¡Caliente! Burning up the stage with Tango Fire

Tango – the word alone conjures images of passion, seduction, and power play. German Cornejo and his sizzling dance crew return to London with Tango Fire to set the stage ablaze. The first part of the show harks back to tango’s roots in the milongas of Buenos Aires. Impossibly glamorous, the five couples make their entrance with a slow tango foxtrot that gradually builds up to a fast and flirtatious dance. Machismo and coquetry abound; the men show off their moves to impress the ladies, who turn up their noses and trifle with their fans. It’s nice to see that Cornejo has also included some diverting male-only sequences, which lend a touch of humour to the scene.

The show is divided into two halves, with 13 pieces in each hour-long segment. Time flies with the mind-boggling variety of sets. With minimal staging and costumes, each performance tells a different story: velvet drapes and opera gloves for burlesque, festoon lights and flowers for an evening party. But the focus is rightly on the quality of dancing. Between tango performances, the live band, Quarteto Fuego (Fire Quartet), and singer Jesus Hidalgo entertain the audience with their soulful tunes.

One caveat: Hidalgo’s emotive crooning is all very well, but it’s a bit hard to appreciate the sadness of, for example, Bajo un Cielo de Estrellas (Beneath a Star-Filled Sky) with no knowledge of Spanish. English translations are available in the programme, but it’s too dark to read during the performance itself – subtitles would have been a nice touch.

The second half of Tango Fire is all sexiness and smoulder, with solo pieces allowing each of the five couples to have their time in the limelight. Ganchos and high boleros galore! Ezequiel Lopez and Camila Alegre prove their worth as 2015 Tango World Champions: Alegre is light as a bird in their complicated routines, and their footwork is fast as lightning. Cornejo and his partner Gisela Galeassi are excellent as well, pulling off difficult lifts and spins with dexterity and finesse. On the other hand, the acrobatics of the couple Sebastian Alvarez and Victoria Saudelli are somewhat lacking in grace despite their routine packed with flashy moves.

Cornejo’s flair for choreography is strong in the group dances, which are all very enjoyable. There are plenty of fishnets and lace, as is to be expected, but let it not be said that Cornejo is entirely lacking in subtlety. Oblivion, an evocative piece in the second half, has an interesting contemporary feel to it – the girls in their flowing white dresses almost evoke the ballet dancers of Les Sylphides.

You don’t need to be a tango aficionado for the raw appeal of Tango Fire’s bold and flamboyant dancing. This is tango unabashedly for the stage, performed by some of the best dancers around. A great show for a night of entertainment!

Want to try Argentine Tango for yourself? Imperial’s Latin-American Society is running classes (£4 for non-members) every Wednesday evening until July. Details on their Facebook page. Tango Fire is on at The Peacock until the 18th of February.Tickets from £15.