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“REFLEJO”
MADCAP 7-HOUR
PHOTO ADVENTURE
ON LOCATION:
CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA
What were the chances that a dedicated Johannesburg tango couple would attend a ballroom and Latin dance competition in the most beautiful city in South Africa Africa at the precise moment an international specialist dance photographer came upon the scene on a random tango photo shoot mission?
"UMBRAL"
"A lunge, silhouetted in a doorway of ecstasy."
Excellent, as luck would have it one particular day during last October. My professional dance partner, Gail Walters, and I had traveled some 1400 km south to Cape Town for this event. Pure happenstance led Gail to text me on my
phone while I’d stepped outside of the competition venue. “There is a guy here who is looking to take pictures of tango dancers. Hurry!”
I dropped what I was doing and half ran back inside the ballroom. There I met Stephen Marino, internationally acclaimed professional dance photographer. He explained that he and a partner were writing a coffee table photo book on tango in different parts of the world, and asked if he could take some photos of us the next day. Our ballroom trip quickly shifted gears to a tango adventure weekend.
I teach tango from my studio, Tango La Plata, in Johannesburg, and I sensed that this was an opportunity not to be missed. We arranged to meet at Mark Hoeben’s tango studio in Cape Town. Mark started tango in Cape Town, and celebrated 10 years of tango there the previous year.
Gail and I were still working with Mark when Stephen arrived. He gestured for us to continue and made himself unobtrusive. I was a bit concerned as there was nothing to photograph in the studio and thought Stephen might be bored, as might be the case with most pros, but not this photographer!
It was then that I observed Stephen’s magic. Strategically placing mirrors found in the studio, his unique perspectives reflected the feel of what was happening. Although the studio was bare, the look of the photographs is unmistakably tango.
"Every step, every thought, every emotion reflects on the
Tango ... mirroring not two dancers but an amalgamation of carefully spoken intimate new language, whispered inside the same space."
This initiated our 7-hour madcap photo shoot adventure. We moved to showcase our tango on location against the stunning backdrop of Cape Town, where I grew up.
Mark suggested we photograph from a viewing platform on Signal Hill which is part of the Table Mountain range. The Dutch, and later the British navy, would fire a cannon to signal when a ship was spotted entering Table Bay, hence the name.
The wind was howling. Stephen said “Just dance” and happily snapped away. Then he shouted “Got it!” and we sheltered in the car. I was to learn that “Got it!” meant that he had his best shot and instinctively knew when it was time to move on.
"EL BORDE"
"Tango 'on the edge' ― of the world, the sea, a feeling, a moment ― timeless and universal ... breathless speck of harmony in Cape Town panorama."
“El Borde” (above, right) shows Robben Island in the distant background. Robben Island held the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for most of the 26 years. The photo is liberating for me knowing that the island is now a museum only, and all the prisoners are freed.
Peering at Table Mountain, Stephen asked, “Erik, is there anywhere with old stone to show the gravitas of tango?” I said I knew exactly the place, and so off we raced to Rhodes Memorial (see video) on the other side of Table Mountain. A great granite mausoleum is erected in memory of colonialist Cecil John Rhodes there ― site where we would make the shot of the day. As I pondered, “How many ways are there to shoot tango?” I heard those wonderful words... ‘Got it!’ ”
MADCAP
7-HOUR
PHOTO ADVENTURE
CONTINUES...CLICK HERE
