Dancer and choreographer María Nieves, a legendary figure of tango in Argentina, died on Sunday at the age of 91, cultural sources in Buenos Aires confirmed, without specifying the cause of death.
Nieves rose to prominence in the 1950s alongside Juan Carlos Copes, her long-time dance partner and husband between 1964 and 1973.
Copes died in 2021 after contracting coronavirus.
Together, the pair became one of tango’s most celebrated duos, helping to redefine the genre on stage.
Beyond taking tango to audiences around the world, Nieves performed in numerous international productions, cementing her reputation as one of the art form’s leading ambassadors.
Announcing her death on social media, Culture Secretary Leonardo Cifelli, described her as “an essential figure of Argentine tango and one of its greatest ambassadors worldwide.”
The Asociación Argentina de Actores also paid tribute, praising her as “the owner of a deeply expressive style” and “one of tango’s foremost exponents.”
“Her journey began in neighbourhood milongas and grew to conquer stages on Broadway, in Paris and in Tokyo. Alongside Juan Carlos Copes, she formed a historic partnership that revolutionised stage tango,” the association said in a message posted on X.
Born in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Saavedra in September 1934, Nieves came from humble beginnings and went on to play a pivotal role in securing tango’s international recognition.
Her partnership with Copes proved instrumental in the success of Tango Argentino, which premiered in Paris in 1983 and ran for more than a decade across major international stages, including Broadway.
The production became a cornerstone of tango’s global revival, bringing the Río de la Plata genre to new audiences.
Her image and distinctive dance style were also immortalised on screen in films such as ‘Funes, un gran amor,’ ‘Assassination Tango,’ ‘Solamente ella,’ ‘Detrás de un largo muro’ and ‘Un tango más,’ among others.
– TIMES/AFP
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