Dance days in Linz’s Posthof: sensual tango meets creative freedom

The Ballet Academy in Munich, the Ballet School of the Vienna State Opera and the Institute for Contemporary Dance at the Bruckner University in Linz are some of the stops along the way of Rosalie Wanka, who also dedicated herself to tango in Argentina. The Munich dancer and choreographer draws on the latter for her work “Asymmetrical Encounters” (asymmetrical encounters), which she showed on Friday at the Tanztage im Linzer Posthof.

Who Leads?

In a scenic series of alternating couple relationships and solos, Rosalie Wanka, Cecilia Loffredo, Damian Cortes Alberti, Marcela Lopez Morale and Rodrigo Pardo (also co-choreographer) trace the interfaces between contemporary dance and tango, which raises questions about gender and cultural identities.

Finely choreographed and wonderfully danced, the sensual elegance of tango meets the creative freedom of contemporary dance – a beguiling symbiosis that also proves to be an excellent opportunity to question leadership roles and equality. Gender roles are torpedoed in a broomstick dance.

Wanka humorously brings her Bavarian roots into play and makes a “Munich in heaven” rejoice. Manuela Hartel invites you into the cloud kingdom and many other worlds of experience in her colorfully appealing video projections, in which, somewhat enigmatically, lettering is embedded. Not everything about this harmoniously and thoughtfully choreographed and skilfully danced evening – with admirable singing interludes – is revealed. Still, he’s impressive.

Conclusion: A fine symbiosis of tango and contemporary dance.


Tanztage dates: 27th-4th: Louise Lecavalier; 30.-4.: Gravity & Other Myths, 12./13.-5.: Compagnie Chaliwaté, www.posthof.at