Competitor’s registration closes tonight!
We now have participants from 11 states (and counting) entered in the competition with more still registering last minute. Some competitors have been taking lessons while others are doing it just for fun. With many prizes given away and lots of excitement to share with your dance partner and friends, why not give it a try?
The deadline to register is tonight, so sign-up before it’s too late to play!
What are the rules?
Anybody can compete, the rules are simple!
Salon Tango , Vals, Milonga, Senior Tango:
- dance like you would at the milonga!
- mostly close embrace, with a little bit of open embrace (if needed)
- low boleos only, no ganchos, no jumps
- walking, turns, pivots, connection, musicality
- dress elegant (suits for leaders, dresses for followers)
You do not need fancy tricks or be a tango master to dance in tango competition. The judges prefer a natural social dance. Aim for nice, clean, simple moves performed with good connection, musicality, and elegance. When the music calls, you can open up your embrace for sacadas and enrosques.
Each category dances 3 random songs per day, usually of 3 different musical styles (melodic/rhythmic/dramatic). Each round will have several couples dancing at once, like you would at the milonga. After you dance your rounds, you go back and wait for your next category, or you can go socialize with friends and watch the other rounds.
Stage tango, Group Stage:
- pick a song of any length up to 4 minutes long
- wear any outfits you want
- use any moves you want, but preferably traditional tango elements (walking, turns, pivots)
- lifts and elements from other dances may not exceed 1/3rd of your performance duration
- you cannot repeat the song if you mess up, keep dancing and cover it up
There is more artistic freedom in these categories so feel free to have fun and push the boundaries of tango. Share your personal tango with the local community.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (by competitors)
What if I don’t have a partner?
- PLEASE contact us ASAP. We might have a few lovely dancers who are not yet partnered up. Let us know if you are interested.
What if I’m not a good dancer?
- The competition is open to all levels. Anybody can enter and have fun. You will be sharing the floor with novices and experienced dancers alike. It’s like the milonga, not everyone is “super pro”.
What if I don’t feel like I’m ready for competition yet?
- What comes first, the chicken or the egg? To be ready, you need to have something to be ready for. Waiting until you feel good enough one day may not come unless you’re committed to something. Do the first one for fun. There won’t be any pressure and you can find out what you’d like to improve for next year. Competitions are part of the growth journey, not the finish line. Many of the best dancers have tried tango competitions at some point.
What categories should I pick?
- The typical social dancer will dance in all 3 tango, milonga, and vals categories, but you can also pick only the ones you are most comfortable with. Many previous competitors who registered for only one later regretted not having signed up for more. Doing more categories is more fun and also increases the chance of you being more warmed-up for each round.
- The most daring couples or those on tango teams will also do stage and group stage.
What if I don’t have a good competition style?
- The “competition style” is actually a simpler style. Don’t worry that you have to dance like the super-slick famous Argentineans. Many of them danced very simple in competition. The competition style is more or less a mixture of 2-3 walking steps, some ochos, and some turns for the leader or follower. Put on a suit and nice dress, watch your posture, collect your feet and that’s pretty much the competition style in a nutshell.
Do I have to dance a special style for vals or milonga?
- Dance each genre the way you would at the milonga. Tango tends to have a strong walking beat with varying contrasts on the rhythm via double-time, half-time, and syncopations. Vals has a more continuous beat, allowing for many turns and more sweeping moves. Milonga may seem a bit frantic, but you can dance a simple musical milonga or go wild with fun tricks. All three categories are fun in their own way.
What if I’m not good at performing?
- Everyone gets nervous (even the pros). But the fun part of social-style competition is that you get to dance on the floor with other couples and not alone, so no single couple takes all the pressure. In case you’re worried, just remember the ones that do more tricks will draw more eyes. Everyone messes up; some cover it up better than others.
Are competitions destroying the art of tango?
- The goal of competition is to foster growth, creativity, and excitement. All these things would help evolve the art of tango.
What if I’m already signed up but want to add more categories?
- Contact us to get you registered in the other categories.