Edward Clug, Director and coreographer
Valentina Turcu, Assistant coreographer
Marko Japelj, Set design
Leo Kulaš, Costume design

Ballet of the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor

Tango is the solo choreographic debut by Edward Clug, a 1998 work that cemented his reputation in Slovenia and internationally. It was also the first project on which he worked with costume designer Leo Kulaš and set designer Marko Japelj, both of whom have become his regular artistic collaborators. In the years since it was debuted, the sensuality of the piece, a dramatic tale lasting almost an hour, has continued to win over critics and audiences alike. In it, the tango functions as a paraphrase of life; it is merely hinted at through individual elements trapped in a whirlwind of passion and pain. The captivating movements of this poetic dance, combined in a duality of sensitive beauty and raw sorrow, create a mood in which the tango can come alive: an atmosphere of hopelessness, sexual unease, the competitiveness and domineering nature of men, the double standards of women, and the surrender to fate. The virtuoso performance by the members of the Maribor Ballet and the fascinating melodic fusion of dance and music create a timeless spectacle that draws the audience into a maelstrom of passion and love.