"Summary of an Interview with Daniela Arcuri and Armando Orauza"
by George A. Nicol
San Francisco, California

Alcazar Theater, San Francisco, California

I met with Daniela and Armando Sunday May 16th before their last performance of Tangoing and their last show with the Tango Dance Company of Hollywood (TDCH).

Daniela and Armando have many exciting plans for the future. Among their plans is the desire to create, produce and perform in a touring Tango show which would be larger than Tangoing and include musicians. The show would tour the U.S. and Europe, last two or three months, and include a cast of dancers from Argentina.

They also plan to open an international school of Tango arts for foreigners next year in Buenos Aires. The idea is to have two different programs: one program for those wishing to be professional dancers and a separate program for those wanting to just learn more about Tango. Each program will be two months in duration offered perhaps twice per year, once in the spring and once in the fall. The programs will be all inclusive so that rooms, lessons, and perhaps even food will be included in a one price package. The teachers will be high caliber instructors from Buenos Aires. The program will be promoted in the U.S., Europe and Brazil. Since both Daniele and Armando speak English, this will be one advantage to U.S. and many European students of their program.

After the two month program they would create and produce a show in Buenos Aires within which their program students would participate. They are working on the budgeting now to determine the cost to the student of their two month program. The location of their School will be the San Talmo area of Buenos Aires.

Daniela particularly likes all of the creative activities associated with producing a show or forming a dance school, including dancing of course, but she also likes the business side including the planning and budgeting. Daniela also mentioned that the hardest part about creating a production is dealing with the more difficult personal interactions that arise between the professionals when confronted with conflicting ideas. This she feels contributed to their decision to leave the TDCH which they cofounded with Zita Gonzalez and Marcos Questas and with whom they created the show Tangoing.

Armando had to leave the interview early to prepare for the Tangoing show performance, however, Daniela went on to say that their biggest goal is to form a dance company where people can come to practice, learn and create routines and shows. In the next five years she would like to see all the world dancing Tango, still be dancing professionally, be doing as they are now doing, have their International Dance School of Tango Arts running all the year, do more shows, maybe do a film about their story, and start a family. Daniela closed the interview by saying that together they make a good team because they are very complementary. She said that although she is more disciplined and structured because of her background in ballet and other dance, Armando he is more enthusiastic, charismatic, and street wise.