Dinner and a Show

By Bryce Welborn '11

What better place to experience the wonder of Tango than in the city where it originated, Buenos Aires. I have never been one to see professional dance shows, let alone enjoy them, but all that changed during our stay in Buenos Aires. With one night left before our departure from the country, we went out for dinner and a show at a place called Café de los Angelitos (café of the little angels).

Café de los Angelitos was established in 1890.

            When we first stepped into the restaurant, I immediately noticed the different atmosphere that I had not yet experienced in any of our previous meal spots. We were led into the VIP show room, a dimly lit auditorium-like dining room. In the room there were long banquet tables set up towards the stage; booths and smaller tables lined the outer edges of the room.

As I have noticed from previous experiences in the U.S., places like this usually focus more on the show aspect and lack in food quality, but the case was quite the opposite at Angelitos. The menú presented me with a vast array of gourmet dishes such as Sopa Milonga, an asparagus soup with small bits of salmon, and Bife Cachafaz, a steak served with baked potato balls, sautéed mushrooms, and fresh cherry tomatoes. As the dinner was served, a lovingly delectable aroma arrived with it. I finished my meal with an exquisite dessert called Carlota Chirusa which is a maracuyá (passionfruit) mousse with a scoop of lemon ice cream and berries.

About half an hour after finishing the last of our postres (desserts), the show began, with much anticipation on our side. The curtains opened to reveal a small dance floor and a Tango band on a raised stage above and behind it. My first impression was that the stage was too small to harbor any type of show, but I was shortly proven wrong.

It made me nervous to watch ten people dance so rapidly on such a stage.

The show immediately burst into a fast-paced Tango. As the music picked up, more dancers came on to the stage. I was amazed at how they could dance so furiously without falling off the stage. The men and women danced so closely and quickly while controllably flinging their legs between and around those of their partner. It seemed that even the slightest fault in this dance of perfection could have ruined their wild patterns.

Some of the dances were performed very intimately by only two people.

The show also had two cantantes (singers) and an orquesta de señoritas (ladies' orchestra). During each 'act', various lights and a video projector were used to add a little extra to the mood of the show. After one and a half exciting hours, the dance spectacle ended and the audience erupted into an enormous applause.

By Bryce Welborn '11