Tango and Contemporary Ballet Remixed!
The New Generation Dance Company, under the artistic direction of Argentinean choreographer, Dardo Galleto, presented a lovely concert at Symphony Space in New York City, November 7 - 8, 2008, that fused the passion of Argentinean Tango with the lines of Contemporary Ballet.
The show, called VOLVER AL SUR, meaning "to return to the South," is a wonderful journey about one's returning to his or her roots. Mr. Galleto used a lot of tango music as well as some Argentinean pop music like "Todo Me Recuerda A Ti" by Sandra Mihanovich, and Ariel Ramirez's "Misa Criolloa" with Mercedes Sosa's voice. The fierce, champion tango couples Natalia Hills and Gabriel Misse as well as Cesar Coelho and Guillermina Quiroga danced as guest artists throughout the production.
IDANZ visited with two of the young company members after the show, Aengus Ortiz and Ivanova Aquilar. We talked about their views on performing Galleto's style of tango fusion as well as living the life as a dancer in New York City. We were happy to find that they just adore working with Galleto and his New Generation Dance Company and learning how to use Tango as a cool medium to work within the Contemporary Ballet aesthetic.
For Aengus, who just joined the company only two months before the show, Tango is very new to him; thus, learning a new genre of dance and mixing it with vocabulary more familiar to him has proved quite exciting. He's thankful for his versatility because that definitely helps him get through the material not only in Dardo's company but in any group that he has previously danced.
For Ivanova, who has been with the company for two years, she joined after meeting Dardo in an Argentinean Tango class in which she was soon asked to join right away as a last minute replacement. Ivanova is a very versatile and sought out dancer. Originally from Mexico City, she trained on full scholarship at the The Joffrey Ballet School and toured the USA with The Joffrey Ensemble. This busy dancer, in addition to NGDC, is a member of several dance companies simultaneously including Christopher Caines, C. Eule Dance, D'zul Dance, and Janusphere Dance.
"Yes, you want to earn a living, but you should also work for a better philosophy for yourself, you want to exercise your artistic voice."
-Aengus Ortiz, Dancer with New Generation Dance Company
Aengus joined the company after meeting choreographer, Dardo Galleto, in master teacher Willie Burmann's advanced ballet class. Mr. Galleto was actually taking Burmann's class at STEPS on Broadway when he noticed Aengus side by side with him in class. With only two months before the show opened at Symphony Space in New York City, Aengus learned an entire full-length, Tango Modern Ballet. Aengus said that it was great doing Dardo's work because "both ends" Tango and Modern Ballet "support each other" and by fusing the genres together, "each style elevates the other."
Dancers like Aengus and Ivanova know what it is like to live and find work as a dancer in New York. It is definitely a full-time hustle; however, Aengus and Ivanova feel fortunate to have the opportunity to be challenged by Dardo and his work. As Aengus says, "yes, you want to earn a living, buy you should also work for a better philosophy for yourself, you want to exercise your artistic voice," and that is exactly the environment that Dardo and his New Generation Dance Company provides.
Because Aengus seemed so profound and down to earth, we asked if he had any advice for young dancers coming to New York and considering a career in dance. He said, “It's all about the network which is a continuous effort. You must be nice to EVERYBODY. You never know . . ."
New Generation Dance Company presents, Dardo Galleto’s VOLVER AL SUR at Symphony Space, New York City, November 7 -8, 2008.
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