{"id":4093,"date":"2011-09-04T04:52:52","date_gmt":"2011-09-04T11:52:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/?p=4093"},"modified":"2011-09-04T06:05:07","modified_gmt":"2011-09-04T13:05:07","slug":"2011-world-tango-championships-medellin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/2011-world-tango-championships-medellin\/","title":{"rendered":"2011 world tango championships, medellin"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/gX365Md3y9A\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><br \/>\nA piece of Argentine history: We are looking for a historic arena in Argentina\u2019s capital, Buenos Aires. It is a few blocks from the famous Plaza de Mayo, near the banks of Rio de la Plata.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I8dyYFomNho\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The arena dates back to 1932 when it began as an open air stadium for boxing matches and also served as a venue for carnivals and concerts. It was there in 1944 that Juan Peron met Evita, an actress at the time. He was on the fast track to become the president of Argentina.<\/p>\n<p>The place where they met holds a special place in the nation\u2019s heart and still hosts boxing matches, concerts and tango. In fact, it held the finals of the World Tango Championships this week.<\/p>\n<p>The answer is\u00a0<strong>Luna Park Stadium<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/PvXcccdc938\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week dancers from around the world flocked to Buenos Aires to compete in the World Tango Championships.<\/p>\n<p>Declared by UNESCO as part of the world\u2019s \u201cIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,\u201d Tango seems to be catching on across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>More than 400,000 people participated in this year\u2019s festival and international dancers shocked the public, beating the Argentinians at their own game.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/cZpOvld352A\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>For the first time in history, the top five ranking couples in Salon Tango were foreigners: This year\u2019s champions were from Colombia with runners up from Venezuela, Italy, Japan and the Unites States.<\/p>\n<p>By\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.theworld.org\/?s=Melaina+Spitzer\">Melaina Spitzer<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Earlier this week dancers from around the world flocked to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to compete in the World Tango Championships. Declared by UNESCO as part of the world\u2019s \u201cIntangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity,\u201d tango seems to be catching on across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>At this year\u2019s championships, international dancers shocked the audience in Buenos Aires with an impressive accomplishment. For the first time in history, the top five ranking couples in the \u201csalon tango\u201d category were foreign.<\/p>\n<p>That includes an American pair of dancers: Brian Nguyen and Yuliana Basmajyan, from San Francisco. They never thought they could make it to the World Tango Championships. In fact, they never even planned on becoming tango dancers.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yfOqgki8nmA\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Brian said he started out doing breakdance and salsa. \u201cI ran into tango by accident,\u201d he recalled, \u201cand from then on, I converted\u2026 because it really was the dance for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Basmajyan told a similar story. And it wasn\u2019t easy for either of them, because of their family backgrounds.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m originally Armenian,\u201d said Basmajyan. \u201cI came over to the States at the end of 1998. And I\u2019m coming from a very traditional family and culture. So this is against what our culture would normally do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Basmajyan said her family wasn\u2019t happy when she decided to become a tango dancer. \u201cI\u2019ve gone through a lot of struggles, [but] now they feel more comfortable about the idea that I\u2019m pursuing tango and hopefully it will get better with time. This is my passion and I want to follow my heart,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/I4Dr-TUo21g\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/p9pqqsIqke4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Nguyen can relate. His parents came to the US from Vietnam after the Vietnam War. And he said being Vietnamese-American comes with certain expectations.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019m expected to be an engineer or a doctor. But I didn\u2019t decide to be any of those,\u201d Basmajyan said. \u201cSo of course my parents were mad at me for a really long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Brian said his family is coming around now, encouraging him. But he can still feel their disappointment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy parents are always thinking, man, he should have been a doctor,\u201d But, oh well. I push on because it\u2019s my passion. \u201c<\/p>\n<p>And in Buenos Aires, Nguyen and Basmajyan\u2019s passion was put to the test.<\/p>\n<p>At the salon tango finals, the dancers were rushed to the stage to begin the competition. Salon tango is traditionally danced at milongas, or social tango gatherings. And unlike the highly choreographed \u201cstage tango,\u201d this competition was all about improvisation.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/eKg3n9zp5uM\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Ten couples took to the stage at once, gracefully circulating counter-clockwise before a panel of judges. Basmajyan stood out in her bright red velvet dress. And Brian\u2019s slicked back hair was reminiscent of tango\u2019s golden age, in the 1940\u2019s.<\/p>\n<p>After four rounds of competition, the scores were announced. A Japanese pair came in fifth. The Italians were fourth. And Basmajyan and Nguyen placed third.<\/p>\n<p>Taking the equivalent of the bronze medal in salon tango was a big deal for the American pair, especially because they were only a hundredth of a point away from a three-way tie for the top spot.<\/p>\n<p>The Colombian and Venezuelan pairs went on to compete in a dance-off for first place. And it was the Colombians who emerged as world champions.<\/p>\n<p>Backstage after the competition, Nguyen said the win changes everything. \u201cNow it feels really good!\u201d he exclaimed. \u201cI think everybody can relate to this. I mean, you go through life looking for a way to prove to yourself that you\u2019re worth something. And I found that in tango.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"473\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/v0ox5NiEJdM\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>As to what they\u2019ll do next, Basmajyan said it\u2019s time to get down to work. \u201cGet ready for next year, to compete again and dance more and travel more,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>But first, Nguyen wanted to celebrate by pouring some wine into their third place cup.<\/p>\n<div style=\"width: 630px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Salon Tango\" src=\"http:\/\/www.theworld.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/IMG_2593.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"620\" height=\"300\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Intricate Speedy Footwork<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A piece of Argentine history: We are looking for a historic arena in Argentina\u2019s capital, Buenos Aires. It is a few blocks from the famous Plaza de Mayo, near the banks of Rio de la Plata. The arena dates back &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/2011-world-tango-championships-medellin\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4093","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4093","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4093"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4093\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4103,"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4093\/revisions\/4103"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4093"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4093"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/amicuscuria.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4093"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}