Championship  Rules and Judging Criteria

Rules for official categories (Tango de Pista and Stage Tango)

• “TANGO DE PISTA”: open to both amateur and professional dancers. Residence restrictions apply. This category is bound by the rules and regulations of Tango Buenos Aires Festival and Dance World Cup. This competition category will be developed in 3 stages: a) Qualifying Rounds, b) Semifinal, c) Final, – from Saturday June 29 to Sunday June 30, 2024.

• “STAGE TANGO”: open to both amateur and professional dancers. Residence restrictions apply. This category is bound by the rules and regulations of Tango Buenos Aires Festival and Dance World Cup. This competition category will be developed in 3 stages: a) Qualifying Rounds, b) Semifinal, c) Final, - from Saturday June 29 to Sunday June 30, 2024.

RULES TANGO INTERNATIONAL PRELIMINARY

REGISTRATION

1. To be eligible to register, dance partners must be 18 years of age at the start date of the competition and must demonstrate – with legal documents * – a minimum of 1 (one) year of residence within the area of influence of the corresponding Preliminary (Canada). You must bring a proof of citizenship or residency in the Canada for the past year (for example Canadian passport, driver's license, residence card, residential lease, student ID or work visa).

2. No one will be allowed to register two or more times in the same category, but a person can register in different ones, with the same or a different partner. If both members of the couple are natives or residents of different cities, they will have to choose the city of residence or birth of either one, as couples are allowed to represent only one city.

3. The following individuals will not be allowed to compete: staff of the BA FESTIVALS; organizers of Official Preliminaries and jury members of Tango Buenos Aires Festival and Dance World Cup and its preliminaries; sponsors and/or staff of companies that sponsor the PRELIMINARY, or another person with a permanent or temporary relationship with the Office of Festivals.

4. Participants that have seriously breached the competition rules and have been disqualified of previous editions of any Preliminary Competition, Buenos Aires Tango Championship or Dance World Cup will not be allowed to compete. The elimination must have been instrumented in an official document with the due endorsement of BA FESTIVALS.

5. A registration cannot be shared and is not transferable.

6. If a contestant withdraws from the competition after the registration fees have been paid, no refund of the registration fees will be granted.

7. A registration and subsequent check‐in implies knowledge and acceptance of these Rules and the Judging Criteria by each one of the participants. 

CHECK‐IN

1. In order to check in, all contestants previously registered must attend on the date and time specified by THE ORGANIZATION of the Preliminary, with their ID card, driver's licence or passport (original copy) or residence card to certify the place of birth or residence. Participants with a different nationality and no residence card should attend with a valid work visa which allows them to stay/reside in Canada and /or a valid rent/working contract issued more than a year before the date of the competition). At check-in, all competitors will receive the order number and be informed of the approximate dates and times on which they will compete in the different stages of the corresponding category. Those who do not check in will not be able to participate in the championship. A delay will only be considered in duly proven cases of force majeure, except in the event of circumstances of public knowledge.

2. At the time of check‐in, contestants will have to complete a form with their personal information, and with any other additional information required by THE ORGANIZATION. On this form, they shall inform if they have had a work, professional or personal relationship with any member of the jury from the competition, in the last 6 months (180 days) prior to the championship, such as: having a personal and affectionate relationship with one or more members of the jury; having taken private classes with one or more members of the jury; presenting a choreography in Stage Tango that has been created, reviewed or prepared with one or more members of the jury; having one or both dancers of the couple hired one or more members of the jury – or been hired by one of them- to participate in the same event, performing exhibitions or giving classes within it. This statement made by the contestants will be evaluated by the supervisor and checked with the members of the jury in order to determine if any of them will need to refrain from scoring any participant.

3. All the information provided at the time of check‐in will be considered a sworn statement. Any contradiction in the information, subsequent to the signature, may be penalized by THE ORGANIZATION with the subtraction of points, disqualification from the competition, or any other resolution that this body may establish.

4. The ID card or passport and the registration form must be shown at every stage of the competition.

5. All championship contestants commit themselves to participate in various ceremonies and events planned by THE ORGANIZATION of the Preliminary—such as press conferences, interviews by media and over‐the‐air or cable television channels, etc.—if they are summoned for such purpose.

COMPETITION

1. The competition, in both categories, can be developed in 3 (three) stages, according to the schedule established by THE ORGANIZATION: a) Qualifying Round, b) Semifinal, c) Final.

a) Qualifying Round: All registered couples will participate. They will dance the 1st and 2nd Qualifying rounds on Saturday June 29, 2024.

b) Semifinal: Couples that have been selected in the Qualifying round will participate on Sunday June 30, 2024.

c) Final: Couples that have been selected in the Semifinal round will participate on Sunday June 30, 2024. In the Tango de Pista category, couples will compete in groups, dancing to three recorded songs, selected by THE ORGANIZATION. In the Stage Tango category, each couple will compete individually, dancing to one song of their choice. The music piece shall not exceed four (4) minutes and must be handed in to THE ORGANIZATION in digital format (mp3 file, storaged on a Flash Memory Drive) during the check-in instance. In that same instance, participants must state the name and surname of the author or authors of the choreography they will present (as it will be requested in the form to be completed). Couples may present different choreographies in the different stages of the contest.

2. At the time of the competition, at least 10 (ten) couples must attend the qualifying rounds for the competition to be considered official (regardless of the number of couples previously registered). Otherwise, the championship will cease to be official and the winning couple will not be classified to compete in the semifinal instances of TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL AND DANCE WORLD CUP 2024.

NOTE: If there are less than 10 competing couples registered for Tango de Pista or for the Stage Tango category, the category loses its official status (stated by the Tango BA Dance World Cup/ Buenos Aires Mundial) and therefore the Organization of the PRELIMINARY will be exempted from the obligation to grant the winning couple the prize consisting of full coverage of costs of travel and stay in Buenos Aires, and the Organization may choose to offer alternative prizes).

3. THE ORGANIZATION will be entitled to eliminate from the competition those participants who:
a) Do not comply with the rules;
b) Carry out, in the context of or on the occasion of the Competition, inside and outside its facilities, any action of physical and/or verbal aggression against any person, whether participant, member of the jury or the staff, or general public.
In the presence of any of these assumptions, THE ORGANIZATION and BA FESTIVALS will implement the disqualification or elimination of competition, for either or both competitors, through documentation proving the reasons for the measure.

4. In order to ensure the impartiality and professional integrity of the jury members, contestants will not be able to participate in seminars, workshops and/or classes taught by any member of the jury, as long as they are in the competition. (This means that in the case a competing couple is eliminated, they are allowed to register onsite to classes and schedule privates lessons with the festival maestros who are also judges as they will no longer be competing).

JURY

1. In both categories, the jury will be composed of a minimum of 4 (four) members, who— understanding and accepting the rules of the competition, and committing to their compliance—will determine the score of the participating couples. The juries will be appointed in accordance with BA FESTIVALS and THE ORGANIZATION of the Preliminary.

2. All the decisions of the jury will not be subject to appeal. By enrolling, participants accept this condition. In case of distrust or disagreement, participants may submit a written statement (in Spanish or English) to THE ORGANIZATION and NOT directly to the panel of evaluating judges. Any jury member who may have had a work relationship or been the teacher of any of the participants of the Preliminary for a period of at least 6 months close to the beginning of the competition, may refrain from scoring such participant. For this purpose, both the voluntary statements of the Jury and the information provided by participants when enrolling will be taken into account. In these cases, to get the couple’s final score, the judges’ scores will be added, and this amount will be divided by the number of jury members who actually voted. The final score for each performance will result from the accumulation of points, given by each member of the jury on a scale of 1 to 10 (with decimals), in accordance with the criteria described in the JUDGING CRITERIA per category (mandatory document, please read below).

3. The Jury will choose a winning couple in each category. Also, the jury (with the agreement of THE ORGANIZATION) may grant awards and special mentions to the second and third place, and will be entitled to award other mentions if deemed appropriate.

4. In exceptional cases (power interruption, incidents on stage, etc.), the jury and the supervisor may determine that contestants should dance to additional songs to arrive at a fair verdict. Participants may not refuse to perform.

5. In case of a tie, the couples with the same final score will have to break the draw, either by dancing two additional songs in the Tango de Pista category, or by performing a new choreography in the stage tango category, until a winning couple emerges from the votes of the jury.

SUPERVISOR

Appointed by BA FESTIVALS, the Supervisor will bear the responsibility of ensuring the compliance of the present Rules and properly solve any inconvenience not considered in these Rules and establish or inform about the clarifying or interpretative rules that he considers necessary.

FILMING AND PHOTOGRAPHING

THE ORGANIZATION of the Preliminary reserves the right to record all the stages of THE COMPETITION, by any means known or to be known—including but not limited to filming, recording, photographing, digitalization, etc.—by itself or third parties, in order to promote and advertise the event. The recorded material obtained will be exclusive property of THE ORGANIZATION of the Preliminary, who will have to turn a copy of it, as established by the Collaboration Agreement, to BA FESTIVALS. By entering the Championship, participants explicitly and irrevocably authorize the use of the recorded material, without this suggesting—or implying—any compensation for any reason whatsoever by THE ORGANIZATION of the Preliminary and/or BA FESTIVALS, in favor of any person or organization that claims entitlement to any right that may be invoked. This clause also includes, without limitations, all photographic material published and/or made available for promotion, advertisement, etc.

A couple’s registration and subsequent check‐in implies knowledge and acceptance of these Rules by each one of the participants.

*Clarification about dance level: Participation in both “Tango de Pista” and Stage Tango Categories competitions are open to everyone. Professional dancers and amateur dances of intermediate level and above compete in the same category according to the rules established by Tango BA & Dance World Cup. Adherence to these rules qualifies our competition to be recognized as valid by the main Buenos Aires event. The distinction between a “professional” and “amateur” dancer has less to do with the level of skill and more with a professional status of the dancers. “Professional” means that dancers make a living from teaching and dancing/performing tango, and “amateur” means that they do not, but it does not always imply that the level of the professional couple dance is superior to the level of the amateur couple. There are dancers for whom tango is their main source of income. They are likely to be good instructors, but their level of dance and performance can vary: the professional couple can be excellent at dance or not so great. On the other hand, there are good amateur couples who do not teach tango and get no income from performances, but have achieved an exceptional level of dance. There is also the case of stage dancers who only dance choreographed pieces, but are helpless when it comes to social dancing: they cannot dance in milongas. Finally, there are very skilled social dancers (people who only dance in milongas), but who neither teach nor perform tango. They might be excellent salon dancers. To accommodate different ways in which dancers excel at tango, the two divisions for the competition were established: “Tango de Pista” (salon tango; social category for both amateurs and professional) and Stage Tango (performance category for amateur advanced level and professional level dancers).

Rules for all other categories (Tango Senior, Vals, Milonga, Jack & Jill and Milonguero de Mundo)

• “VALS” –open to both amateur and professional dancers. No residence restrictions. This category will take place on Sunday June 30, 2024.

• “MILONGA” – open to both amateur and professional dancers. No residence restrictions. This category will take place on Sunday June 30, 2024.

• “TANGO SENIOR” – open to social dancers (amateurs). No professionals allowed. Age restrictions apply. No residence restrictions. This category will take place on Saturday June 29, 2024.

• “Jack & Jill” – open to social dancers (amateurs). No professionals allowed. No residence restrictions. This category will take place on Saturday June 29, 2024.

• “Milonguero del Mundo” – open to both amateur and professional dancers. No residence restrictions. This category will take place on Sunday June 30, 2024

1. Registration and Check-in/Accreditation

1. Contestants must be at least 18 years old by the date of the competition.

2. Contestants may participate in different categories with the same or a different partner. However, no contestant may participate more than once in the same category, regardless of whether they do so with a different partner.

3. Contestants must always behave correctly and respect the judges, championship directors/coordinators, choreographers and other participants.

4. The Organization will be entitled to eliminate from the competition those participants that:
   a) Do not comply with the rules
   b) Commit any moral offense or improper act that tarnishes the image of the Championship or may cause displeasure in the public.

5. All competition rounds will be open to spectators. 

6. Competitors’ registration and subsequent check‐in implies knowledge and acceptance of the General Rules, the Specific Championship Rules and the judging criteria per category 

7. All participants must confirm their registration at the time of accreditation. In order to check in, all contestants must attend on the date and time specified by the Organization with their ID card or passport (original copy). Accreditation can be done by one of the members of the couple bringing both documents. At this time, they will receive the order number and will be informed of the approximate performance times for each category.

8. Those who do not check in will not be able to participate in the championship. A delay will only be considered in duly proven cases of force majeure, except in the event of circumstances of public knowledge.

9. All championship contestants commit themselves to participate in various ceremonies and events planned by the Organization of the Tango Canada Championship —such as press conferences, interviews for radio stations and over‐the‐air or cable television channels, demos, etc.—if they are summoned for such purpose.

10. A registration cannot be shared and is not transferable.

11. If a contestant withdraws from the competition after the registration fees have been paid, no refund of the registration fees will be granted.

12. Competition VS Workshops / Private classes: competitors participating in the Tango Senior, Milonga, Vals, Jack & Jill or the Milonguero del Mundo categories - which are not official, -may register to all (or any) of the festival workshops and take private classes with all festival maestros,- including the maestros who are judges.

(Clarification: Competitors participating in the official categories of Tango de Pista and Stage Tango will not be able to participate in seminars, workshops and/or classes taught by the maestros who are also members of the jury, as long as they remain in the competition. Therefore, in the case a competing couple is eliminated, the couple will be allowed to register onsite to classes and schedule privates lessons during the event with the maestros who are judges, as they will not be competing any longer).

2. Filming & Photographing

The Organization of the Preliminary reserves the right to record all the stages of the Championship, by any means known or to be known—including but not limited to filming, recording, photographing, digitalization, etc.—by itself or third parties, in order to promote and advertise the event. The recorded material obtained will be exclusive property of the Organization of the Preliminary, who will have to turn a copy of it, to the Office of Festivals. By entering the Championship, participants explicitly and irrevocably authorize the use of the recorded material, without this suggesting—or implying—any compensation for any reason whatsoever by the Organization of the Preliminary in favor of any person or organization that claims entitlement to any right that may be invoked. This clause also includes, without limitations, all photographic material published and/or made available for promotion, advertisement, etc.

3. Jury

The Jury will be composed of a minimum of 4 (four) members for all categories, who—understanding and accepting the rules of the competition, and committing to their compliance—will determine the score of the participating couples. The juries will be appointed in accordance with the Office of Festivals and Central Events and the Organization of Tango Canada Championship.

All the decisions of the Jury will be final and not subject to appeal. By enrolling, participants accept this condition. In case of distrust or disagreement, participants may submit a written statement (in Spanish or English) to the Organization and NOT directly to the panel of evaluating judges.

The final score for each performance will result from the accumulation of points, given by each member of the jury on a scale of 1 to 10 (with decimals), in accordance with the criteria described in the following section.

The Jury will choose a champion couple in each category. Also, the Jury (with the agreement of the Organizer) may grant awards and special mentions to the second and third places, and will be entitled to award other mentions if deemed appropriate.
In exceptional cases (power interruption, incidents on stage, etc.), the jury may determine that contestants should dance to additional songs to arrive at a fair verdict. Participants may not refuse to perform.

In case of a tie, the couples with the same final score will have to break the draw by dancing two additional songs.

4. SUPERVISOR/AUDITOR

Appointed by the Office of Festivals and Central Events, the Supervisor will bear the responsibility of ensuring the compliance of the Championship rules; properly solve any inconvenience not considered in these Rules; establish or inform about the clarifying or interpretative rules that he/she considers necessary and calculate the scores using the Tango BA World Cup formula.

Judging Criteria for Each Category

1.  “TANGO de PISTA” & STAGE TANGO Official Categories

Both official categories will be developed in 3 (three) stages: a) Qualifying Rounds, b) Semifinal, c) Final.

a) Qualifying Rounds: All registered couples will participate. First Qualifying round and Second Qualifying round will take place on Saturday June 29, 2024.

b) Semifinal: Couples that have been selected in the Qualifying round will participate on Sunday June 30, 2024.

c) Final: Couples that have been selected in the Semifinal round will participate on Sunday June 30, 2024. 

A. SPECIFIC RULES & EVALUATION CRITERIA for TANGO DE PISTA

TANGO DE PISTA is conceived as a social dance, where the most important aspects are the music, improvisation, embrace and connection between the members of the couple.

Circulation of couples:

• Couples, as in a real dance hall, will dance in rounds and will have to constantly move counterclockwise without going backwards. They will be allowed, if needed, to walk one or two step backwards at most always within the space of the couple.

• The couple must be aware and respectful of their own and other couples’ space in the round in order not to break the harmony when moving around. If a couple performs more than two phrases in the same spot, obstructing the circulation on the dance floor, the Jury may consider lowering their score.

• In the event that one couple stops the flow of traffic on the dance floor, it is not possible for other couples to overtake them. If the jury deems it necessary, the round of couples may have to dance to another tango to solve the inconvenience.

• Once the embrace formed, the couple must not separate while the music is playing. For the position to be considered correct, the body of one of the members of the couple must be contained at all the time by the arm of the other. It is understood that in certain figures this may be flexible, but not throughout the whole duration of the dance.

• All movements and figures must be made within the space allowed by the couple’s embrace, so as not to get in the way of the other couples dancing. The leader may invite the follower to walk and/or turn to their right or left, without taking steps backwards on the dance floor.

• It is not necessary for partners to break the embrace between tangos.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. The couple may perform any commonly used figures of “social” tango, including “barridas” (sweeps), “sacadas al piso” (drawn to the floor), “enrosques” (twists), “ganchos” (hooks), “boleos”, etc., as well as embellishments always within their own space, without standing in the way of couples dancing around them.

2. None of the members of the couple may lift his/her legs beyond the line of the knees. Embellishments are allowed within this limit.

3. Jumps, figures that involve lifting both feet off the ground and any other choreographic possibilities typical of Stage Tango are completely forbidden.

4. The Jury will take into account the couple’s own interpretation in different styles as fundamental to the score. They will also consider their musicality, elegant walking style, but especially the connection between partners and the search for their own expression, as well as the ability to change the dynamics and speed accordingly depending on the tango being played.

5. Costumes: Outfits will not be taken into consideration during the judging process, but dancers are recommended to dress elegantly and accordingly. When choosing the outfit, hairstyle and make-up, please be reminded that Tango de Pista is a social dance and not a stage dance.

B. SPECIFIC RULES & EVALUATION CRITERIA for STAGE TANGO:

1. Each couple will offer an individual performance with a song of their choice that shall not be more than four (4) minutes long.

2. In case of having a problem with the choreography, the couple will decide whether to continue dancing or not, and the Jury will evaluate the manner and grace with which they solve the inconvenience; but the couple will not be allowed to repeat the performance.

3. If a technical problem should occur, the Organization along with the Jury will evaluate the repetition of the choreography at the end of the assigned performing time slot.

EVALUATION CRITERIA 

1.  Participants will be able to express their view of the Argentine tango dance. This means that couples will be allowed to perform movements, figures and embellishments that are not directly assoicated with the traditional tango dance. But the choreography must include traditional elements of tango: figure eights, spins, long walks, boleos, hooks, and the “milonguero embrace.”

2. Couples will be able to break the embrace and use techniques from other dance disciplines, as long as they are justified and enrich the performance of the dancer.

3. Aerial tricks and movements from other dance disciplines must not be excessive. This means that they must not exceed a third of the overall performance. The couple must execute floor movement sequences throughout the whole stage floor.

4. Costumes: Outfits may be taken into consideration during the judging process.

5. The following points will be taken into account:

• Choreographic composition

• Preservation of the Tango essence

• Use of the stage space.

• Couple’s synchronicity

• Choreographic effects

• Music Interpretation

• Musical accuracy

2. Tango Senior

SPECIFIC RULES & EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR TANGO SENIOR

1. The Salon Tango Senior is a category open to amateur dancers who, by the date of the competition, are 60 years old or older. However, a Tango Senior competitor (who is 60 or older) may compete with a partner who is at least 55 years old by the date of the competition.

2. There are no residence restrictions. Dancers of any nationality are eligible to participate in this category.

3. Professional tango dancers cannot compete in this category. No exceptions.

4. Couples will compete in groups, dancing three tango songs previously selected by the Committee.

5. The Tango Senior category will take place on Saturday June 30, 2024.
   There will be two competition stages: The Qualifying Round: All registered couples must participate. Couples will dance one qualifying round.
   *If there are 10 or less registered couples, there will be no elimination and the Champions, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced on Saturday evening.
   The Final Round: If there are 11 to 20 couples registered, the couples selected at the qualifying round will dance a final round on the same day.
   In either case, the Champions, (and 2nd and 3rd places) will be announced on Saturday evening. 

DANCE RULES:

1. The embrace cannot be broken; partners must constantly hold each other by means of the embrace. It is understood that, in certain figures, this may be flexible; but not throughout the entire piece of music. All movements shall be performed within the space allowed by the couple’s embrace.

2. Participants may perform any figure commonly used, including “barridas (sweeps), “sacadas al piso” (“sacadas” close to the floor), “lápices”, “boleos”, “enrosques” (twists) etc.

3. Ganchos (hooks), saltos (jumps) and any other possibility typical of stage tango are completely excluded. 

4. None of the members of the couple may lift his/her legs beyond the line of the knees. Foot embellishments on the floor are allowed.

5. Couples must constantly move counterclockwise and avoid remaining in the same place for too long.

6. The Judges will give special relevance to the couple’s musicality, elegance, music interpretation and walking style.

7. Elegant social dance tango wear for woman and traditional suits for men are advised.

3. Vals

SPECIFIC RULES & EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR VALS

1. The Vals category is open to both amateur and professional dancers.

2. Dancers of any nationality are eligible to participate in this category (no residence restrictions).

3. The Vals category will take place on Sunday June 30, 2024. 

4. There will be two competition stages:
   The Qualifying Round: All registered couples must participate. Couples will dance one qualifying round on Sunday June 30. If there are 10 or less registered couples, there will be no elimination and the Champions, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced at the Prizes Ceremony on Sunday evening.
   The Final Round: If there are 11 to 20 registered couples, the couples selected at the qualifying round  will pass directly to the Finals on the same day. The Champions, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced at the Prizes Ceremony on Sunday evening.

5. Couples will compete in groups, dancing (social) VALS to three pieces previously selected by the Committee.
   
   

DANCE RULES:

1. About the Position of Tango Dance:

• Once a couple forms a dance frame, the partners shall not separate as long as the music is playing. This means that they cannot break the embrace, which is considered as the Tango dance position.

• For the position to be considered correct, partners must constantly hold each other by means of the embrace. It is understood that, in certain figures, this may be flexible; but not throughout the entire piece of music.

• All movements shall be performed within the space allowed by the couple’s embraceWithin these guidelines, participants may perform any figure commonly used and the specific Vals moves such as turns and counters turns with vals syconpation, syncopated walking, displacements, chained motions, ect.

2. Saltos (jumps), trepadas (climbs) and any other typically stage tango possibilities are completely excluded.

3. Dancers may not lift his/her legs beyond the line of the knees. Boleos and embellishments are allowed within this limit.

4. Couples, as in a real dance hall, must constantly move counterclockwise and avoid remaining in the same place for too long to keep the floor circulation.

5. The Judges will give relevance to the fluidity in the dance, the VALS rhythm and music interpretation as essential evaluation points.

6. Costumes will not be considered as a specific evaluation point in this category.

4. Milonga

SPECIFIC RULES & EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR MILONGA

1. The Milonga category is open to both amateur and professional dancers.

2. Dancers of any nationality are eligible to participate in this category (no residence restrictions).

3. The Milonga category will take place on Sunday June 30, 2024. There will be two competition stages:
   The Qualifying Round: All registered couples must participate. Couples will dance one qualifying round on Sat June 30. If there are 10 or less registered couples, there will be no elimination and the Champions, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced at the Prizes Ceremony on Sunday evening.
   The Final Round: If there are 11 to 20 registered couples, the couples selected at the qualifying round will pass directly to the Finals on the same day. The Champions, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced at the Prizes Ceremony on Sunday evening.

4. Couples will compete in groups, dancing (social) Milonga to three pieces previously selected by the Committee.

DANCE RULES:

1. About the position of Tango Dance:

   • Once a couple forms a dance frame, the partners shall not separate as long as the music is playing. This means that they cannot break the embrace, which is considered as the Tango dance position.

   • For the position to be considered correct, partners must constantly hold each other by means of the embrace (closed embrace is advised). It is understood that, in certain figures, this may be flexible; but not throughout the entire piece of music.

   • All movements shall be performed within the space allowed by the couple’s embrace.

2. Within these guidelines, participants may perform any figure commonly used for milonga.

3. Ganchos (hooks), saltos (jumps), trepadas (climbs) and any other typically stage possibilities are completely excluded.

4. Dancers may not lift his/her legs beyond the line of the knees. Embellishments are allowed within this limit.

5. Couples, as in a real dance hall, must constantly move counterclockwise and avoid remaining in the same place for too long to avoid the floor circulation.

6. The Judges will give special relevance to the embrace, musicality, circulation & dance to the floor, personality & elengance as well as fluidity– interpretation of  the Milonga rhythm – as essential evaluation points.

7. Costumes will not be considered as a specific evaluation point in this category.

5. Jack & Jill

1. The Jack & Jill category is open to social (amateur) and pro dancers . 

2.  Competitors who compete in the Official Categories as well as Non-official Categories can compete in this category. 

3. Dancers of any nationality are eligible to participate in this category.

4. There will be one unique round with no elimination (no semi-final or final rounds) on Saturday June 29, 2024.

5. Men and women must register individually. Registration is on a first come, first served basis with a limit of 15 men as leaders and 15 women as followers. If at the end of the registration process there are uneven numbers of leaders and followers, the extra participants registered in any of the two roles will not be able to take part in the competition and therefore their fees will be refunded.

6. Dancing couples will be the result of a random matching of leaders and followers that will take place straight at the dance floor. They will compete in groups and dance a round of three to four songs previously selected by the Committee.

7. Dancers will change partners through a draw system for each of the three songs.

DANCE RULES

1. Dancers cannot break the embrace. It is understood that, in certain figures, the embrace can be flexible (open and close according to the figure); but not throughout the entire piece of music.

2. Couples may perform any commonly used figures of “social” tango, including “barridas” (sweeps), “sacadas al piso” (drawn to the floor),“enrosques” (twists), “ganchos” (hooks), boleos, etc, as well as embellishments always within their own space, without standing in the way of couples dancing around them.

3. “Saltos” (jumps), “trepadas” (climbs) and any other possibilities typically used in stage tango where both feet lose contact with the floor are completely excluded.

4. Dancers may not lift his/her legs beyond the line of the knees. Embellishments are allowed within this limit.

5. It is not allowed to overtake.

6. Costumes will not be considered as a specific evaluation point in this category.

EVALUATION CRITERIA

1. All dancers will be evaluated individually by the Jury Panel who will determine a unique winner for each role.

2. Posture, elegance, technique, connection to the partner and walking style will be the main points of evaluation for all dancers.

3. For the leader’s role, the Judges will give special relevance to musicality, improvisation and navigation (take into account that leaders should avoid more than two musical phrases on the same spot, making it difficult for the round to circulate; they should constantly move counterclockwise without going backwards although it is allowed to perform one or two back steps if the movement requires it).

4. For the follower’s role, the Judges will give special relevance to the skill of following (anticipation or back leading will be penalized), and the footwork technique.

6. Milonguero del Mundo

SPECIFIC RULES & EVALUATION CRITERIA FOR MILONGUERO DEL MUNDO

1. The Milonguero del Mundo category is open to both amateur and professional dancers..

2. There are no residence restrictions. Dancers of any nationality are eligible to participate in this category.

3. Couples will compete in groups, dancing three songs (tango, vals and milonga) previously selected by the Committee.

4. The Milonguero del Mundo category will take place on Sunday June 29, 2024.
   There will be two competition stages: The Qualifying Round: All registered couples must participate. Couples will dance one qualifying round.
   *If there are 10 or less registered couples, there will be no elimination and the Champions, 2nd and 3rd places will be announced on Sunday evening.
   The Final Round: If there are 11 to 20 couples registered, the couples selected at the qualifying round on Sunday will dance a final round the same day.
   In both cases, the Champions, (and 2nd and 3rd places) will be announced on Sunday evening. 

DANCE RULES:

1. The embrace cannot be broken; partners must constantly hold each other by means of the embrace. It is understood that, in certain figures, this may be flexible; but not throughout the entire piece of music. All movements shall be performed within the space allowed by the couple’s embrace.

2. Participants may perform any figure commonly used, including “barridas (sweeps), “sacadas al piso” (“sacadas” close to the floor), “lápices”, “boleos”, “enrosques” (twists) etc.

3. Ganchos (hooks), saltos (jumps) and any other possibility typical of stage tango are completely excluded. 

4. None of the members of the couple may lift his/her legs beyond the line of the knees. Foot embellishments on the floor are allowed.

5. Couples must constantly move counterclockwise and avoid remaining in the same place for too long.

6. The Judges will give special relevance to the couple’s musicality, elegance, music interpretation and walking style.

7. Elegant social dance tango wear for woman and traditional suits for men are advised.

Prizes

Clarifications for the Official categories:

1. Each Official category at TANGO CANADA CHAMPIONSHIP, – the OFFICIAL PRELIMINARY OF TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL AND DANCE WORLD CUP  – will have one champion couple who will automatically qualify to compete at the SEMIFINAL rounds of the TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL AND DANCE WORLD CUP 2024, representing the PRELIMINARY, – and not the city of origin or residence of the dancers, without exception.

2. If the champion couple in any of the official categories renounces to participate in TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL AND DANCE WORLD CUP from the semifinal instances, it will automatically also renounce to the prizes (see below), leaving both members of the couple unable to participate in TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL & DANCE WORLD CUP 2024.

3. In those cases where the competition in one or both categories has lost its official character for not having the minimum participating couples, the Organization of the PRELIMINARY will be exempted from the obligation to grant the winning couple the prize consisting of full coverage of costs of travel and stay. In this case, the Organization may choose to offer alternative prizes for the non-official competition. 

2024 Awards for Tango de Pista

2024 PRIZES FOR TANGO DE PISTA (Official Category)

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Tango de Pista category, First Place.

2. The Official Title of Champions Tango de Pista, Official Preliminar Canada of Tango BA Festival & Dance World Cup 2024.

3. Round-trip airfare from the city of residence of winning couple to the City of Buenos Aires to compete at the Semifinal rounds of the Tango BA Dance World Cup 2024.

4. Accommodation for the days of the World Cup Preliminary’s Gala, Semifinals and Finals of TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL & DANCE WORLD CUP 2024.

5. A performance at “Gala de los Campeones” at Tango BA Festival & Dance World Cup.

6. A pair of Mosh Mosh tango shoes by Marithe Lujan.

Second Place:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Tango de Pista category, Second Place

2.  The Official Title of Second Place Tango de Pista, Official Preliminar Canada of Tango BA Festival & Dance World Cup 2024.

3. Vouch at $100 value at Lac Vien Vietnamese Restaurant

Third Place:

• An official winning certificate for the Tango Canada Championship 2024- Tango de Pista category, Third Place.

• A pair of tickets to Milonga Luna, Toronto

2024 PRIZES FOR STAGE TANGO (Official Category)

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Stage Tango category, First Place.

2. The Official Title of Champions Stage Tango, Official Preliminar Canada of Tango BA Festival & Dance World Cup 2024.

3. Round-trip airfare from the city of residence of winning couple to the City of Buenos Aires to compete at the Semifinal rounds of the Tango BA Dance World Cup 2024.

4. Accommodation for the days of the World Cup Preliminary’s Gala, Semifinals and Finals of TANGO BUENOS AIRES FESTIVAL & DANCE WORLD CUP 2024.

5. A performance at “Gala de los Campeones” at Tango Buenos Aires Dance World Cup Festival.

6. A pair of Mosh Mosh tango shoes by Marithe Lujan.

Second Place:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Stage Tango category, Second Place

2.  The Official Title of Second Place Stage Tango, Official Preliminar Canada of Tango BA Festival & Dance World Cup 2024.

2024 PRIZES FOR TANGO SENIOR

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Tango Senior category, First Place.

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Tangoloft, Toronto

3. A pair of tickets to Milonga Zorro Gris, Toronto

Second Place:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Tango Senior category, Second Place

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Maleva

2024 PRIZES FOR VALS

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Vals category, First Place.

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Tangoloft, Toronto

3. A pair of tickets to Milonga Zorro Gris, Toronto

Second Place:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Vals category, Second Place

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Maleva

2024 PRIZES FOR MILONGA

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Milonga category, First Place.

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Tangoloft, Toronto

3. A pair of tickets to Milonga Zorro Gris, Toronto

Second Place:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Milonga category, Second Place

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Maleva

2024 PRIZES FOR JACK & JILL

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Jack & Jill category, First Place.

2. A pair of tickets to Milonga Tangoloft, Toronto

3. A pair of tickets to Milonga Zorro Gris, Toronto

Second Place:

3. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Jack & Jill category, Second Place

4. A pair of tickets to Milonga Maleva

2024 PRIZES FOR MILONGUERO DEL MUNDO

First Place:

The first-place winning couple of Tango Canada Championships will receive the following:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Milonguero del Mundo category, First Place.

2. Two pair of D'Raso shoes from Stella Mary Tango Fashion, Montreal

3. A pair of tickets to Milonga Tangoloft, Toronto

4. A pair of tickets to Milonga Zorro Gris, Toronto

Second Place:

1. A Certificate for winning the Tango Canada Championship 2024 – Milonguero del Mundo category, Second Place

2. Two pair of D'Raso shoes 50% off from Stella Mary Tango Fashion, Montreal

3. A pair of tickets to Milonga Maleva