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The outcome of Buenos Aires Tango Festival and Dance World Cup 2011 is certainly positive: in total, 400 thousand people attended the shows and activities held at the Centro de Exposiciones, CCC Teatro 25 de Mayo in Villa Urquiza and Teatro de la Ribera in La Boca. “I’m very satisfied because Tango Buenos Aires is growing year after year: comparing number of visitors, number of registered couples for the Dance World Cup; and also shows to be more in tune with today’s tango: for instance, this year, the Panorama section – with the participation of the most influential cultural entrepreneurs and young artists of the current scene – brought to a massive stage the new languages of our music, adding a breath of fresh air to the scene and mixing together new audiences. So that encounter of generations that we look for has occurred, between up-and-coming and established artists. They are the two general objectives that we set for ourselves. Heritage recovery and tango’s expansion into the future. Such is the spirit of the festival, and in this edition it was clearly manifested,” stated with obvious satisfaction Gustavo Mozzi, the artistic director of the world’s greatest tango event.

Three Argentine couples stepped onto the podium of the Stage Tango category, after the great final held last night at the Luna Park Stadium, which was vibrant and full to the brim once again, like on the biggest nights of its rich history. The couple of Max Van De Voorde and Solange Acosta won the world title, the prize of 30 thousand pesos and a contract to go on a tour around Japan (in addition to having the privilege of dancing in front of the Tour Eiffel, in Paris, next Sunday 4).

This evening starting at 7 p.m. the Stage Tango final will be held at the Luna Park Stadium, featuring couples from Argentina, Uruguay, Colombia, Venezuela, Japan and Paraguay. This will be the last night of Tango Buenos Aires Festival and World Cup, the world’s greatest tango event. Apart from the competition, there will be a musical show featuring Jairo and Camerata Argentina, directed by Pablo Agri, and a great tribute to the Argentine choreographer Ana María Stekelman, who will perform with her company Tangokinesis.

After an exciting tie-break round and before six thousand spectators, the Colombian couple composed of Diego Julián Benavidez Hernández and Natasha Agudelo Arboleda was crowned world champion in the Salon Tango category, at the final round held last Monday night at the Luna Park Stadium. The couple representing Venezuela, John Erban and Clarissa Sánchez, won the second place and the American Brian Nguyen and Yuliana Basmajyan got the third place. It was a night full of skill and feeling brought by each and every finalist dancer; and for this reason, all of them, without exception, received a big ovation as the greatest reward. The applauded performances by Ruben Rada, the Orquesta Típica del Río de la Plata and the great Juan Carlos Copes, accompanied by his daughter Johanna, added luster to the second-to-last night of Tango Buenos Aires.

The small crowd filling the legendary stadium at Corrientes and Bouchard, apart from watching the competition for the world title in the Salon Tango category, will be able to enjoy a great Argentine-Uruguayan musical show featuring Rubén Rada, the Orquesta Típica del Río de la Plata and wonderful dancer Juan Carlos Copes. It will certainly be an unforgettable night.

Today, Monday, the much-awaited final round in the Salon Tango category of the Dance World Cup 2011, will be held at 7 p.m. at the Luna Park Stadium, tickets having run out. This will be a night to remember for the Argentine, foreign and mixed-nationality couples who reached this stage after last Friday’s semifinals – some of them come from the different affiliated competitions held around the world: from Buenos Aires’ City Championship and Milonga Dancers of the World, from Tokyo (Japan), San Francisco (USA), Salta and Resistencia (Argentina). A competition for the glory of the victory, and also for a prize of 30 thousand pesos.

Today, Sunday, is the last day of shows and activities at the Centro de Exposiciones, which became the heart of Argentine tango for the world during two weeks. This will be the last opportunity to visit the amazing exhibition “Carlos Gardel. Del hombre al mito,” a complete journey through the life and work of the great singer. Also, the last chance to visit and buy at the well-stocked Product Fair (all tango-related clothing, shoes, books, CDs and other objects). There will also be a free open class for novice dancers, conducted by the renowned Estudio La Esquina at 5 p.m., at the María Nieves main dance floor. And at 6 p.m., a grand closing milonga for everyone who would like to tango and have a great time, with the Sexteto Milonguero playing a repertoire full of classic dancing songs from tango’s golden age, the 1940s.

Today, Sunday, last day of concerts at the Centro de Exposiciones, the festival offers an exceptional schedule of events. At 8 p.m., at the Horacio Salgán stage, the quintet of grand maestro Atilio Stampone together with singer Luis Filipelli will give a concert of great tango classics. Later, at 9 p.m., the young Orquesta Típica El Porvenir (photo) will close the evening, hitting the final chan-chan chords. An exceptional double bill that reaffirms one of the central concepts of Tango Buenos Aires: tango in all its different expressions and generations, as a bridge of cultural identity.

Singer María Graña and guitarist Esteban Morgado, great Buenos Aires-tango artists of our time, will perform tonight, Saturday, at the CCC Teatro 25 de Mayo, in Villa Urquiza. The special show will include great classics of the genre, in an intimate format that only the combination of vocals and guitar can offer. Please be reminded that tickets for this concert are available for free at the theater’s box office, from 11 in the morning on the day of the show. Keep it in mind as tickets usually run out fast.

Choreographer and dancer Mora Godoy, one of the major figures of contemporary Argentine tango, will offer – tonight, Saturday, at 8 p.m. at the Horacio Salgán stage of the Centro de Exposiciones – a stage production that combines a master class and a show of tango and other rhythms, accompanied by a cast of talented dancers and a typical orchestra. All her qualities, which made her an international emblem of tango, will be here showcased, in the best possible environment: the world’s major tango event.