Diego Benavidez and Natasha Agudelo, of Columbia, won the final round of the Tango Salon competition, during the ninth Tango Dance World Championship held in Buenos Aires on Monday. Venezuelan couple John Erban and Clarissa Sanchez achieved second place.

The tango championship consisted of two main categories – Salon Tango and Stage Tango for Couples. Both categories consisted of three stages: the qualifying round, the semifinal and the final.

All the couples who had registered for the competition took part in the qualifying round during which couples danced twice . In the Salon Tango Category couples competed in group performances, danced three pieces, either with recorded or live music, selected by the organisers.

In the Stage Tango each couple appeared one at a time, dancing to a song of their choice. The jury took into account the variety of choreographies exhibited.

As part of the regulations, once a couple is formed, the partners shall not separate as long as the music is playing. This means that the embrace, which is considered the tango dance position, cannot be broken, said a spokesman for the organisers.

The spokesman remarked that for the position to be considered correct, the partners must constantly hold each other by means of the embrace. “Despite the fact that during certain figures this may be flexible, this should not continue throughout the entire piece”, he remarked.

Couples, as in a real dancehall, constantly moved counterclockwise and avoided remaining in the same place for too long, obstructing the normal circulation of dancers around the dance floor. The jury evaluated the couple’s musicality and walking style as fundamental to the qualification. The participants had the opportunity to perform any figure commonly used, including barridas (sweeps), sacadas al piso (close to the floor), enrosques (twists), ganchos (leaps), saltos (jumps), and trepadas (climbs).