4395 IV Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango --
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2006 15:41:07 -0300
From: "Janis Kenyon" <jantango@feedback.net.ar>
Subject: [Tango-L] IV Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango --
second semifinal round
To: "Tango-L" <TANGO-L@MIT.EDU>
Once again I went early to wait in line at the Tangodata desk in Central
Cultural San Martin to obtain a ticket for last night's semifinal round.
This time the person in charge of handing out tickets arrived five minutes
before noon, the hour when she could begin handing out tickets. The two
tickets per person rule was enforced, however, people just went to the end
of the line to obtain additional tickets. There are only 300 tickets
available to the public for each semifinal round.
When I arrived at Nuevo Salon La Argentina around 6:30pm, there were people
waiting at the door. Doors opened at 7:20pm, and I had a table on the dance
floor directly across from the judges' table. The competition began at
8:00pm. The judges were Olga Besio, Alejandra Martinian, Maria Nieves,
Ernesto Balmaceda, and Dany Garcia. It was announced that there would be
three rounds of milonga and four rounds of tango.
During the semifinal rounds, the M.C. Carlos Pulenta announces the names of
each couple and the milonga where they qualified. The couples then walk
clockwise around the dance floor, passing by the judges' table. The first
round of milonga began with nine couples who all began dancing in a
clockwise direction around the floor, just as they had entered the
dancefloor! After a few moments of dancing, Ernesto Balmaceda pointed out
that none one was dancing counterclockwise around the floor, and the M.C.
got the Deejay to stop the music for a technical error. Everyone is
accustomed to the line of dance, but the stress of competition threw them
off course. One couple began dancing and all the others followed in the
wrong direction. The audience watched in amazement. Semifinalists forgot
the line of dance is counterclockwise. They danced the round to danceable
milongas of Troilo, Canaro and Di Angelis. The second round had two good
milongas out of three, but the last round had one good Troilo milonga
followed by slow and obscure milongas by D'Agostino and D'Arienzo.
There were four rounds in tango comprising 35 couples. Many couples who
competed in milonga had also qualified for the semifinals in tango. The
first round was a challenge for any dancer. Two of the three tangos
selected are never used in the milongas. Everyone knows Gallo Ciego, but
how many know the recording by the Orquesta Escuela de Tango? And Bien
Milonga by Octeto San Telmo isn't danceable. The first round of nine
couples were put on the spot to dance for judges to music they never heard
before. The second round danced to music by Di Sarli, Donato, and the new
orchestra El Arranque. It was hard to miss the fact that Dany was talking
to Maria Nieves during the competition and even looked at how she was
scoring dancers. All eyes should be on the dancers, but who is monitoring
the judges?
There was a steady flow of interesting conversation at my table with three
others who are regulars at the milongas. Elsa made the statement, "tango
milonguero isn't tango de salon." I had to disagree with her by saying that
tango milonguero is a social style danced in the milongas. She wasn't
convinced so she asked Jorge. He told her, yes, tango milonguero is tango
de salon. End of conversation. It's amazing that this conversation took
place in Buenos Aires among tango dancers who go to the milongas, but it
only demonstrates that tango is a topic for discussion and disagreement.
The third round for tango danced to Gente de Tango, Tanturi, and Orquesta El
Arranque. The music selection keeps dancers on their toes, so to speak.
They have to be ready for anything, even undanceable music they never heard
before. Is it because they don't have access to good music for social
dancing? And speaking of being on their toes, there were several young
girls doing just that. I suppose they had classical training from the way
they dance in first position for ballet and on their toes with their heels
lifted off the floor. This is the current fashion among the young dancers
wearing their stilletos. Tango is getting an extreme makeover in Buenos
Aires. Unfortunately, the results don't come out looking anything like
tango.
The last round of eight couples danced to Demare, Troilo and Gobbi. I
couldn't help but notice that Dany and Alejandra were talking to each other
rather than watching the dancers. Of course, the dancers weren't aware they
didn't receive the full attention of two of the five judges.
Seven couples were announced as finalists in milonga, and eight couples in
tango. Four couples qualified for the finals in both divisions. I liked
the tall, elegant couple Cecilia and Oscar who qualified in Glorias
Argentinas and made it to the finals in tango. Carlos Tedeschi and Ana
Gregori teach together and qualified as finalists. It's not how well you
dance, but who you know that matters in winning this competition.
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 02:36:38 -0300
From: "Janis Kenyon" <jantango@feedback.net.ar>
Subject: [Tango-L] IV Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango --
tango finals
To: "Tango-L" <TANGO-L@MIT.EDU>
The pavilion at La Rural was full to capacity on Friday night. On the
program was Yotivenco, an ensemble of three guitars, bass, conga drums with
singer. They were wonderful and entertaining in their interpretations of
tango. Later the Orquesta Escuela de Tango directed by the phenomenal
Emilio Balcarce delighted the audience with their performance. Balcarce is
insuring the future of tango by training young musicians from all parts of
the world in the school's two-year program. The evening included an
exhibition by Pedro and Graciela Vujovich, winners of the 2005 campeonato
metropolitano.
Judges were Juan Manuel Fernandez, Olga Besio, Osvaldo Zotto, Maria Nieves,
Juan Belsito, Corina de la Rosa, and Sergio Cortazzo.
After four preliminary rounds and two elimination rounds, the ten finalists
were:
(A) 18-49 years; (B) 50-80 years.
Tenth place: Jimena Hoeffner y Hernan Leone (A) (El Pial)
Ninth place: Noemi Casoli y Antonio Yuffre (B) (A Puro Tango)
They had my vote. What elegance!!!!!
Eighth place: Paola Klinger y Ernesto Suter (A) (El Esquinazo)
Seventh place: Maria Blanca y Maximiliano Copello (A) (Bien Pulenta)
They danced tango for exhibition and were the only couple in the entire
competition who ended each dance with a stage pose.
Sixth place: Melisa Parra y Bruno Mayo (A) (El Cachafaz)
Fifth place: Paula Rampini and Guillermo Cerneaz (A) (El Cachafaz)
Fourth place: Sofia Saborido y Andres Molina (A) (Club Espanol)
Third place: Yanina Bassi y Lucas Amerijeiras (A) (Sentimental y Coqueta)
Second place: Norma Chaves Fernandez y Ricardo Sotelo (B) (Milonga del
Centennario)
First place: Laura Molina y Hernan Rodriguez (A) (Mi Milonga)
Notice that the majority of couples are in the younger age range. My guess
is that all of them are under 35.
The brochure for the competition states, "besides the category of
traditional tango salon, milonga will be added." After the competition, I
chatted with one of the competitors who danced in the milonga finals. She
told me that they were told that this year's tango competition was changed
to permit more styles than in previous years, which included anything that
could be danced on a milonga floor. Last year it was called the III
Campeonato Metropolitano de Tango Salon, but this year it was the IV
Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango. It was no longer just a tango
salon competition (although the printed brochure states traditional salon
tango). I found what she said interesting for several reasons. The winners
go on to compete in the Tango Salon category at the Campeonato Mundial. The
rules for this year's campeonato metropolitano weren't revised from last
year. The rules still require circulating the floor in a counter-clockwise
direction. The rules require a couple to stay in an embrace once they begin
dancing. The rules don't permit choreography for stage. If that doesn't
define tango salon, I don't know what it is. And yet the champions and
others did anything but tango salon. I expect next year's Campeonato
Metropolitano de Baile de Tango will include nuevo tango, for afterall, it's
danced on a milonga floor, too, isn't it?
I found it interesting to see the judges disappear off-stage with score
sheets in hand rather than being collected for tabulation. Who knows if
there was deliberation among them about who should place? Do the scores
really mean anything in this competition? All we know is that the decision
of the judges is final, as stated in the rules.
I have hope. Among the many objectives of the new Argentine Association of
Teachers and Dancers of Salon Tango is to organize a competition. This will
be a good arena for the regular milonga dancers to enjoy a friendly
competition with others their age and who are interested in preserving a
pure tango of elegance for generations to come.
Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 10:12:13 -0400
From: macfroggy@aol.com
Subject: Re: [Tango-L] IV Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango
-- tango finals
To: TANGO-L@mit.edu
Many thanks to Janis for writing such immediate and comprehensive
reports on the Campeonato. Even though I was there backstage last
night at the Finals, I had no idea the fabulous music we heard while
waiting to dance was played by Balcarce's orchestra. We had seen and
loved the film of his Escuela de Tango Orchestra. The event at the
large
venue of La Rural in Palermo was well organized, but they told us, the
dancers, nothing at all about what was happening during the program;
just when and where to line up. I would love to see a video of the
whole show someday.
Anyway, as to my part in the Finals, I am proud to say that Ruben Aybar
and
I made the final cut down to 16 couples out of the 32 finalists. When
I consider that more than 500 couples entered the contest back in May,
we were very proud to be in the final 16, especially as 13 of the
couples
were youngsters. The other 3 couples who finished in the finals of the
Finals were over 50, including Ruben and myself. I am also proud that
since the Semifinals, I was the only foreigner in the Tango de Salon
competition.
As in any arts competition, there is a lot of subjectivity. How can you
choose
between the 5 best movies, or 5 best actors, or books, or paintings, or
dancers?
It's not a science, and that is as it should be. Many people gripe
about the politics
of the Campeonato, saying you have to know the judges or have taken
lessons
from them or whatever, but we didn't "know" anybody and we still made
it
almost to the end. Of course there are issues like how Ruben and I
followed
the written contest rules --feet on floor, no pauses, no choreographed
figures,
total improvisation, no breaking of the embrace, etc.--and yet the
youngsters'
legs were flying all over the place in high boleos and the judges went
for that.
The rules stressed elegance and musicality, but the kids, who perhaps
someday
will dance more elegantly, didn't show a lot of it last night. To me
they looked
as if they were gearing up for a stage career, not for dancing socially
in the
milongas where there's no room for that stuff. This contest was
supposed to
be about social dancing in the milongas --Tango de Salon. There is a
category
for stage tango in the Mundial, which begins today.
Anyway, it was fun, and great experience. Now back to real life and the
teaching
of milonguero style tango and how to dance in the milongas of Buenos
Aires--no high boleos, for one thing!
Cherie Magnus
-----Original Message-----
Sent: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 2:36 AM
Subject: [Tango-L] IV Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango --
tango finals
The pavilion at La Rural was full to capacity on Friday night. On
the
program was Yotivenco, an ensemble of three guitars, bass, conga drums
with
singer. They were wonderful and entertaining in their interpretations
of
tango. Later the Orquesta Escuela de Tango directed by the phenomenal
Emilio Balcarce delighted the audience with their performance.
Balcarce is
insuring the future of tango by training young musicians from all parts
of
the world in the school's two-year program. The evening included an
exhibition by Pedro and Graciela Vujovich, winners of the 2005
campeonato
metropolitano.
Judges were Juan Manuel Fernandez, Olga Besio, Osvaldo Zotto, Maria
Nieves,
Juan Belsito, Corina de la Rosa, and Sergio Cortazzo.
After four preliminary rounds and two elimination rounds, the ten
finalists
were:
(A) 18-49 years; (B) 50-80 years.
Tenth place: Jimena Hoeffner y Hernan Leone (A) (El Pial)
Ninth place: Noemi Casoli y Antonio Yuffre (B) (A Puro Tango)
They had my vote. What elegance!!!!!
Eighth place: Paola Klinger y Ernesto Suter (A) (El Esquinazo)
Seventh place: Maria Blanca y Maximiliano Copello (A) (Bien Pulenta)
They danced tango for exhibition and were the only couple in the entire
competition who ended each dance with a stage pose.
Sixth place: Melisa Parra y Bruno Mayo (A) (El Cachafaz)
Fifth place: Paula Rampini and Guillermo Cerneaz (A) (El Cachafaz)
Fourth place: Sofia Saborido y Andres Molina (A) (Club Espanol)
Third place: Yanina Bassi y Lucas Amerijeiras (A) (Sentimental y
Coqueta)
Second place: Norma Chaves Fernandez y Ricardo Sotelo (B) (Milonga del
Centennario)
First place: Laura Molina y Hernan Rodriguez (A) (Mi Milonga)
Notice that the majority of couples are in the younger age range. My
guess
is that all of them are under 35.
The brochure for the competition states, "besides the category of
traditional tango salon, milonga will be added." After the
competition, I
chatted with one of the competitors who danced in the milonga finals.
She
told me that they were told that this year's tango competition was
changed
to permit more styles than in previous years, which included anything
that
could be danced on a milonga floor. Last year it was called the III
Campeonato Metropolitano de Tango Salon, but this year it was the IV
Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango. It was no longer just a
tango
salon competition (although the printed brochure states traditional
salon
tango). I found what she said interesting for several reasons. The
winners
go on to compete in the Tango Salon category at the Campeonato Mundial.
The
rules for this year's campeonato metropolitano weren't revised from last
year. The rules still require circulating the floor in a
counter-clockwise
direction. The rules require a couple to stay in an embrace once they
begin
dancing. The rules don't permit choreography for stage. If that
doesn't
define tango salon, I don't know what it is. And yet the champions and
others did anything but tango salon. I expect next year's Campeonato
Metropolitano de Baile de Tango will include nuevo tango, for afterall,
it's
danced on a milonga floor, too, isn't it?
I found it interesting to see the judges disappear off-stage with score
sheets in hand rather than being collected for tabulation. Who knows if
there was deliberation among them about who should place? Do the scores
really mean anything in this competition? All we know is that the
decision
of the judges is final, as stated in the rules.
I have hope. Among the many objectives of the new Argentine
Association of
Teachers and Dancers of Salon Tango is to organize a competition. This
will
be a good arena for the regular milonga dancers to enjoy a friendly
competition with others their age and who are interested in preserving a
pure tango of elegance for generations to come.
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