[Tango-L] Tango Competition in Buenos Aires

[Michael]

My problem with a tango competition is that I'm concerned it might become like ballroom competitions. Before I started dancing, I didn't realize that "competition" ballroom is completely different from "social" ballroom. For example, competition ballroom is danced in "international style." In International style, the feet never close whereas they do in social. Then, you get into syllabus. In competitions, there are bronze, silver, and gold syllabi with specific patterns in each category. There is an invigilator who observes all the couples and notes if a couple danced a figure beyond their syllabus, e.g. dancing a gold pattern in a bronze competition. This can cost them demerits in the scoring.

I attended the NY Tango Championship. The only restrictions I remember are no lifts, ganchos or breaking the embrace. While those restrictions are fine with me, I just wonder if more restrictions are going to be added over time until a tango competition resembles a ballroom competition.

Michael Ditkoff
Waiting for the A/C technician on a hot, muggy day
I'd rather be dancing Argentine Tango