New products, big names, demonstrations… discover what the new edition of the tango festival in Nîmes has in store

De beaux rendez-vous à découvrir. Midi Libre – ADRIEN BOUDET

Du vendredi 9 au mercredi 14 août, le Festival du tango argentin fait son grand retour à Nîmes. Une nouvelle fois, les organisateurs entendent bien partager et faire découvrir leur passion latine aux Gardois.

The Nîmes Argentine Tango Festival is celebrating its 27th edition this year. For six days, festive and friendly entertainment will be offered in the historic locations of the Gard. Tango, a unique dance, fits perfectly into the summer atmosphere of Nîmes. At the head of the organization of this festival, now a must in the local landscape, is the Milonga del angel, one of the oldest European Argentine tango schools. For nearly twenty years, it has welcomed some of the biggest international names in tango.

(Re)discovering tango

The spirit of the festival is clear to Félix Akli, artistic director of the event since its creation : “The idea is to associate the passion for dance with archaeological sites and regional villages.” The festival aims to reach out to the uninitiated, but also to attract those more familiar with this dance. The organizers of the event with its artisanal side hope that “everyone can find their place there", in the words of Félix Akli. He adds that, “the tango community is only 10% of festival-goers, the other spectators are attracted by the discovery of our world”.

Sharing a passion

The Nîmes Tango Festival enjoys an international reputation."In Uruguay, they know Nîmes very well, more than other cities in France ; and that’s thanks to the festival", laughs the artistic director of the event. For its new edition, the tango festival aspires to become one of the most important in Europe. Today, the Milonga del angel institution plays a key role in the popularization of Argentine tango in France. The renowned dancer added: "There were only one or two hundred dancers in Nîmes when we opened these places, today ;rsquo;Today, there are tens of thousands."

Initiations and festivities

The many events organized as part of the festival will take place around the region's emblematic monuments. A big evening is planned at the Maison Carrée, but also at the Pont du Gard. Amateurs and beginners will be able to let themselves be carried away by the tango, a dance made famous by the legendary Carlos Gardel, a tango singer-songwriter from the first half of the 20th century.

The entire festival program!

Friday, August 8,The festival begins at 2:30 pm, with the screening of the documentary El Sonido de Antes, by Yaël Szmulewicz, at the S&eacutemaphore cinema, followed by a discussion with Solange Bazely. For tango lovers, workshops are offered at the Milonga del Angel. At 2 pm, antigua de viejo milonguero sequences, followed by a sequence of sacadas for men and women; and at 4:45 pm, a change of dynamics. The day ends with a big milonga, from 8pm to midnight, on the Place du Chapitre, hosted by the Sonder tango orchestra and DJs Myriam Alarcon and David Alvarez, followed by an after party at the Milonga del Angel, until 3am.
Saturday, August 9,à 2:30 p.m., the Sémaphore cinema offers a conference on tango in cinema. À la Milonga del angel, the courses continue: à 14:00, sequences of barridas; à 3 p.m. 3 p.m., combination of colgadas; and &agrav; 16 h 45, the abrazo and its sensations. The evening comes alive from 7:30 p.m., with a tango aperitif on the forecourt of the Maison Carrée, followed by ;a big milonga, from 9:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m., with the Quinteto Beltango, and an after party at the Milonga del Angel, from midnight to agrave; 3 h.
Sunday 10 août, Ariane Liautaud and Karim El Toukhi lead courses. À 14 hours, simple and complex volcadas; à 3 p.m. 3 p.m., footwork, calecitas; and &agrav; 16 h 45, turns and waltz counterweights. The evening moves to the Aubaï mema with a big milonga, from 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., hosted by the Quinteto Beltango and DJ Patrick Bevilacqua.
Monday, August 11,the festivities extend to the Pont du Gard with an introduction to the chacarera from 7pm à 8 p.m., followed by a large milonga, from 8 p.m. to 8 p.m. 0 h 30, hosted by the Hyperion ensemble orchestra and DJ Luigi Grieco.
Tuesday 12 August& ucirc;t, Eva Laura Madar and David Samaniengo offer internships à the Milonga del Angel. À 14h, mixed technique: free leg; à 15hà 15, simple padlock and waltz variations; and &agrave ; 4:45 p.m., sweaty milonga. The day ends with a milonga in Bellegarde from 7:30 p.m., with a demonstration at 11 p.m.
Wednesday 13 August, Mariana López Cattini and Victoria Vieyra explore the musicality of tango à through internships. À 14 hours, musical interpretation; à 3 p.m. 3 p.m., milonga traspié ; and &agrav; 16 h 45, waltz. The closing evening begins at 3:00 p.m. 8 p.m., with a theatrical performance by Doñildeá Tango, followed by a large milonga de despedida, from 9 p.m. to 3 p.m. ;h, with demonstrations.

The festival is also celebrating a big comeback, as it is organizing demonstrations, as well as an exhibition at Bellegarde, ten years after his last visit to the Gard village. The program includes film screenings, courses, free initiations, and wild evenings. Dance, then, but also animations that do not require any skill in moving the body.

At the Sémaphore, two films on the subject of music will be projected. A way to give access to the culture of Argentine tango, without having to learn its physical mastery. For the artistic director, “dance is not a necessity. It is possible to be interested in all this culture without practicing it”. The organizing school also has a film festival project Argentine, organized with the Semaphore, planned for the fall.