Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Martin and Facundo Lombard hit the dance scene in New York in 1999 and became somewhat of an international sensation with their combination of live performances, short dance films and commercial gigs – like appearances in Step Up and modeling for Versace/Versus as photographed by Steven Meisel. Augmented by the fact that they are identical twins and almost indistinguishable in both appearance and movement, their own unique style is a savvy blend of tap, street dance with lines clearly influence by Michael Jackson, and almost old school Fred Astaire flair and presentation. I met the upbeat and charismatic duo, who still dress alike and finish each other’s sentences, when they came to Los Angeles in 2011 for the premiere of Chant et Fugue at Dance Camera West and they were a hoot.

The Lombard Twins get angular in a NYC alleyway
The Lombard Twins get angular in a NYC alleyway

In their films, Martin and Facundo favor a combination of close-ups, sweeping camera shots and sometimes dizzying angles, and Chant et Fugue is no exception. Shot in a relatively narrow New York alleyway and featuring great music by Astor Piazzolla, this short – which they also directed – imparts both a real sense of place and the sheer joy of being young and alive. I love the way the film begins with each dancing individually – lanky, angular and disjointed – then breaks into the duo moving in almost impeccable unison, crunching the beat with gusto and grace. I’ve watched it many, many times and it still makes me smile. Enjoy.

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