MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Japanese couple, best tango dancers of world competition in Argentina

Kyoto and Hiroshi Yamao during the contest

The Japanese couple Kyoto and Hiroshi Yamao won on Saturday night the Buenos Aires World Tango Salon category during a competition with the participation of sixty couples from the Americas, Europe and Asia.

Runner up was the Colombian couple Edwin Leon and Jennifer Arango followed by the locals Jorge Mariño and Sara Parnigoini, according to the results from the competition organized by the City of Buenos Aires.

Over 6.000 people packed the mythical Luna Park closed stadium and gave a standing ovation to the Japanese couple which displayed “magnificent” dexterity and feeling of the dance which is traditional on both sides of the River Plate (Argentina and Uruguay) although Buenos Aires calls herself the tango capital of the world.

The Japanese couple was considered favourite following a first display on Friday night when it averaged 8.65 points, the highest of all participants. The support was particularly enthusiastic since the Tango Salon is the most popular version of the dance in Buenos Aires clubs and bars.

Out of the 300 couples which registered, sixty made it to the annual competition: including from Japan, Russia, Chile, Colombia, France, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela, Uruguay, Romania, Greece and Argentina.

Following a week of dancing the famous two by four, in bars, theatres, clubs where tango is danced the year round, the World Tango competition will end Monday with a special category Tango Scenario, which blends acrobatics with theatre.

The Japanese couple Kyoto and Hiroshi Yamao has participated several times in the annual world competition.