Show One Productions has announced the Canadian premiere of Tango After Dark, a dazzling showcase of tango dance and the music of Astor Piazzolla that hits Toronto March 14 to 16, 2025.
International tango superstars and world champions Germán Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi lead a company of ten dancers who’ll take the stage with a live band of seven musicians and two vocalists to bring the fire of the dance to life. Cornejo has been dubbed the King of Tango in the press.
Expect glamorous costumes and an emphasis on tango as a pure art form, blending raw emotion and precision of movement.
“We have had the pleasure of touring Tango Fire across Canada for many years to sold-out audiences, earning acclaim from both critics and fans,” said Svetlana Dvoretsky, Founder and President of Show One Productions. “Now, we are very excited to bring the Canadian premiere of Tango After Dark, a captivating new production by Germán Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi. Toronto audiences have a deep appreciation for these incredible artists, and we are eager to host their latest work. Tango After Dark masterfully captures the vibrant energy of Buenos Aires nightlife, brought to life through Cornejo’s stunning choreography.”
The show has been on tour around the world to sold-out houses, and will premiere at the Winter Garden Theatre.
Tango & Astor Piazzolla
The tango is an art form that found its origins in the streets of Buenos Aires and Montevideo towards the end of the 19th century. Tango draws from multiple cultures, including African and European dance and music, the habanera of Cuba and the traditional dances brought to Argentina by Africans. It quickly became popularized, and traversed all levels of society.
Born in 1921 in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Astor Piazzolla grew up just in time to enjoy the rise of tango into a worldwide phenomenon. He became a virtuosic player at the bandoneón, a square shaped accordion typical to the tango genre.
By 1955, however, he’d leave the traditional dance bands behind to create what became known as Nuevo Tango, a musical form that took elements of jazz and Western classical music and blended it into the compelling rhythms of tango. He became one of the major Latin American composers of the 20th century.
Germán Cornejo and Gisela Galeassi
Gisela Galeassi is a native of Carlos Paz, Cordoba, Argentina, where she began dancing at an early age. She studied ballet at age three, and became a teach of classical and Spanish dancing at the age of 16. At 16, after graduating, she began to specialize in tango. She has gone on to a performing career, and multiple competition wins.
Gisela has performed as the Cultural Ambassador of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, and on stages that have included the Sydney Opera House, Carnegie Hall, and many others.
She has appeared on television in Argentina, Canada and the US, and was a winning finalist in a reality show produced by Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony.
Gisela has been performing as Germán’s partner since 2011, and with him, has toured the world with a number of productions as part of the Germán Cornejo Dance Company (formerly Tango Fire company).
Germán Cornejo was born in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province, and began his tango journey at the age of ten. He graduated from Gatell Conservatory of Dance with a Master of Tango degree at the age of 15, and went on to study both classical and contemporary ballet, jazz, and acrobatic dance. Germán earned a Master of Choreographic Composition at the National Institute of Arts.
He has won many competitions and awards, including the World Champion of Tango dancing in 2005. He has performed across Argentina in person as well as on national TV programs, as well as in the US on Morning News (USA), Fox News (USA), Good Day New York! (New York), among others.
Germán toured extensively with Bien de Tango and other productions, and participated in multiple festivals. He’s danced at the Shanghai Oriental Arts Center (Shanghai), Badminton Theatre (Athens), Sydney Opera House (Sydney), The Joyce Theatre (New York), Peacock Theatre (London), The Esplanade Theatre (Singapore), and Mandalay Bay Arena (Las Vegas), among many other prominent venues worldwide.
He was a participant of the reality TV show “Q’ Viva — The Chosen”, and later performed as a special guest on tour with Jennifer Lopez.
Germán joined the Tango Fire Company of Buenos Aires in 2006 (now known as the Germán Cornejo Dance Company) and serves as its Director of Choreography and Lead Dancer.
- Find tickets and show details [HERE].
Are you looking to promote an event? Have a news tip? Need to know the best events happening this weekend? Send us a note.
#LUDWIGVAN
Get the daily arts news straight to your inbox.
Sign up for the Ludwig Van Toronto e-Blast! — local classical music and opera news straight to your inbox HERE.
