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Tango's spotlight moved to the stage this week, as several
hundred competitors vied for the world's top titles at the
annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival and Competition, which was
attended by 10,000 spectators on Tuesday's closing night.
With a record 750 couples from 53 countries, the competition
showcased the universal appeal of a dance style that originated
among sailors and immigrants in the ports of Argentina and
Uruguay around the early 1900s, with roots also in African
rhythms.
"Tango unifies everything," said one of the event presenters.
"In times of global division, what is better than embracing one
another?"
Argentina is revered as the world's Mecca for tango music and
dancing, both in social clubs and in glitzy stage shows.
The participants hailed from places as far flung as Brazil,
Colombia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, the United
States and Ukraine.
But the top honors went to Argentineans.
Ayelen Morando broke into tears and her partner Sebastian
Martinez fell to his knees as their names were called as winners
of the show tango category.
"This is years of effort, of work, of dreaming, and not giving
up," Morando later told reporters, still in the black velvet
dress and bejeweled collar she had performed in.
Fatima Caracoch and Brenno Marques fiercely hugged as they won
for salon tango.
"It's a mix of feelings, of happiness, of ecstasy, and of
achieving an incredible dream," Marques said.
(Reporting by Miguel Lo Bianco, Writing by Daina Beth Solomon;
Editing by Michael Perry)
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