Tango School Championships
at ATOMIC Ballroom

Saturday, July 29th, 2023
12:00 pm -5:00 pm
with Lauren Woods

The Tango School Championships (TSC) aims to bring tango schools together to establish a safe and inclusive environment for their students to participate in a comprehensive competition. Tango competitions can often be intimidating and create a stark gap in skill levels and experience. We aim to bridge this gap by introducing new categories that showcase all styles of tango seen in social settings. Whether you’re a novice to Argentine Tango or a seasoned aficionado, TSC permits competitors to thrive at a level where they feel comfortable competing, surrounded by other social and skilled dancers.

RULES & GUIDELINES: It’s an Am/Am Competition!

Professionals are not allowed to compete or arrange to compete with their students. Here, a “professional” is defined as someone who is paid to teach or perform Argentine Tango.

LEVELS

TSC recognizes two levels:
Newcomer: A dancer who has danced or trained for less than 2 years or is new to competition.
Rising Star: A dancer who practices regularly, attends social events and is passionate about all things tango.

CATEGORIES

The competition includes four main categories:

  1. Singles
  2. Championships
  3. Mix and Match
  4. Stage

Singles

Subcategories: Tango, Vals, Milonga, Nuevo, Queer, Senior

In Singles, competitors perform to one song and are judged individually. This means both leads and followers will have their own competition number. Moreover, competitors are encouraged to have multiple partners in the same singles category (maximum of three partners per single category). If you have multiple partners in one category, you will be judged on your overall performance, which can be advantageous, particularly when dealing with performance nerves.

Example:  You can dance 2 rounds tango, 1 round Vals, 2 rounds Milonga, 3 rounds Queer, 1 round Senior!  You can dance each round with a different partner or with the same partner.

Championships

Subcategories: Tango de Pista, Triple Crown, Neotango

The Championships is a multi-dance category. Competitors will be judged as a couple dancing to three songs.  You can have a different partner for each championship.

  • In Tango de Pista, couples perform to three traditional tango songs featuring smooth and rhythmic styles.
  • In Triple Crown, couples perform to Tango de Pista, Vals, and Milonga.
  • In Neotango, couples perform to new orchestra, electric, and modern styles.

 

Mix and Match

In the Mix and Match category, competitors dance to three songs with a random partner per song.

 

Stage

Stage is a showcase category, in which the couple presents a choreographed routine to one song.

 

INFO ON CATEGORIES

All categories are judged primarily on the connection and musicality between the partners. Here’s what to expect from each category:

  • Tango: In this category, competitors may dance in open, semi-close, or close embrace to particular Argentine tango music that suggests a lot of smooth and connected movements.
  • Vals: This is the tango version of waltz, danced in 3/4 time, suggesting continuous movement and cohesive steps throughout the partnership.
  • Milonga: This rhythmic style, with an African beat in 2/4 time, emphasizes close embrace with a lot of musical footwork showcasing the rhythmic nuances between both dancers.
  • Nuevo: This free form dance is expressed through the partnership to electronic or alternative music. The frame can be deconstructed, interchangeable, or not needed to allow certain dance steps to thrive.
  • Queer: This new category allows same-sex couples to compete amongst each other. Roles will not be interchangeable during a song.
  • Senior: This category, for dancers 55+, features dancing to traditional songs from “The Golden Age” of tango blooming in Buenos Aires.
  • Tango de Pista: This style, seen today in our social settings (Milongas), features couples performing to three traditional songs.
  • Triple Crown: Showcases dance styles Tango de Pista, Vals, and Milonga.
  • Neotango: Focuses on three styles of music – new orchestra, electric, and modern.
  • Stage: Centers on a choreographed routine by each couple competing individually to one song.
  • Mix and Match (M&M): This is a social dance competition where leaders and followers are randomly paired together to dance to three different songs.
Note:  As this is a new competition, each category needs at least three couples to make a round. We encourage competitors to participate in multiple categories for a richer experience.

Registration Opens June 15th, 2023

  • Sign up on this webpage.  We will put the link here.

Entry Fees

  • Entry Fee: $35 (One-time entry fee required to compete)
  • Singles: $10 per round
  • Championships: $25 for 3 multi-dances (3 songs)
  • Mix and Match: $25 for 3 songs
  • Stage: $35
Questions:  Email Lauren Lwartiste@gmail.com