Winnie Cheung and Hugo Satorre are tango musicians and educators, and they're in northern Michigan this week to bring music and dance to Traverse City.
For both, tango is more than music and more than dance - it's a way of life.
"Tango is a universal language," Satorre explained. "It's suitable for all types of audiences, and everybody can connect with that."
They perform for audiences ranging from preschoolers through people with dementia, and Cheung says all of these audiences share a desire to connect with other human beings through music.
Cheung connects with the music physically while she's playing, sometimes to the chagrin of those trying to present her to audiences.
"I get in trouble a lot," she said, laughing. "I make too much noise with the pedal, I stomp my feet, I grunt along with the music - I do all kinds of extracurricular musical activities while I'm playing."
Cheung also doesn't wear shoes while performing, a practice that originated a few years ago with another tango partner, Ben Bogart.
Their series and tour "Tiny Footprint Tango" encouraged participants to consider what kinds of footprints they were leaving in the world. They left their own shoes off to encourage audience members to ask about their bare feet and get the conversation started.
Cheung has been a pianist for most of her life, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, she also began studying the bandoneon with Sattore as her teacher.
"Winnie learned it really fast," Sattore said. "I believe the bandoneon is an instrument that helps you be yourself, and she did that."
Cheung and Satorre are in northern Michigan to perform for an event with the Traverse City Tango Club.
The event is a milonga, a social dance where attendees can listen or dance - but most people usually end up dancing at some point.
"You can be shy and dance in the aisle, or you can be less shy and ask one of the veterans to show you a couple of moves," Cheng said. "You can go straight to the dance floor. Nobody will be hurt if you are using your body to express yourself.
Winnie Cheung and Hugo Satorre will perform tonight (7/17) in Traverse City at the Cathedral Barn at Historic Barns Park.
The doors open at 7 p.m., and the musicians will perform two sets. The first set starts at 7:30 p.m. Attendees may dance or they may sit and listen to the music.
Music performed in Studio A
Osvaldo Pugliese, "La Yumba"
Astor Piazzolla, "Adios nonino"
Anibal Troilo, "Pa' que bailen los muchachos"
Next week (July 23-29), Cheung and Satorre are headed to Urbana, IL for the Tanguero Workshop, which brings together tango musicians from all over the United States.
"You should come if you want to hear 10 bandoneons, 12 string instruments, 4 pianos and 4 double basses play together," Cheung said. "You don't find events like this anywhere else in this country."
Kelley DiPasquale engineered this edition of Studio A with support from David Marchione.
Kacie Brown is IPR's digital content manager.
