From tooth to tango: Calgary dentist producing an Argentine tango dance show

Calgary's Neville Headley went from the dentist's office to the dance floor after discovering a love for tango.

Headley, a dentist in the city, started dancing while volunteering for the Calgary Stampede and taking line-dancing lessons at the now-shuttered Ranchmans Cookhouse & Dancehall.

Then he started branching out into ballroom and Latin styles.

"I discovered Argentine tango, and it kind of got into my blood," he said on the Calgary Eyeopener.

"From there, I spent a summer vacation down in Buenos Aires and when I was back in Calgary, I did lots of workshops here."

At a tango dance workshop, Headley met Sergei Tumas from Los Angeles, who has worked on choreography for ABC's Dancing With The Stars.

Together, they hit upon the idea for Tango: The Musical.

At first, they set out to produce a CD of the music of Astor Piazzolla, "a composer who revolutionized the traditional tango style of music."

Piazolla (who was born on March 11, 1921) is credited with the creation of Tango Nuevo music, which deviated from the traditional tango music of the time, according to the show's website.

But one CD turned into two, and in November 2020 Tumas suggested they make a live concert complete with dancers in honour of the famous composer's would-be 100th birthday.

"We just kind of collaborated on this idea that we had. And then the next thing you know, I'm helping him out and we're producing this live Argentine tango extravaganza."

Tumas and Headley executive produced the show together. It was shot in one go at a theatre in Buenos Airies in mid-December last year.

Tango: The Musical features 11 world-champion tango dancing couples and an orchestra.

Headley says the show begins streaming on the Public Place Network starting tomorrow.