Meeting Antonio Vargas
Sunday night, I had the privilage of meeting the Dance Maestro behind Mission Impossible 2, Strictly Ballroom as well as Tiempos Mejores. That’s none other than Mr. Antonio Vargas himself. Born in Casablanca, Antonio Vargas was attracted to Flamenco at a very early age. His inborn musicality could equally have drawn him to become a concert cellist or a percussionist. However his passion for the art of Flamenco and the full realisation of its potentials have been the driving force behind his long and brilliant career.
The list of Antonio’s works is extensive. From opera to film, from small stage performances to big festivals, from solo performances to productions with the best artists that Spain has to offer at the moment, Antonio has done it all, including a television show with the Beatles (Granada Television, 1964); he played the Fiddler in a London production of Fiddler on the Roof (Her Majesty’s Theatre, 1967); he has created his own Flamenco Dance Theatre works and adapted well know plays and novels to the Flamenco repertoire.
From April to June 1999 Antonio choreographed and staged a flamenco segment for Tom Cruise’s Mission Impossible II, directed by John Woo, which was released in May 2000 in the US and World-Wide shortly thereafter, breaking box-office records. He also accepted an invitation to play a cameo role in the same film.
Coming back to last night, Antonio along with some of his students showcase some excellent flamenco dance both steps with him playing the guitar as well as with the audience clapping along. One thing for sure is this is not the type of flamenco dance that we see in movies and music videos but the high energy version. Is it worth to pick up this dance style? I know for sure that it’s not the dance for me. For now, I’ll just stick to Salsa. For some of the photos, click here.
