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Summary Tango dancers from around the world show off their high kicks and tight twirls in Buenos Aires.
The competition was rigid, but the high octane dancers with their elaborate kicks, spins and tightly executed choreographs were anything but on Wednesday as the Stage tango competition got underway at the World Tango Championships in Buenos Aires.Dancers and tango enthusiasts from around the world flocked to Buenos Aires for the 2012 Buenos Aires Tango Festival and World Championships with competitors hailing from Japan, the United States and countless homegrown dancers here in Argentina.Italian dancer Juan Paolo Nerzi competed in the Stage qualifiers with his partner Eloina Antonia Martins and told Reuters there is something special about dancing in this competition in the birthplace of the seductive dance.Being here is something different because when you go to a competition in whatever country there is always the ones that want first place. Here the competition is tough, but everyone wishes you success, luck and strength... Everyones heart is open here, everyones, Nerzi said.The tango and the nostalgic music that accompanies it was born in the poor neighbourhoods surrounding Buenos Aires and on the other side of the Rio de la Plata in neighbouring Uruguay in the late 19th century.It has since grown into an international phenomena and is undoubtedly the cultural highlight of the Argentine capital.Chilean tango dancer Raul Santana said it was important for him and his partner, Diana Lopez, to dance here amongst the worlds greatest tango dancers.
