DATE: Friday, November 28, 1997             TAG: 9711270170

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E12  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Theater Review

SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT THEATER CRITIC 

                                            LENGTH:   73 lines

DANCERS CREATE SPARKS WITH HOT "TANGO PASION" AT CHRYSLER HALL SHOWS

IT HAS TAKEN 100 years for the tango to get from the brothels of Buenos Aires to the stage of Chrysler Hall, but there it is.

In the most technical terms, the tango is a ballroom dance of Latin-American origin in four-four time with a basic step pattern of two slow, two quick and one slow. The quick step is twice as fast as the slow step. It is characterized by long pauses and stylized body positions.

But, hey. Take a look at the 16 dancers on the stage at Chrysler Hall and you get the idea that something more than just stepping is going on. This is man-woman contact that has things of the night on its mind - the hottest thing this side of R rating, yet still suitable for the family.

``Tango Pasion,'' which is here through Sunday, is the latest, and perhaps the most flashy, representation of the phenomenal rebirth of tango interest in this country. With choreography by Hector Zaraspe, who was once ballet master for the Joffrey Ballet, ``Tango Pasion'' is a good deal better-paced than ``Forever Tango,'' the show which is experiencing a long run on Broadway currently. While ``Forever Tango'' is more showy, one suspects it is less authentic than ``Tango Pasion,'' since Zaraspe's background is firmly in the classical field as well as in the lore of his native Argentina.

The tango has been through resurgences before. Steeped in the arrabales and muddy barrios of Argentina it was initially considered too ``suggestive'' for genteel folk, but it made its way into Argentine high society and surfaced, in 1907, in the south of France. By 1909, it was the rage of Paris and, around 1914, it crossed the Atlantic and became an American craze - helped, to a great degree, by Rudolph Valentino's smoldering gaze during his tango scene in ``The Four Horseman of the Apocalypse.''

But why 1997? Two hit tango shows, ``Forever Tango'' on Broadway and ``Tango X Two'' off-Broadway now flourish. Take a look at the intricate dips, flare-outs and kick-steps of these dancers and you see why. This is theater as well as dance.

When performed to perfection, which it often is here, the upper body is stiff. The legs intertwine, but all the movement is from the waist down.

The couples never change partners. (A few novelty outings outside the regular program are the only exceptions.) Some of the partners have been dancing together since their teens and their second-sense instinct is much in evidence. There is the statuesque Graciela Garcia, partnered by Osvaldo Cilento. There is the fleet-footed style of Gustavo Russo and Elejandra Mantinan. But it would be impossible to choose one couple over another. This is an ensemble evening.

The background rhythm, throbbing with the sorrow of the accordion-like instrument called the bandoneon, is provided by the Sexeto Mayor Orchestra and accompanied by singers Andrew Ramos, Patricia Nora and Omar Mazzei. The repertoire gives a nod toward music that has inspired such American pop tunes as ``Hernando's Hideaway'' and ``I Get Ideas.'' No, Leroy Anderson's ``Blue Tango'' is not there.

The cafe setting of the opening scene is from a painting by Ricardo Carpani but, for the most part, the orchestra itself is the visual as well as musical background.

The tango is usually perceived as the music of passionate love. It is that, but it is more. It is also the music of loneliness and lust. The typical look between the dancers is that of intensity, but yet distance. There is a power struggle of lust at work here. Chrysler Hall is offering the tango only as a spectator sport. If you want to try it for yourself, you'll have to find another locale. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Graphic

THEATER REVIEW

What: ``Tango Pasion''

Where: Chrysler Hall in Norfolk

When: 8 tonight, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday

How Much: $27 - $37.50

Call: 671-8100 or 622-0288

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