’, ‘Fugata’, and other famous songs by the bandoneonist and composer parade, leading to a mix of echoes of his own saying that ends up alluding to the dancers, ‘those who use their feet’. The ending with ‘Libertango’ admirably finishes off the work of Leonardo Cuello, leading a very even company with an excellent artistic level.
