Teatro del Parpadeo: An Imaginary History of Tango

Teatro del Parpadeo: An Imaginary History of Tango

Teatro del Parpadeo: An Imaginary History of Tango

In An Imaginary History of Tango – billed as ‘more than just a show, an invitation’ – solo performer Anna Cetti delves into personal experiences of world travel and romance, and explores her relationship to dance in general and tango in particular. This journey unfolds using a range of dance forms featuring, of course, the tango, but also mime and ‘expressive dance’ and with some interesting disco dancing too – including an unexpected interpretation of ‘I’m The Scat Man!’ in which the performer adopts a ‘dad disco dancing’ style (or maybe it’s demonstrating the way your grandpa might try to dance to drum and bass).

The staging is simple, with just a single chair placed centrestage and props scattered underneath – the performer fills the small, bare space well. Short films are projected onto a screen on the back wall, one of which shows the classic ballroom line-up of men who inspect and then pick their favourite ladies.

The audience is spoken to like a close friend, which is both welcoming and relaxing, making you immediately feel sympathetic towards this woman who stands in front of you and shares her innermost thoughts and feelings.

The show also includes some lovely and original puppetry sequences that are performed within the frame of the chair, featuring tiny stickmen dancing – a sudden short burst that didn’t last long enough for the audience to take the beauty of it in.

The last dance, performed in a gold and red mask, is a simple tango – a very moving ending that could bring a tear to the most cynical eye.

The Imaginary History of Tango was a heart-warming and emotionally charged performance. Yet although Anna Cetti came across as a confident performer, the audience participation elements felt slightly uneasy. She attempted throughout to engage us in debate, and we were also brought up on stage at the end of the show and paired up with another member of the audience to dance. It was uncomfortable because of the unfortunately small number of people in the audience, which made it difficult for her to explore any of the possibilities this scenario could have offered.

This is a show for anyone with a love of dance and for anyone who believes in its power to tell us as much about a performer’s thoughts and feelings as dialogue can – a humorous look at love in all its splendid forms.

www.teatrodelparpadeo.yolasite.com