`Four Seasons' brings tango to Indonesia

Deanne Whitfield ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 05/30/2008 11:18 AM  |  Headlines

Argentine tango enthusiasts on the resort island of Bali will be treated to a dance spectacular Friday night at the Sanur Beach Hotel.

"The Four Seasons", an international tango show direct from Las Vegas, the United States, and Buenos Aires, Argentina, is scheduled to be held in the hotel's convention center from 8 p.m.

Tango Oriental, one of Asia's leading Argentine tango event organizers, promises a 90-minute tango extravaganza that captures the colors, shades, smells and textures of each changing season.

The show, which began touring Southeast Asia on May 15, stopped in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Singapore and Thailand (Bangkok) before heading to Indonesia.

The tour is part of the region's tango community Tangoblitz 2008 event, which incorporates tango performances, workshops and milongas (tango dance parties) for both beginners and experts.

Friday's performance will feature professional tango dancers Fernanda Ghi and partner Guillermo Merlo of the Artango Dance Company in Argentina, and renowned Argentine tango couples Paola Jean and Nicolas Cobos, and Ana Padron and Diego Blanco.

The dancers will also be involved in workshops and milongas over the course of Indonesian Tango Week (May 30-June 4), and will attend the Tango Masquerade -- an annual dance party organized by Tango Bali, which will be held on May 31 at Kumala Pantai in Seminyak.

Indonesian Tango Week aims to introduce the country to the close-embrace Argentine tango -- a dance phenomenon now sweeping the region -- and marks the third anniversary of the Tango Bali Club, which was founded by Stefani K., an artist and longtime Bali resident.

"The Four Seasons" tour of Southeast Asia coincided with the National Day of Argentina, which fell on May 25. Javier Sanz de Urquiza, Argentina's ambassador to Indonesia, will be the guest of honor at the Bali and Jakarta shows, which have been brought to Indonesia in cooperation with the Embassy of Argentina.

Indonesian Tango Week and the final leg of the "The Four Seasons" tour will stop in Jakarta from June 2-4, where tango workshops and milongas will be complemented by a final show on Tuesday, June 3, at none other than the Four Seasons Hotel, in South Jakarta.

Entertainment and dinner package tickets are still available for both the Bali show and the final show in Jakarta.

For further information on the "The Four Seasons" performance in Bali and workshops over the weekend, email tangobali@gmail.com or call 0812-383-9423. For further information on the final show and workshops in Jakarta, see www.tangoblitz.com or call 0811-800-0460.

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