[Tango-L] Campeonato Metropolitano de Baile de Tango -- last semifinal round

[Janis Kenyon]

The ticket line at the Tangodata desk was short on Wednesday morning.  The
employee arrived ten minutes early (for a change) and started handing out
tickets immediately.  She held to the rule of only two per person and
refused additional tickets to anyone who had already received two.  The last
semifinal round may have had the smallest attendance of all.  Doors opened
at 7:00pm, much earlier than previous nights.  The biggest improvement this
year was that the semifinals were about competition--there was no orchestra
playing nondanceable music or stagy exhibitions.

The judges for this semifinal round were Juan Belsito, Eduardo Arquimbau,
Inez Borquez, Silvia Toscano, and Sergio Cortazzo (in charge of the music
selection).

The topic of discussion last Monday at Lo de Celia's was the quality of
music used during the competition.  Juan Carlos La Falce runs the milonga El
Arranque four days a week in Salon Nuevo La Argentina, so he is qualified to
say whether or not the music was appropriate.  He gave a thumbs down to the
selections by Octeto San Telmo and Orquesta El Arranque.  However, after the
last semifinal round, he gave a thumbs up to the music which included the
recordings of Miguel Calo, Juan D'Arienzo, Pedro Laurenz, Ricardo Tanturi,
Francisco Canaro, Carlos Di Sarli, Osvaldo Fresedo, Anibal Troilo, Lucio
Demare, Tito Gobbi, and Osvaldo Pugliese.  Finally, the dancers got dance
music for the semifinal rounds.

There were three rounds of eight couples for milonga and four rounds of nine
couples for tango.  The qualifying rounds of milonga had 308 couples, of
which about 100 made the semifinals, and 28 will compete in the finals on
August 17.  The qualifying rounds for tango had 510 couples, of which 143
were in semifinals, and 32 will compete in the finals on August 18.

The third round for tango on Wednesday night was exciting to watch with
several excellent young couples really dancing their hearts out.  Good music
inspires good dancing.  Notable were Marisa and Bruno who qualified in El
Cachafaz.  Bruno at 20 must be one of the youngest competitors, if not the
youngest.  I had seen him earlier in the milonga round, but I could see how
he really felt the music and danced that feeling.  They made the finals in
both dances.

Alfredo Barcones danced in the semifinals of tango on his 76th birthday, but
didn't make the finals.  He told me that he competed thirty years ago, and
the decision to enter this competition was made on the spur of the moment in
Gricel.

The judges definitely had their eyes focused on the younger dancers during
the last semifinal round.  All finalists with the exception of one couple
are under the age of 35.  On other nights, the finalists included couples
55-75 and those under 35.   Dance competitions in most countries have age
divisions.  The campeonato metropolitano has 30-year-olds competing with
70-year-olds.  Perhaps this will change.

The milongueros seated at my table all voted for Sofia and Andres to win in
tango and milonga, not because they liked their dancing so much but because
they liked Sofia's low-cut dress under which she wore nothing.  The judges
noticed her as well--they made the finals.  She's a very attractive girl in
her 20s who will get everyone's attention.  Clothing isn't judged, but it
can't hurt to use your assets.

Another foreigner made the finals--a young Asian woman from London who has
been living in Buenos Aires  for six months.  That investment in gold Comme
il Faut shoes paid off.

Maxi Copello made it to the finals in tango.  The judges know his
father--Carlos Copello.  Cameras were on hand to interview Maxi and his
partner immediately after the finalists were announced.

Sixty couples have eight weeks to practice until they go to the finals in La
Rural on August 17 & 18.