"Someone once said to us: 'to see one or two couples dancing well in a tango show is good, but to see so many excellent couples and who can dance together in a group is something you don't see every day'," Carlos Ferreyra, manager of the Tango Desire dance company told the Global Times.

Started in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tango Desire has been performing around the world since 2002. Composed of dancers, singers and musicians, the group performs traditional and modern tango, tango milonga and contemporary and electronic tango.

Modern aesthetic

"The group began informally as a way for tango fans to simply have fun," said Ferreyra. "I saw that tango was usually performed by older people in certain shows and that it was, in fact, something routinely associated with older people. I thought that this situation had to change. That's why I decided to start a professional group with a modern aesthetic and outlook. To me, tango only really works when partners connect well with each other. This is what makes it different to all other dance traditions."

Currently, the group is touring with a show called "Tango Desire - The Real Tango" that features traditional, milonga, and modern tango. "There will be lots of dancing, music and singing which will transport audiences to a golden age of tango," said Ferreyra. The show includes 12 dancers, live musicians and two vocalists.

And the show will outline a history of this dance tradition. "It will be a journey through tango history, from its foundation to the present day," said Ferreyra. The performance will comprise four acts. "Firstly, we will represent the beginnings of tango: men dancing with women from bordellos, and the style of tango that was brought to South America from Europe. Then, we will portray tango as a social dance, and how it existed in the old and colorful Buenos Aires. The third act features traditional tango and the last act, modern tango," he added.

Roots and history

Ferreyra said that the group performs the same show all over the world without any modifications. "We want to present the real thing; not something that has been adapted for China or anywhere else. We want people to know tango, its roots and history, and which is also Argentinian history," he added.

Ferreyra said that one of his greatest memories is of performing last year in Beijing. "We didn't know what to expect from the Chinese audience, because we knew they were not that familiar with tango, but the final cheer was incredible," he said.

Date: January 12, 7:15 pm to 9:30 pm

Venue: Shanghai Grand Stage

上海大舞台

Address: 1111 North Caoxi Road

漕溪北路1111号

Tickets: 120 to 880 yuan

Call 6439-9700 for details