Tango Buenos Aires plays with ‘Fire’

It takes 10 to tango, plus five musicians to back them up. At least it will at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas on Saturday, when Tango Buenos Aires is slated to present "The Fire and Passion of the Tango."

The performance -- slightly under two hours -- is described in press materials as a history of the tango told via dance vignettes. A love story loosely threads the vignettes together.

The tango was born 200 years ago in the Rio de la Plata region bordering Argentina and Uruguay. Recognizable for its sharp head turns and complex figures borrowed from Spanish and African cultures, the dance sensation trotted into Europe, and then America, early last century.

Tango Buenos Aires formed 23 years ago in Argentina's capital city. Its current music director, Julian Vat, joined in 2005. The troupe is on its first tour of the United States since 2007, when it also performed at UNLV.

Tango Buenos Aires performs at 8 p.m. Saturday at Artemus Ham Hall, 4505 S. Maryland Parkway. Tickets are $40-$85; call 895-2787.

-- By COREY LEVITAN