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Tango. Photo: Flavia Mariani.
THE TANGO – it’s a smooth, sexy, and sensual dance that was born in Argentina. Its importance to the world was “made official” in 2009 when the tango in Argentina and Uruguay was put on the UNESCO “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity” list. And the Buenos Aires World Cup of Tango features some of the world’s best tango dancers.
From Yahoo News: 400 couples will be competing for prize money in the annual competition in two main categories: the traditional salon tango and more creative stage tango. 350,000 people attended last year’s festival, but it isn’t just about watching professional dancers (though some of the fancy footwork is stunning):
“In August every year this event brings together a whole community of musicians, dancers, academics and entrepreneurs,” Mayor Mauricio Macri said in a statement. “We are united by a past, a common history and confidence in the future.”
If you want to watch: Qualifying rounds on August 22 and 23 will be held in the Centro de Exposiciones; tickets are not required. Tickets are required for the semi-finals on August 26 and 27 and for the finals in Luna Park stadium on August 29 for salon tango and August 30 for stage tango.
If you’re inspired by the performances to learn the steps yourself, there are free classes for beginner to advanced dancers. Check here for the schedule.
There will also be concerts, documentary film screenings, parties, and dance exhibitions over the next two weeks. 
Kristin Conard
Kristin Conard is an editor at Matador Nights as well as a writing instructor in California. As a child, she wanted to be a librarian, because she thought that the librarian was the one who got to write all the books in the library. Her obsession with reading and writing has continued, and when she is not grading papers and lesson planning, she is working on a collection of essays and planning her next trip.
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