Add to favorites Examiner Bio

SYTYCD: Janette Manrara and Brandon Bryant tackle Argentine tango

I'd rather be out dancing or teaching than watching two hours of "So You Think You Can Dance," but when my teachers are choreographing a routine to one of my favorite pieces, "Libertango" from my favorite dance musical "Forever Tango," I had to watch.

I was also sad that the 21-year-old Jonathan Platero, a gymnast" was eliminated. He was a world salsa finalist in 2006-2007. Asuka Kondoh, 25,  was the other Latin dancer (and local), in her case, Latin ballroom and she's gone as well although I thought her one of her individual dances was a bit too cutesy in a show my tight derriere sort of way. She did make me think I could start wearing my fancier underwear as dance clothes though.

Miriam Larici and Leonardo Barrionuevo were both cast members at different times to the show "Forever Tango."  Larici was part of the original Broadway cast of "Forever Tango" and is its iconic image. She was nominated for a Tony Award for choreography as well. Barrionuevo was part of the 2007 touring show of "Forever Tango." You might know Larici and Leonardo as the gold medalists for the NBC show "Superstars of Dance." They were guest performers earlier on SYTYCD.

Larici and Barrionuevo have a theatrical style with dramatic lifts and a lot of beautiful poses as well as well-timed footwork (ganchos).

Janette Manrara, 25,  has been performing musical theater since 12, but studied ballroom, ballet, pointe, jazz and hip hop, all of which help her in Argentine tango. Brandon Bryant, 19,  also has ballet training and while this gives him an elegant form and lovely long lines, Argentine tango is about pushing forward, invading the woman's space and playing footsies in the most sensual way as possible. Bryant doesn't really move forward far enough or fast enough. While ballet emphasizes an erect profile, Argentine tango requires both the man and the woman to lean into each other. Bryant tends to be straight on his axis. You can see this especially when he doing a sacada (a displacement of her foot). The leader can actually signal a woman to do a high front boleo or she could do them by choice if she wants the drama. Either way, in most sacadas there some actual contact between the legs of the leader and the follower to signal it. That's not obvious in the video of Manrara and Bryant dancing their Argentine tango routine and the dance comes off as choreographed instead of led. His timing seems to be off in the double gancho.

Manrara does a better job, but she doesn't have the crossing behind the knees in her ochos and the partial giro she performs at the beginning it a bit too bouncy (it should be smooth). The trick that I heard called the lawnmower (but I learned it for another dance) doesn't have to be performed with her one leg bent for support at the beginning. When Larici and Barrionuevo performed it on SYTYCD, Larici has her feet crossed before the turn and one foot down at the end. Manmara has a foot down in both the start and the finish of the trick. It's almost as if she didn't trust Bryant. His left hand, one they are in a dancing embrace" doesn't move and neither does Manrara. If you watch Larici Barrionuevo perform, you'll see that they take the time to change the placement and in some cases Barrionuevo is actually leading the move with his hands and can separate signal with his fingers.

The choreography does show off the best of both performers so that was good judgment on Larici and Barrionuevo's part. Lots of lifts, very dramatic and fast.  I wish the camera had kept on their feet instead of going into close up, but I would say the same thing for the camera work when Larici and Barrionuevo were on the show.

Incidentally, Larici and Barrionuevo danced to "Tanguera," also from Luis Bravo's "Forever Tango" original soundtrack. Lauren Gottlieb and Neil Haskell in June 2007 also dance to "Tanguera" (Sexteto Major). That was more ballroom and barely tango (they did wear tango colors just as Manrara and Bryant did--black and red). I couldn't tell what Gottlieb and Haskell were trying to emote. Drama (like we're staying married just for the sake of the kids) to this is a Broadway show happy.

Manrara and Bryant kept a consistent tone throughout compared to the 2007 couple and the choreography by Larici and Barrionuevo helped and was much more athletic and exciting. If you missed the show (and since Fox isn't putting full episodes online), then you can still see their performance online.