By Marcela Valente
BUENOS AIRES, Jul 23 2002 (IPS)

The Argentine capital will be the venue for the first World Tango Festival, which will include a dance competition, a congress of tango experts, debate and workshops about this musical genre born in the River Plate region.

The idea for the international tango festival, to take place Nov 11-17, was conceived as a result of the great popularity of four major tango music and dance events held in Buenos Aires since 1998.

Participating in those spectacles were noted national and international artists, who achieved an unprecedented level of adhesion from the Argentine public.

Signing up for dance classes during the tango events held in 2000 and 2001, were 70,000 and 100,000 people, respectively, paving the way for the creation of the Association of Tango Dancers and Instructors. The movement also prompted the revival of the traditional tango tournaments held in dancehalls early in the 20th century.

The purpose of the international festival is to “reaffirm Buenos Aires as the world tango capital” and to create a high-quality cultural attraction to boost tourism, the director of the organising committee, Carlos Villalba Wells, told IPS.

Organised by the Cultural Secretariat of the City of Buenos Aires, with sponsorship from private companies, the World Tango Festival is to involve three main divisions: an international dance competition, a congress of tango experts, and “tango for the world” workshops.

The dance competition will have four categories: ballroom tango for amateurs, “fantasy or stage” tango for amateurs, professionals (for those who have made a living from their art for at least three months), and dance groups presenting their own choreography.

The winners will be contracted to take part in the next tango festivals in the capital and in the next world championships, which Buenos Aires hopes to make an annual event.

Beginning in 2003, it is to be held the last week in July, to coincide with winter school vacation in Argentina and neighbouring countries, and with summer vacation in the northern hemisphere.

The dancing pairs who live in Argentina will be able to register for the November festival free of charge, while foreigners will have to pay 300 dollars.

“We are aware that at this time the monetary exchange favours the arrival of tourists with dollars, but at the same, the (political and economic) instability of the country creates uncertainty. We want to lay the groundwork for a medium- and long-term project for the city,” said Villalba.

Argentina is experiencing a profound economic and social crisis, which exploded last December. But the devaluation of the Argentine peso, which fell more than 350 percent with respect to the dollar so far this year, has had a positive impact on tourism.

At the First International Congress of Tango Dance, another division of the festival, organisers are planning expert-level classes, presentations of research on tango, discussions and conferences, accompanied by “milongas”, celebrations to be held every night in various dancehalls, to the sound of the bandoneon (the accordion specific to tango), piano, violins, and other traditional tango instruments.

The “tango for the world” events are aimed at the public and will include an inaugural show, open classes for dance, and techniques for teaching and improvisation.

In parallel to the weeklong tango event, there will be exhibitions of photographs, recordings, musical scores, and objects — such as clothing and shoes — that belonged to tango’s most famous dancers.

In efforts to spread the word about the festival, Villalba travelled to Germany, Spain, France and Italy, while noted tango dancers will tour the United States to advertise the Buenos Aires event.

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