Ricardo Vidort, one of the most distinguished milongueros, began dancing when he was 16 in 1945, and he brought the magic of the Golden Age to us through his elegant dance. In a 2001 interview, he said "Tango doesn't yield to a person, it envelopes them and transforms them."
And now you can have the possibly transformative magic of his shoes! Thanks to Ewa Kielczewska for preserving Ricardo's shoes and to Barry Gillaspie for donating them, we have them for auction. The winner's bid will go directly to the funding of our movie project. See the auction page to place your bid.
Chasing the Ghost is to honor the gift that Buenos Aires milongueros and milongueras gave us as social dancers. It aims to pay homage to their legacy—so it is about you and for you.
The way we dance socially from Seattle to Seoul, Milan to Istanbul, Berlin to Toronto has been shaped by these kings and queens of the Buenos Aires milongas. Their influence on tango social dancing globally cannot be overstated.
They have been the embodiment of an art and a culture. Their consuming passion for the dance inspired us, captured our hearts, and set a bar of excellence.
To dance a tango with a woman and give it all you've got, well, I don't know, it's the max.
— Luisito Ferraris
When we started this film in 2000, we were lucky—privileged you might say—to be able to capture a kind of second golden age. Many of the milongueros/as who had danced for decades were present in the milongas, setting their examples of masterful social dancing.
But over the last 25 years, age and death have taken their toll on these remarkable dancers. Few remain.
We now need to finish the film to explore their legacy. Is it being lost? Can it be preserved?
Please be part of this effort to honor them. We need your donation to travel in the United States and return to Buenos Aires to do a set of select interviews. For your gift, we will put your name in the film. See our donation page for how to give. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.