‘Tango Fest’ leaves lasting impression

The Zero Hour Tango Fest took Bloomington by storm this weekend with the food, culture and dancing.

The festival, a weekend-long celebration of all things tango, kicked off with two Tango Talks on Friday. The discussions brought together dance and performing arts experts to discuss the history, music and social aesthetics of the tango lifestyle. Allowing the audience to join in and gain first-hand exposure to tango culture.

FARMbloomington Restaurant participated in the festival spirit by serving up a dinner special of Argentinean cuisine Friday and Saturday, each featuring Buenos Aires favorites such as empanadas, carbonada stew and gaucho-style steaks. 

Friday and Saturday’s “Tango Sensations” concerts provided packed audiences at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater with an original look at the culture, music and emotion of tango dancing with a multimedia presentation that brought tango to the streets of Bloomington.

Each show opened with a live musical performance accompanied by a video of famed Argentinian tango dancer Guillermo Merlo sauntering through the streets of Bloomington and into the theater, where he joined tango partner Fernanda Ghi live on stage for a series of sensual, humorous and artful performances.

“It brought me to laughter at some points, to speechlessness at others,” junior Rob Keenan said. “The blending of the rhythm and the audiovisuals and what was happening with the dancers was just incredible. I had no idea how romantic and emotional it would be.”

Following each of the Tango Sensations concerts were Milonga sessions, at which tango instructors offered informal learning opportunities for those interested in taking their first steps at tango. 

“We wanted to give audiences a unique look into tango from the different perspectives which make it what it is, all through live demonstrations of dance, music and singing,” said Alfredo Minetti, event organizer and School of Public and Environmental Affairs visiting lecturer.

Before Friday’s concert, Miah Michaelsen, the city’s assistant economic development director for the arts, declared April “Tango Appreciation Month” on behalf of Mayor Mark Kruzan and in honor of the festival.

“What we are doing here is promoting the synergy of (the dance, music and poetry) tango but in doing so taking into consideration that we are in Bloomington in 2010,” Minetti said. “In other words, re-contextualizing this reunion here in this gorgeous city in which miracles such as this can afford to happen.”

Minetti said the festival was made possible through getting to know people, the city of Bloomington and feeding off the creative spark of the “incredible artists” he has met who share his vision yet have different histories and backgrounds.

“As someone who’s really interested in how various types of the arts can combine and interact, I thought the concert really showed the power of the arts,” said Melissa Dittmann, senior and concert attendee. “Just to see how they coordinated the video with the music and dancing, and also the humor and drama, was not only musical but theatrical, but it took the audience through a whole realm of different emotions.”

The passion of tango was important, Minetti said, to capture in this festival. The dance’s ability to touch people on a deep and intense emotional level is a natural part of the tango experience.

“I am passionate about tango, and in the same way that several people moved through their lives to other places, when I moved to Bloomington, I brought tango with me,” Minetti said. “That part of me always wanted to grow, and I would say it did grow since the very moment I got here.”