(NEWARK, NJ) -- New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) presents Pedro Giraudo + Nimbus Dance on Saturday, November 6 at 7:00pm. Based in Jersey City, N.J., the boundary-pushing, community-driven modern dance ensemble Nimbus Dance will perform a special program as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival—including the world premiere of Raucous Caucus Tango, a collaboration with Latin Grammy Award-winning tango virtuoso Pedro Giraudo and his Tango Quartet. The event takes place during the TD James Moody Jazz Festival.

Pedro Giraudo is regarded as one of the most compelling tango artists today— an active cultural ambassador for the beautiful and passionate music of his native Argentina. This creative mash-up of bawdy storytelling, slapstick humor, and exquisite choreography pokes fun at our electoral process, set to the passionate, dramatic rhythms of Argentine tango. 

Latin GRAMMY winner Pedro Giraudo Tango Quartet is a virtuoso quartet that elegantly brings the beauty and passion of the tango repertoire into the world of chamber music. The band consists of Pedro Giraudo (bass, bandleader); Nick Danielson (violin); Rodolfo Zanetti (bandoneon); and Ahmed Alom (piano).

The Quartet is widely acknowledged as one of the most compelling tango ensembles today, moving forward from the giant footsteps of Astor Piazzolla, and continuing to take this musical genre into new territories. With immense respect for its roots and rich musical past, the ensemble effectively serves as an active ambassador of tango and a proponent of its evolution. The quartet’s fervent and virtuosic musical style takes elements from Argentine tango, European classical music, and American jazz, and combines them gracefully and organically, bringing something new and exciting to the form while retaining all the lushness and beauty that characterizes the genre.

As bassist, composer and arranger, Pedro Giraudo’s biography includes two decades performing with the most important interpreters of tango. Among the many noteworthy events in his career, he recorded bass on Ruben Blades’ CD “Tangos”, which won a Grammy and a Latin Grammy. He has also performed with Paquito D’Rivera, Pablo Ziegler, Hector Del Curto, and Luis Bravo’s “Forever Tango”.

The other members of the quartet are three of the most prominent musicians in the tango world: Nick Danielson (violin) is Assistant Concertmaster of the NYC Ballet Orchestra and enjoys a distinguished career in both the classical and tango worlds; Rodolfo Zanetti (bandoneón) is recognized as one of the most distinguished solo bandoneonists in the United States, performing at the Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center; Ahmed Alom (piano) has been considered a prodigy since the age of 14, winning numerous international prizes in piano competitions, and now living in New York, where he continues to garner acclaim.

Nimbus Dance is an award-winning contemporary dance company at the forefront of excellence in the arts, civic engagement, and equitable impact, interweaving Company, School, and Presentations. Founded in 2005 by Artistic Director Samuel Pott and based in Jersey City, Nimbus performs on tour nationally and throughout the greater New Jersey/New York region, impacting 16,000 people annually. Community engagement initiatives serve over 7,000 children annually through in-school, movement-based programs. Nimbus presents and produces the annual Acadia Dance Festival at the Criterion Theater in Bar Harbor, Maine. In September 2020, Nimbus opened the Nimbus Arts Center, a 14,900 square foot center with theater, gallery, and studio spaces that is the largest dance-based arts center in the State of New Jersey. Aligning with Nimbus’ mission to wield the arts as a medium for broad impact to our diverse community, the new Center provides a home base for Nimbus Dance as it expands its national profile and impact.

Tickets are $59 and available for purchase online or by calling 888.466.5722. Health + Safety Protocols: NJPAC regularly updates its COVID protocols and procedures based on CDC, federal, state, city, and other scientific data. Click here for the most updated guidelines.

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC), located at One Center Street in downtown Newark, N.J., is America’s most diverse performing arts center, and the artistic, cultural, educational and civic center of New Jersey – where great performances and events enhance and transform lives every day. NJPAC brings diverse communities together, providing access to all and showcasing the state’s and the world’s best artists while acting as a leading catalyst in the revitalization of its home city. Through its extensive Arts Education programs, which have reached almost 2 million children, NJPAC is shaping the next generation of artists and arts enthusiasts. NJPAC has attracted more than 10 million visitors since opening its doors in 1997, and nurtures meaningful and lasting relationships with each of its constituents.