Recreation premiere at Teatro San martin, Buenos Aires, September 4-6, 2015 

Mythology from the East and music from the West meet in this prodigious intercultural piece in which Thai traditional mask dancers illustrate an epic story to the rhythm of Astor Piazzolla’s tango. Later, 18Monkeys Dance Theatre was invited to work with the jazz band Escalandrum, led by Daniel Piazzolla, Astor’s grandson.

Performers: Anucha Sumaman, Benjamin Tardif, Dovydas Strimaitis and Sukadeva Joshua Horn
Direction and Choreography: Jitti Chompee
Costume Designer: Anurak Thangsomboon
Lighting: Jirach Eaimsa-ard
Musics: Astor Piazzolla

Tour: Creation 2010 premiere Patravadi Theatre, Vic Hua Hin, George Town Festival 2011, Recreation 2015 at Teatro San Martin, Buenos Aires, Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre 2016 MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum and at Neilson Hays Library 2018

Review:
Growing up with the Suntharaphorn tango, I was hoping to experience something akin to our Thai version of it. Nothing of the sort. This Argentinian tango is marked by a quaint melancholy that challenges the choreographer and his dancers to construct a worthy dialogue. And they did. If Suntharaphorn were still alive, he would be inspired to create further masterpieces.

I can’t help thinking of the French writer, Chateaubriand, and his famous dictum: ” … que le chant naturel de l’homme est triste, meme qu’il exprime le bonheur.” ( … that the natural music of man is sad, even when it expresses happiness.) So intriguing and so thought-provoking!

Written by Chetana Nagavajara