Probably the greatest of all dance teams during the 1930s and 40s was Frank Veloz and Yolanda Casazza. Their story is the subject of their son Guy Veloz’s full length ballet An American Tango, choreographed by William Soleau and produced by State Street Ballet. Veloz and Youlanda surpassed Irene & Vernon Castle and Fred and Adele Astaire, going from winning amateur competitions to reign as number one in professional ballroom dancing until it went out of fashion in the 1950s. They specialized in Tango and other latin dance forms, putting their own original and very dynamic stamp on them. An American Tango is a multimedia show with projections of vintage photos, movie clips and new scenic backgrounds that provide historical context as the story unfolds. There is a personable and funny narrator, Augie who tells and often participates in this story of gangsters and gamblers, big shows and tours, the peak of their career, and the end of their marriage, all punctuated by glorious dancing–a veritable history of the different styles that were popular then. I was pleased to work closely with Bill Soleau putting together the multimedia elements of this wonderful dance/theater show.
