Malambo shows off culture at SPAC
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Show-goers got to experience some Argentinian culture last week, with the Spa City debut of Che Malambo at Saratoga Performing Arts Center.
The all-male Argentinabased dance company Che Malambo performed on the SPAC stage for the first time on Thursday.
Hailing from Argentina, this percussive dance troupe presented a unique dance performance, rooted in the South American cowboy tradition of the gaucho.
The 13 men - Federico Arrua, Fernando Castro, Francisco Ciares, Claudio Diaz, Miguel Flores, Albanano Jimenez, Walter Kochanowski, Gonzalo Leiva, Facundo Lencina, Gabriel Lopez, Daniel Medina, Jose Palacio and Matias Rivas showed off their fancy fastpaced footwork, or zapateo, to the beat of the traditional Argentine bombo, which they all played throughout the act.
One of the most impressive spectacles was when the dancers whipped out their boleadoras, a throwing weapon made up of intertwined cords weighted with stones. This seemingly dangerous dance had audience members of the edge of their seats, while the performers remained confident in their agility and dexterity.
Malambo began in the 17th century as competitive duels - and this was still apparent in the 2017 on-stage performance.
The men were often challenging one another, creating an entertaining backand-forth for the crowd to observe.
Highlights of the show, however, were when all of the dancers were on stage - drumming, dancing and yelling together in synch.
At one point, the artists even brought an acoustic guitar on stage and joined voices to sing a traditional Argentine folk tune.
Toward the end of the night, the guys came out in their matching black gaucho pants, which flowed above their high-heeled dancing boots.
Che Malambo’s SPAC debut was visually and audibly stimulating, in a much different way than other traditional dance performances that come to the venue.
Rather than floaty ballet moves and quiet string music, this show featured a lot of stomping and shouting, with a hint of danger created by the whirling boleadoras.
Che Malambo was setting out to wow the crowd, and it certainly did.
Pre-performance, eventgoers got to dive a little deeper into the country’s cultural heritage and traditions with an Argentinian Mini-Festival.
Set up on the lawn was a special asado barbecue sampling station, with wine from Argentina, too. Those looking for more flavor could indulge in authentic Argentinian cuisine at the on-premise Hall of Springs restaurant.
Also on the lawn were a pair of Argentine horses and polo players, which attendees of all-ages were eager to learn about and pet.
Thursday’s Che Malambo event was an opportunity to see something a little different on the SPAC stage, and those who took advantage were able to experience more than just a performance.