After eleven years living, dancing, teaching tango, and writing in Buenos Aires, I came home to L.A. in 2014, where I'm reconstructing my life.

Friday, November 14, 2008

Dreams Wet and Cold on Showmatch

I don't have a fixation with this TV show, honestly, but it is interesting from a dance viewpoint and cultural differences. Furthermore, I have to hand it to them that they are always searching for new forms of dance entertainment (and ways to show the women's c--o's.) Marcelo Tenelli's Showmatch (Telefe) appears to be of national importance, if you consider the amount of space dedicated to it on TV news/talk shows, magazines, and the internet. The hashing and rehashing of the jury's points, what everyone said, how they looked, errors made, etc., complete with lots of replays ad nausaum.



















First breaking ground never imagined by Dancing With the Stars with the hit show, Bailando Por un Sueno, Showmatch presented Patinando Por un Sueno (Skating for a Dream), and this year, Aquadance in big crystal tubs of water, and Bailando Abajo Lluvia (Dancing in the Rain.)




Here's an example of one of the best "Rain" dances.





The same folks who bring us  Showmatch also do Talento Argentino. The following video of a tango solo by dancer Juan Francisco Segui shows that there is amazing Argentine talent out there that doesn't depend on naked female flesh and/or plastic surgery.


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmmmm...

Two observations about the videos:

1 - the girl starts off with what appears like a g-string, exposing naked butt cheeks. But shortly thereafter they get covered by what turn out to be regular panties. So she felt the need to wedge them into her crack for some reason...

2 - the young man compelled to expose "naked flesh" by ripping off his shirt. A choice that did nothing for the choreography and much to undermine his own trust in his considerable talent.

tangocherie said...

Johanna,

I'm so glad for your comments, but, sorry, I disagree with you--I think those red panties are made like a thong, but with a wide band around the hips. So from some angles you see more cheek than from others. On this show, no girl ever gets to cover her fanny.

And I also disagree about the discarding of the vest in "Roxanne." To me he was on a journey to despair and perhaps suicide. The removal of the hat and vest near the end just showed his degenerating mental state, much like Roland Petit's ballet, Le Jeune Homme y Le Mort, where the young man, dancing in only a pair of jeans, ultimately hangs himself.

Well that's what I got out of it anyway.

Normally the dancing on Showmatch is pretty mas o menos, but I liked this Rain Dance; I thought it had a lot of passion.

And Juan Francisco's tango? Even more passion. Yeah!

Anonymous said...

Hmm. I looked at it again, and the red panties start out as a g-string, but then still look like panties to me, not a band of any sort. But my eyes aren't what they used to be...

As for the Tango, yes, stunning, passionate, very talented, and I get the story. But apparently you didn't get my humor :-)

Anonymous said...

no, Cherie's right - that's a very popular style of panty here and in Europe as well (from what I've seen in lingerie stores).
it's a thong but also a hipster.
I have several pairs myself (sorry for the TMI!!). Very flattering under tango dresses :-)

Anonymous said...

P.S. They are meant to be worn a little higher on the hips, but she's doing the trendy Argentine thing and wearing them lower. That's why it looks a little weird.

Trust me, I see it all the time on women who wear dresses that are too tight and transparent in milongas. ;-)

Anonymous said...

Waddaya know!? Convertible G-strings! Does that make them H-strings? Q-strings? Live and learn...

tangocherie said...

Uh oh, all this discussion of panties and underwear means more weird hits from disappointed Googlers!

I meant to say about the Talento Argentino video, that I saw it live on TV, and the quality was so much better than how it appears on YouTube, where it suffers a lot from translation.