UK TANGO CHAMPIONSHIP

The World tango dance tournament (in Spanish: Campeonato Mundial de Baile de Tango, also known as Mundial de Tango) is an annual competition of Argentine Tango, held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, usually in August, as part of the Buenos Aires Tango Festival organized by the city's government.

The World Cup competition is the final leg of a series of pre-competitions held around the world.

Allowed Countries to Participate in UK

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Eligibility to Enter

  1. Contestants must be at least 18 years old by the date of the competition.
  2. Contestants may participate in both the Pista (Salon) Tango and Stage Tango categories. However, no contestant may participate more than once in the same category, regardless of whether they do so with a different partner.
  3. Dancers of any nationality are eligible to apply for the competition, but applicants must prove that they have been residents for at least one full year (by the date of the competition) in any of the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and UK.
  4. All participants must confirm their registration at the time of accreditation and Check-In. The presentation of the identity document (birth certificate, passport, rent contract or similar) to certify the place of birth or residence in one of the countries conforming the area covered by this preliminary is mandatory to obtain accreditation. Both members of the couple must be present with their documents at the accreditation process and Check-In; accreditations cannot be done by one member.
  5. The Competitor fee for One Couple and one Category is £160. For One Couple and Two Categories is £180. These fees has included the Golden Passes for the Marathon (6 milongas for two people)
Accreditation & CHECK‐IN
    1. In order to do the accreditation and check in, all contestants previously registered must attend on the 10th June from 2:00pm to 4:30pm @ The Porchester Hall, London, with their national ID card or passport (original copy). At this opportunity, they will receive the order number and be informed of the approximate times on which they will perform in the different stages of the corresponding category.
    1. Those who do not complete the accreditation & check in will not be able to participate in the championship. 
    1. At the time of check‐in, contestants will have to complete a form with their personal information. On this form, they shall inform if they have had a work, professional or personal relationship with any member of the jury from the competition, in the last 6 months (180 days) prior to the championship, such as: having a personal and affective relationship with one or more members of the jury; having taken private classes with one or more members of the jury; presenting a choreography in Stage Tango that has been created, reviewed or prepared with one or more members of the jury; having one or both dancers of the couple hired one or more members of the jury - or been hired by one of them- to participate in the same event, performing exhibitions or giving classes within it. This statement made by the contestants will be evaluated by the supervisor and checked with the members of the jury in order to define if any of them will need to refrain from scoring any participant.
    1. All the information provided at the time of check‐in will be considered a sworn statement. Any contradiction in the information, subsequent to the signature, may be penalised by the Organisation, the UK Tango Championship with the subtraction of points, disqualification from the competition, or any other resolution that this body may establish.
Clarification on who can compete:Participation in both Pista and Stage Tango Categories competitions are open to everyone. Professional dancers and amateur dancers (with intermediate level and above) compete in the same category according to the rules established by Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup. Adherence to these rules qualifies our competition in London, UK to be recognised as valid by the main Buenos Aires event.The distinction between a “professional” and “amateur” dancer has less to do with the level of skill and more with the professional status of the dancers. “Professional” means that dancers make a living from teaching and dancing/performing tango, and “amateur” means that they do not, but it does not always imply that the level of the professional couple dance is superior to the level of the amateur couple.There are dancers for whom tango is their main source of income. They are likely to be good instructors, but their level of dance and performance can vary: the professional couple can be excellent at dance or not so great. On the other hand, there are good amateur couples who do not teach tango and get no income from performances, but have achieved an exceptional level of dance. There is also the case of stage dancers who only dance choreographed pieces, but are helpless when it comes to social dancing: they cannot dance in milongas. Finally, there are very skilled social dancers (people who only dance in milongas), but who neither teaches nor performs tango. They might be excellent Pista (salon) dancers. To accommodate different ways in which dancers excel at tango, the two divisions for the competition were established: Pista Tango Competition (social category for both amateurs and professional) and Stage Tango Competition (performance category for amateur advanced level and professional level dancers).

Competition Stages

The competition, in both categories, will be developed in 3 stages, according to the schedule established by the UK Tango Championship Organisation: a) Qualifying Round, b) Semifinal, c) Final.
                • a) Qualifying Round: All registered couples will participate. They will dance one time – Qualifying round will be held on Friday 10th June 2022
                • b) Semifinal: Couples that have been selected in the Qualifying Round will participate. - on Saturday 11th June 2022 @ midday.
                • c) Final: Couples that have been selected in the Semifinal will participate on Saturday 11th June 2022 in the evening.
        • In the Tango de Pista category, couples will compete in group performances, dancing to three recorded songs, selected by the Preliminary.
        • In the Stage Tango category, each couple will compete individually, dancing to one song of their choice. The music piece shall not exceed four (4) minutes.
FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHING The Organisation of the Preliminary reserves the right to record all the stages of the Championship, by any means known or to be known—including but not limited to filming, recording, photographing, digitalisation, etc.—by itself or third parties, in order to promote and advertise the event. The recorded material obtained will be the exclusive property of the Organisation of the Preliminary, who will have to turn a copy of it, as established by the Collaboration Agreement, to the Office of Festivals. By entering the Championship, participants explicitly and irrevocably authorise the use of the recorded material, without this suggesting—or implying—any compensation for any reason whatsoever by the Organisation of the Preliminary and/or the Office of Festivals, in favor of any person or organisation that claims entitlement to any right that may be invoked. This clause also includes, without limitation, all photographic material published and/or made available for promotion, advertisement, etc.

Judging Criteria

TANGO DE PISTA (UNRESTRICTED ENTRY, AMATEURS AND PROFESSIONALS)
    1. Tango de Pista is conceived as a social dance, where the most important aspects are the improvisation, embrace and connection between the dance partners.
    1. Circulation of couples: Couples, as in a real dance hall, will dance in rounds and will have to constantly move counterclockwise without going backwards. They will be allowed, if needed, to walk one or two step backwards at most always within the space of the couple.
    1. The couple must be aware and respectful of their own and other couples’ space in the round in order not to break the harmony when moving around. If a couple performs more than two phrases in the same spot, obstructing the circulation on the dance floor, the Jury may consider lowering their score.
    1. In the event that one couple stops the flow of traffic around the dance floor, it is not possible for other couples to go past them. If the jury deems it necessary, the round of couples may have to dance to another tango to solve the inconvenience.
    1. Once formed, the couple must not separate while the music is playing. For the position to be considered correct, the body of one of the members of the couple must be contained at all the time by the arm of the other. It is understood that in certain figures this may be flexible, but not throughout the whole duration of the dance. All movements and figures must be made within the space allowed by the couple’s embrace, so as not to get in the way of the other couples dancing. The leader may invite the follower to walk and/or turn to their right or left, without taking steps backwards on the dance floor.
    1. It is not necessary for partners to break the embrace between tangos.
    1. Evaluation criteria: The couple may perform any commonly used figures of “social” tango, including barridas (sweeps), sacadas al piso (drawn to the floor), enrosques (twists), ganchos (hooks), boleos, etc., as well as embellishments always within their own space, without standing in the way of couples dancing around them.
    1. Jumps, figures that involve lifting both feet off the ground and any other choreographic possibilities typical of Stage Tango are completely forbidden.
    1. The Jury will take into account the couple’s own interpretation in different styles as fundamental to the score. They will also consider their musicality, elegant walking style, but especially the connection between partners and the search for their own expression, as well as the ability to change the dynamics and speed accordingly depending on the tango being played.
    1. Costumes: Outfits will not be taken into consideration during the judging process, but dancers are recommended to dress smartly. When choosing the outfit, hairstyle and make-up, please be reminded that Tango de Pista is a social dance and not a stage dance.
STAGE TANGO (UNRESTRICTED ENTRY, AMATEURS AND PROFESSIONALS)
    1. Performance: Each couple will offer an individual performance with a song of their choice that shall not be more than 4 minutes long.
    1. In case of having a problem with the choreography, the couple will decide whether to continue dancing or not, and the Jury will evaluate the manner and grace with which they solve the inconvenience; but the couple will not be allowed to repeat the performance.
    1. If a technical problem should occur, the Organisation along with the Jury will evaluate the repetition of the choreography at the end of the assigned performing time slot.
    1. Evaluation criteria: Participants will be able to express their view of the Argentine tango dance. This means that couples will be allowed to perform movements, figures and embellishments that are not directly related to the traditional tango dance. But the choreography must include traditional elements of tango: figure eights, spins, long walks, boleos, hooks, and the “milonguero embrace.” Couples will be able to break the embrace and use techniques from other dance disciplines, as long as they are justified and enrich the performance of the dancer.
    1. Aerial tricks and movements from other dance disciplines must not be excessive. This means that they must not exceed a third of the overall performance.
    1. The couple must include floor movement sequences throughout the whole stage floor.
    1. Costumes: Outfits may be taken into consideration during the judging process.

Prizes

TANGO PISTA CATEGORY-  First Place winning couple of the  UK Tango Championship, will receive the following:
    1. The Official Title of: UK Pista Tango Champion 2022.
    2. Round-trip airfare from the country where the winners are resident to the City of Buenos Aires.
    3. A week stay accommodation in Buenos Aires during September, week during which the Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup takes place.
    4. Registration to compete in the Semi-finals of Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup 2022. PLEASE NOTE: if the winners refuse to participate in the Tango Mundial BA from the semifinals, representing the preliminary, they will lose the prize and they will not be allowed to participate in the mundial from the classification stages.
    1. Second Place winning couple will receive honorable mentions and the free registration for the next UK championship in the same category.
TANGO STAGE CATEGORY - First Place winning couple of the UK Tango Championship, will receive the following:
        1. The Official Title of: UK Stage Tango Champion 2022.
        2. Round-trip airfare from the country where the winners are resident to the City of Buenos Aires.
        3. A week stay accommodation in Buenos Aires in September, week during which the Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup takes place.
        4. Registration to compete in the Semi-finals of Tango Buenos Aires Festival Dance World Cup 2022. PLEASE NOTE: if the winners refuse to participate in the Tango Mundial BA from the semifinals, representing the preliminary, they will lose the prize and they will not be allowed to participate in the mundial from the classification stages.
    1. Second Place winning couple will receive honorable mentions, and the free registration for the next UK championship in the same category.
Important Information: In the case a couple wins both official categories it will, apart from the two official titles, have a longer stay in Buenos Aires up to 3 weeks accommodation and the registration to compete in the  Semi-finals of TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL DANCE WORLD CUP 2022 for both categories.

COMPETITORS REGISTRATION FORM

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