Bravo Gisela, German...and Nelida!
Post date: Jun 15, 2014 6:55:13 AM
Gisela and German
My favourite dance couple in Sidi Larbi Cherquoui's Milonga, amongst a superb and diverse cast, was Gisela Galeassi and German Cornejo.
To say that this couple have a huge stage presence is an understatement. Their virtuosity and bravura is mind blowing. As stage tango goes, this is as good as it gets - the zenith of its expression.
Do you remember Gisela? She has previously visited Sydney with her former partner Gaspar Godoy as guest performers, teachers and judges for the former Australian Tango Championship (I think they were here in 2005 and 2006).
Gisela and German have been dancing together since early 2011. Prior to their dance partnership they won the World Stage Tango championship with different partners, Gisela in 2003, and German in 2005.
Here's a music video which features Gisela and German tangoing in the streets of Buenos Aires. Music is by Catherine Ringer x Müller and Makaroff of Gotan Project.
The dance is choreographed by Nelida Rodriguez, but that's not where the link to Nelida and German and Gisela ends...
Nelida is also the tango consultant and rehearsal director for Milonga. She was one of German's most important tango teachers and he refers to her as his 'Artistic Godmother', and the one who imparted to him the 'yeites'1, i.e., 'the secrets of the tango steps'.
Nelida's student list includes some pretty impressive names - including Sharon Stone and Robert Duvall. She made her name in tango in the 1980s as one of the first dancers of the legendary touring show “Tango Argentino”.
Here's archival footage of Nelida performing with Nelson Avila...
1 'yeites' comes from the early 20th century language of Tango known as Lunfardo.