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TANGO-FLASHMOB IN LIMASSOL! AGAIN!
by Svetlana Kantarovich
To be honest – we can’t wait, we love the very idea, just give us a good reason…
Every time it is so much fun, so even rain doesn’t stop us tango people if we decide to splash out our joy to the streets. We can’t probably warm up the whole world but to lighten it up a bit – why not?
And how many tango flashmobs in Cyprus can you recall?
Please, we need a brainstorm here, we need your help, a combine effort of the community – if you rememver any event we didn’t mention here yet (as this flash note is as spontaneous as any flashmob is supposed to be) – leave a comment, leave a picture, remind us a date, we will be most grateful. Let’s write this page of History of Tango in Cyprus together…
We are having an early afternoon coffee with Leyla ReMolina and counting… The long interview she gives me for our History of Tango in Cyprus project takes a little detour but, having in mind that the next flashmob in Limassol outside of Rialto Theater is tomorrow, November 5, at 22:00, it makes perfect sense…
After all she was a driving force behind the first flashmob, and even when she tells you she does not remember all the details, I just smile – we are talking for about 3 hours already, and we only covered the very beginning, from her first lessons with Julia Gorin in 2004 till the times when Julia flew to Buenos Aires for good, leaving Leyla here in charge…
So the first Tango Flashmob was organized in December of 2011 near Carob Mills restaurant, behind Limassol Castle. There were live orchestra playing, good friends of Michalis Pantelides, and there were more than 40 people…
After that it was decided to make it a tradition, and Cyprus tango community followed it for 4 years. Among those are: the Easter flash mob on April 21, 2014 and the April 1, 2015… The weather was great in both dates, there were many dancers and many pictures and videos made.
In the meantime, there were several events in Nicosia at approximately the same time.
For example – DANCING IN THE STREETS/DANCE UNITES which was organized by Costas and Rita Severis Foudation and was also sponsored by EEA/Norway Grants. Among organizers were Kemal Baykali, Agathe Vorka… On Christmas Eve, December 24, 2013 tango and latin dancers from all over Cyprus danced through check point and gave small performances on both sides of Ledra Street.
More recently, there were a flashmob on June 7 2017 and a Christmas day Unite Cyprus event in 2017, again with Kemal Baykali, Eva Evagorou among organizers and participants…
It also becomes a tradition to organize charity tango one-off events for a good cause, the most recent one was organized by Oya Kutsal, Rasit Turkeri and Aysegul Turkery with the support of the whole Cyprus tango community on September 30 this year. OK, it was not a flashmob, strictly speaking, but I still think it is important to mention it here – it is a new vector, it gives you a new perspective…
We cannot avoid mentioning The Souvlaki Tango Marathon here, as the only big event giving all the profit to charity but, it is the topic for our next interview, so be patient…
And we also know that Agis Petrides organizes little performances wherever and whenever he can, promoting tango
At some point it became more difficult to make flashmobs spontaneously – you had to coordinate it with authorities.
But last year Leyla still decided to continue, and it seemed we missed it so much that even a stormy weather was not an obstacle. That flashmob in Limassol Old Port/New Marina on December 30, 2017 was probably the most memorable – it was raining cats and dogs, and we all know what happens with our tango shoes… But the members of Cyprus tango community are strong, brave and experiensed – we can pivot in any footware…
So tomorrow at 22:00 we all have yet another great opportunity to participate in yet another outdoors tango event…
We are waiting for all – even if you decide not to do to the famous TANGO LEGENDS show in Rialto tomorrow, but watch it in Nicosia the next day - let’s us all be there for the flashmob.
