BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) – Every night in Buenos Aires, dancers from around the world fill up in intimate clubs and spacious halls, swaying smoothly to the electric energy of Argentine tango, a melancholic tune about nostalgia, loss and love.
This week, tango's attention shifted to the stage, where the annual Buenos Aires Tango Festival and Competition saw hundreds of contestants vying for the world's top title and drew a crowd of 10,000 on the closing night on Tuesday.
The contest, which attracted a record 750 troupes from 53 countries, showcased the universal appeal of a dance style that originated among sailors and immigrants in the ports of Argentina and Uruguay in the early 1900s and has its roots in African rhythms.
“Tango brings everything together,” said one of the event's presenters. “In a time when the world is divided, what could be better than embracing each other?”
Argentina is revered as the world's capital of tango music and dance, both in social clubs and glamorous stage shows.
Participants came from as far away as Brazil, Colombia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, South Korea, the United States and Ukraine.
But the highest honor went to an Argentine.
When her name was called as the winner of the Show Tango category, Aylen Moland burst into tears and her partner Sebastian Martinez fell to her knees.
“This is the result of years of hard work, work, dreaming and never giving up,” Morando told reporters later, wearing the same black velvet dress and bejeweled collar she wore to the performance.
Fatima Karakocs and Brenno Marques, winners of the Salon Tango, embraced each other passionately.
“It was a mixture of happiness, ecstasy and the feeling that an incredible dream had come true,” Marquez said.
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Reporting by Miguel Lo Bianco; writing by Daina Beth Solomon; editing by Michael Perry
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