PointeTango Dance Company

Welcome to PointeTango Dance Company. Stayed tuned for updates and information about our new upcoming shows and tour featuring PointeTango’s unique blend of Argentine tango and classical ballet.

PointeTango is a unique, “one-of-a-kind” dance company directed by choreographer and dancer, Alexander Richardson and created with lead dancer, Erin Scott-Kafadar. By pushing new boundaries in dance, PointeTango combines the intimacy of Argentine tango with the precision of classical ballet, creating a new dance vocabulary that is both intimate and bold.

PointeTango emerged from the question: ‘What happens when classical ballet meets Argentine tango?’ Having trained and worked in both disciplines of classical ballet and Argentine tango extensively, Erin and Alexander challenged themselves to develop a new dance vocabulary of “pointetango” that respects the codes and connection of the Argentine tango “abrazo” (embrace) while searching for new solutions and opportunities to the challenges encountered when transitioning from heels to pointe shoes. PointeTango is the only dance company in the world to dance authentic, improvised Argentine tango on pointe shoes.

The company’s work has been performed on cruise ships internationally, featured in theatre festivals and dance film projects and they perform regularly in stage shows and milongas in Buenos Aires and Canada. PointeTango has toured their original highly acclaimed shows: Para Dos, Into the Tango, Tango, to the Pointe and Tango in the Dark across Canada in the summers of 2018, 2019, 2022 and 2023 respectively to sold-out theatres. Their festival tours have earned them the prestigious Best of Festival award in addition to Favourite Dance Show and Favourite Duo, Best Artistry and the Patron’s Pick awards to name a few.

During the Covid-19 pandemic lockdowns restricting live performances, PointeTango continued to share their art by creating video projects for digital distribution and, with a grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, produced an original short film in collaboration with Toronto’s Payadora Tango Ensemble leading them to create a a full-length feature film adapting their stage show to video; Tango in the Dark: the film. The film has received rave reviews and recognition since its digital world premiere in February 2021 and was screened at curated digital programs such as Toronto’s Next Stage Festival, the Aurora Cultural Centre, the London Dance Festival and arts festivals in Prague and in Pittsburgh winning the Best On-Demand show of the festival. PointeTango also starred in Payadora’s digital production of “The Legend of the Carau” which will premiere on Payadora’s website.

PointeTango and Payadora’s live premiere in 2023 was a much anticipated success, performing to sold-out audiences at the Toronto Summer Music Festival and at Ottawa’s Music and Beyond festival.

PointeTango dancers Erin and Alexander were honoured to have acclaimed Montreal dance reviewer Victor Swoboda write a feature article about PointeTango Dance Company published in the prestigious Dance International magazine in January 2023. Read the Full Article HERE

“They dance as one body, with grace and precision” ★★★★★ – Monday Magazine
“Sultry. Intimate. Completely innovative.” – Forget the Box
“Unlike anything you’ve ever seen”- The Vancouver Arts Review

PointeTango is thankful for the financial support awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts to create digital projects, produce live shows and present their work across Canada. PointeTango has also had a privilege of enjoying a residency at the National Ballet of Canada in 2022 and residencies at l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec and Ballet Divertimento in Montreal in 2023.