ArTaller seeks to make the tango scene more plural, free, and inclusive.

▲ The Devil's Perpetual Tango brings together choreographies such as "Encadenados" (Chained), "Ojos negros" (Black Eyes) , and "Nostalgias" (Nostalgias). Photo by Nitzarindani Vega

Daniel López Aguilar

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, p. 5

The Devil's Perpetual Tango is the title of the program by the ArTaller company, which returns to the Raúl Flores Canelo Theater of the National Center for the Arts (Cenart) starting May 22.

Comprising several choreographies, the production culminates with a piece of the same name, inspired by a John Cage composition. On stage, provocation isn't a shout: it's a caress.

Eight dancers transform the body into a territory for tango: they revisit its history, blur its rules, and project it toward a more plural, free, and inclusive horizon.

In an interview with La Jornada, María O'Reilly, director and founder of the collective, described the proposal as the result of a deep love:

Tango caught my attention; it was an immediate passion. I went to milongas three times a week, dancing, and felt something awaken with every step. From there, the need to bring it to the stage was born. It was as if the movements set a new frequency in my body, a vibration I hadn't heard before.

The choreographer also found in this musical genre a distinct resonance and intensity that prompted her to fuse movements and languages, incorporating theater and cabaret to give life to a constantly evolving story, revealed and constructed in each body that inhabits it.

Trained in classical ballet, O'Reilly added that this artistic expression embodies a constant flow and a permanent exploration of one's own essence . That vision guides the entire show, particularly the closing choreography, whose energy is inspired by a John Cage composition based on a satirical score by Erik Satie.

In 1914, the tango scandalized an archbishop, and Satie reacted with a piece imbued with sarcasm, in which the phrase resonates: the devil refreshes himself in the dance of the tango .

In this staging, this irreverence translates into a sharp critique of the stigmas that have shaped the history of the genre, through an original combination that dismantles traditional images of tango.

Parody and caricature are avoided to achieve a precise fusion of styles. “In El Choclo, we combine neoclassical ballet with pointe shoes to transform the conventions of tango, while in Libertango, the choreography is a statement: the dancers move as empowered individuals, eschewing traditional partners and questioning established norms,” O'Reilly explained.

The repertoire includes pieces such as Encadenados, Oj os negros, Qué te pide, Nostalgias, and Quejas de bandoneón, which trace an emotional map where the classical and the rebellious coexist naturally, like an extension of the performers' body language.

Since the premiere of Tangueros in 2017, ArTaller has been committed to a tango that reflects the contemporary reality of Mexico City, a complex scene with its own unique quests and an energy that reinvents itself with each encounter.

The cast brings much more than skill: they convey history, pain, and resilience. Intensity coexists with unsolved mysteries. The three leading women seek to reveal their essence rather than captivate the audience.

“Each one confronts her identity and environment, and dance is the space for that constant search. The production reclaims queer tango, challenging strict traditional roles, with an inclusivity that goes far beyond words,” the director emphasized.

The collective process was vital to the development of the show, where key contributions from Irina Marcano, Leonardo D'Aquila, Carlos Blanco, and Reinaldo Flores enriched the project.

We're always searching, connecting, finding, and searching again, evolving. That perpetual dance is also life itself. Tango allows me to express all of that. It's a place where I can be intense, subtle, ironic, melancholic, and free , concluded María O'Reilly.

Performances of The Devil's Perpetual Tango will be held from May 22nd to 24th at 7:00 p.m. and on the 25th at 6:00 p.m. at the Cenart (79 Río Churubusco Street, Country Club Churubusco neighborhood). Tickets cost 150 pesos.

Latin Press

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, p. 5

London. British crime novelist Agatha Christie will be revived as a writing teacher through artificial intelligence (AI) thanks to the BBC, which uses a digital avatar to teach storytelling lessons.

Christie returns in this digital format to mentor a new generation of authors, an innovative initiative of the BBC Maestro platform.

The project is based on reconstructing the famous novelist's words, taken from letters and original texts, and combining AI technology.

This is an online course in which your avatar shares storytelling techniques, tips on plot twists, and tips for building suspense.

Actress Vivien Keene played Christie (who died in 1976), guided by the few existing audiovisual records; a visual effects team was tasked with recreating her voice and appearance with the approval of her family and experts on her work.

The workshop aims to offer aspiring novelists a firsthand experience from a leading figure in the crime genre, with over 2 billion sales. The program is now available on the subscription-based educational platform, supported by Christie's estate, and developed by BBC Studios, the commercial subsidiary of the British broadcaster.

Watching their ideas come to life has been a moving experience, said Mark Aldridge, one of the experts responsible for shaping the content.

The novelist's great-grandson and current CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, James Prichard, highlighted the course as a masterclass in how to construct a mystery.

Although the use of this technology in artistic creation is still controversial, Prichard emphasized that the project was carried out with ethics and respect.

Nothing in the script was generated by AI without a real basis, and Keene's role was essential, Prichard said; the actress also studied the author's limited audiovisual recordings.

“It’s been the most unique role of my 44-year career,” Keene said, referring to the challenges of this undertaking that brought to life a digital Christie faithful in voice and appearance.

As debate rages over the ethical limits of AI in artistic creation, the BBC also announced a new adaptation of Christie's play The Eternal Night.

Sputnik

La Jornada Newspaper, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, p. 5

Moscow. Legendary Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich, director of the Bolshoi Theatre ballet company in the second half of the 20th century, died on Monday, according to his assistant, Alexander Kolesnikov.

An hour and a half ago, the eminent Soviet and Russian choreographer Yuri Grigorovich died at the age of 98 , Kolesnikov announced.

Born on January 2, 1927, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Grigorovich grew up in an artistic environment: his maternal uncle, Georgi Rozay, was a dancer with Sergei Diaghilev's renowned Ballets Russes. After graduating from the Leningrad Choreographic School (now the Vaganova Academy) in 1946, he joined the Kirov (Mariinsky) Theatre as a soloist, where he excelled in roles such as Spartacus and Prince Siegfried.

In 1957, Grigorovich rose to stardom as a choreographer with the production of The Stone Flower, followed by The Legend of Love (1961). In 1964, he took over as director of the Bolshoi Ballet, a position he held for three golden decades. It was there that he forged his epic and monumental style, fusing virtuoso technique with deeply human narrative.

Works like Spartacus (1968) redefined male dance, while his version of The Nutcracker (1966) transcended the children's story to become an existential reflection. His productions of Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty , and Raymonda remain absolute benchmarks.

After leaving the Bolshoi in 1995, Grigorovich founded a company in Krasnodar and choreographed for major theaters around the world, including the Paris Opera and La Scala. In 2001, he returned to the Bolshoi to revisit his masterpieces, including the world premiere of Ivan the Terrible in 2012.

A tireless educator, he chaired the prestigious Benois de la Danse Prize and trained several generations of dancers. His legacy was recognized with the highest distinctions, including the Order of St. Andrew, a major Russian decoration.