378  a report on the first tango contest in BsAs

Date: Sat, 5 Jan 2002 19:37:18 -0300
From: Janis Kenyon <jantango@FEEDBACK.NET.AR>
Subject: a report on the first tango contest in BsAs

The city-wide championship (Campeonato Metropolitano de tango de salon con
estilo y elegancia) is organized by the Gobierno de la Ciudad de Buenos
Aires and AMBCTA (Asociacion de Maestros, Bailarines Y Coreografos de Tango
Argentino) for the purpose of demonstrating the tango in the country and to
the world, because if the dance grows the milongas improve, the orchestras
thrive, and composors emerge; because a country in crisis should return to
its certainties and tango is one of them; everyone should participate,
everyone should register and dance--those who believe they can win and those
who know they can lose; everyone should contribute their presence, energy
and good humor to this initiative that crowns new couples as champions of
the city of Buenos Aires, but which makes this competition a meeting of the
city, for the country and for the world; a meeting of tango with the
pleasure of dance.

The first night of competition was held last night at Lo de Celia. There
was an attendance of more than 200 people in the milonga, many of whom were
there to watch the competition and see how it will operate. There were 20
couples who signed up. Each man was given a number to wear on his left arm.
There was no entry fee. The judges were two members of the city's cultural
department and Celia Blanco, who is a member of the board of AMBCTA and
owner of Lo de Celia, a tango studio and milonga.

The competition began as scheduled at 12:30am. All 20 couples danced in the
first heat to Asi se baile tango (Tanturi/Castillo). This was followed by
four more heats with five couples in each. The judges selected eight
couples to dance from which five were selected for the finals on February 15
with Sexteto Major performing in Parque Lezama. The five finalists danced
to Al compas de corazon (Calo/Beron).

The criteria for evaluation by the judges was el compas, la cadencia, el
estilo, el abrazo continuo, la circulacion por la pista and el baile al
piso. The judges were not to consider the clothing, nor any jumps or
tricks. (There were young men wearing jeans and sneakers.) This was not a
contest of how many boleos or ganchos you did, but rather one which required
dancing around the floor with the music in a continuous embrace. No
professional stage dancers are allowed to enter the competition.

All in all, it was well-organized. Each participant was given a certificate
for participation and a CD which was produced for Festival Buenos Aires
Tango 2000. The finalists received additional certificates.

IV Festival Buenos Aires Tango will be held February 15 - March 9, 2002. It
will include free classes, concerts and other activities related to tango.
www.festivaldetango.com.ar Information is available in English.

Pichi de Buenos Aires