"It takes two to tango" is a saying many of us have heard but perhaps have never fully experienced. In the dance of tango, two dancers synchronise their movements, sharing an axis and perfectly balancing each other's weight. Experience this dynamic interplay in Auto/Erotic Tango, a show brimming with dance and passion.
Themes of passion, anger, self-discovery, love, and lust are all vividly portrayed
The show begins with two travellers arriving on stage. They remove their coats to reveal their fancy dress and start to dance. Their journey takes you through the ups and downs of their relationship, brought to life through physical theatre and dance. Themes of passion, anger, self-discovery, love, and lust are all vividly portrayed.
There are several costume changes throughout the performance. However, from my seat in the audience, it seemed that some costume choices did not fully showcase the dancers' abilities, with fabric occasionally getting in the way and often obscuring the impressive footwork. Additionally, while the costume changes were helpful in portraying the story, they also created some pacing issues.
There are quite a few partnered dance numbers set to beautiful Argentine tango music, featuring some stunning lifts. Additionally, there are two solo dances that use projection and lighting to illustrate the characters’ emotional arcs. Perhaps most captivating of all was a tango where the couple held and looked at their phones rather than at each other, which felt both current and impactful. If you enjoy tango, you may not want to miss Auto/Erotic Tango.
