Rules

The Office of Festivals and Central Events of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires announces the call for entries for the 7th Dance World Cup to be held 23 through 31 August 2009 in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, in accordance with the following terms and conditions.

The 7th Dance World Cup comprises two categories: Salon Tango and Stage Tango. Entry to both categories is free of charge and is open to both professional and amateur dancers.

Management

The Office of Festivals and Central Events of the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires is the highest authority regarding the organisation, programme planning and overall execution of the Tango Dance World Cup, and it will monitor the compliance of all the terms and conditions stated in these rules.

The Management does not hold responsible for any delays or unforeseen eventualities that may arise, regardless of cause, at the moment contestants are due to perform throughout the different rounds.

The Management reserves the right to record the performances of the 7th Tango Dance World Cup at any stage, by means of any type of known or unknown medium, including, but not limited to: filming, recording, photographing, digitalisation, etc., carried out by the Management or by third parties with the corresponding authorisation, for advertisement and promotional purposes. The recorded material thus obtained is the exclusive property of the Office of Festivals and Central Events. By entering the 7th Dance World Cup, contestants explicitly and irrevocably authorise the Office of Festivals and Central Events to use the recorded material, without it implying any kind of payment for any reason whatsoever in favour of any individual or organisation that claims entitlement under any right that may be cited. This provision also accounts, without restrictions, for any photographic materials published and/or used for promotion, advertisement, etc.

All contestants of the 7th Dance World Cup commit themselves to participating in the various acts and events planned by the Management, provided that they are summoned to that purpose. These may include press conferences, radio interviews, air or cable television interviews, etc.

The Management will be the only body to stipulate the order and procedure of the contestants’ performances, as well as specify the number of rounds in which each couple will participate.

All contestants shall be present to collect their clearance forms on the date and at the time stipulated by the Management. At that moment, couples will be assigned an order number and the approximate date and time of each of their performances in the different rounds of their category.

Those entrants who fail to be present for the clearance will not be allowed to participate in the 7th Dance World Cup. The delay will be excused only in the event of circumstances beyond the participant’s control, duly justified with some proof, except for circumstances of public knowledge.

Contestants are not allowed to give (free or thematic) classes, nor can they participate in the artistic shows scheduled for the 7th Dance World Cup.

The Management establishes the web sites HYPERLINK "http://www.tangobuenosaires.gob.ar" www.tangobuenosaires.gob.ar and HYPERLINK "http://www.mundialdetango.gob.ar" www.mundialdetango.gob.ar as the Dance World Cup’s official means of communication, without excluding any other means of dissemination.

Entry

Entry and participation in the Dance World Cup for both categories are free of charge. The enrolment period runs from 1 June to 6 July 2009. The Management is entitled to extend the deadline if it considered necessary to do so.

Entries may be submitted through the official web site : HYPERLINK "http://www.mundialdetango.gob.ar" www.mundialdetango.gob.ar or in person at our offices located in Av. Roque Saénz Peña 832, 6th floor, Monday through Friday from 2pm to 6pm. For further information regarding entry, please contact 0800-3-337848 Monday through Friday from 10am to 8pm.

Couples of any nationality may enter the competition. Contestants must be at least 18 years of age by the starting date of the 7th Dance World Cup. No contestant may enrol in the same category more than once. Nevertheless, a participant may enter both categories, with or without the same partner. Each couple will represent only one city, which makes it necessary for the participants to decide on the city of residence or hometown of one of the partners.

Clearance

All contestants shall confirm their entry at the moment of clearance. In order to obtain their clearance forms, contestants shall present an identity card to certify that the city they have decided to represent is actually their city of birth or residence. The identity card and the clearance form shall also be presented before each stage of the competition. It is not compulsory for both partners to be present when requesting clearance; the presence of one of them carrying both identity cards will suffice. No clearance forms will be given to third parties.

All the information provided on the clearance day will be considered a sworn statement. Any contradiction in the information, subsequent to the signature, will be penalized by subtraction of points, disqualification from the competition or any other measure the Management may consider appropriate.

Competition

Both categories of the competition will consist of three stages: a) The Qualifying Round, b) The Semifinal and c) The Final.

a) Qualifying Round: all the couples that entered the competition will participate in this stage with a single performance.

b) Semifinal: for the couples selected during the Qualifying rounds and the couples that won the various competitions endorsed by the 7th Dance World Cup. Couples will dance twice, on different days. During this stage, in the Salon Tango category, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires will be represented in the Semifinals by the couples that took places two to five in the 7th City Dance Championship, held in April and May 2009.

c) Final: for the couples selected in the Semifinal. During this stage, in the Salon Tango category, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires will be represented by the winning couple of the 7th City Dance Championship, held in April and May 2009.

Couples will compete in group performances, dancing three pieces, either with recorded or live music, selected by the Management.

In the Stage Tango Category each couple will appear one at a time, dancing to a song of their choice. The song must not exceed four minutes of duration and must be submitted on a CD (2 original copies in good condition). Since the Jury will take into account the variety of choreographies exhibited, we recommend that participants present different songs, one for each round, this not being exclusive.

Jury

The members of the Jury for the 7th Dance World Cup will be appointed by the Management together with the Asociación de Maestros, Bailarines y Coreógrafos de Tango Argentino (AMBCTA) (Association of Teachers, Dancers and Choreographers of Argentine Tango).

In both categories, the Jury for the Qualifying Rounds and the Semifinals will consist of five members. For the Final Round, there will be seven members.

The Management has the authority to eliminate from the competition any contestants who: a) do not comply with the rules; b) commit any moral offense or take any inappropriate action that may tarnish the image of the Dance World Cup or may cause displeasure to the public. There is no right of appeal against the jury's ruling. Each contestant, by enrolling, corroborates his/her acceptance of this provision. In case of distrust or disagreement, contestants may present a written statement, (in English or Spanish), to the Management and not directly to the Jury, in accordance with the terms of the Ley de Procedimientos Administrativos (Administrative Procedure Act) (Dec. 1.510/97).

The Management will duly solve any issues not addressed by these Rules. The Management will also provide all the clarifying or interpretative norms considered necessary. In case of a draw or if the Jury determines it necessary, contestants shall dance the number of pieces the Jury considers necessary to achieve a final ruling. Participants may not refuse to perform.

The final score given to each performance will be derived from the total points assigned by each member of the Jury, on a scale of 1 to 10, in accordance with the criteria described in the following clause, previously eliminating the highest and lowest scores given to each couple upon each round.  

The Jury will select one winning couple in each category. In addition, the Jury will grant prizes and honorary mentions to the second and third places and will be entitled to award additional mentions if it considers appropriate to do so, with prior notification to the Management.

Evaluation Criteria

1. Salon Tango (unrestricted entry for amateurs and professional dancers)

Once a couple is formed, the partners must not separate as long as the music is playing. This means that the embrace, which is considered the tango dance position, must not be broken. For the position to be considered correct, the body of one of the members must be constantly held by the other by means of the embrace. In certain figures this may be flexible, but this should not continue throughout the entire piece. All movements must be performed within the space allowed by the couple’s embrace. The Jury will evaluate the couple’s musicality and walking style as fundamental to the qualification. Within these guidelines, contestants may perform any figure commonly used, including barridas (sweeps), sacadas al piso (close to the floor), enrosques (twists), etc.

Ganchos (leaps), saltos (jumps), trepadas (climbs) and any other typical choreographic stage tango possibility shall be completely excluded.

Couples, as in a real dancehall, shall constantly move anti-clockwise and try to avoid remaining in the same place for too long, obstructing the normal circulation of dancers around the dance floor. No contestant may raise his/her legs above the knee line.

2. Stage Tango (unrestricted entry for amateur and professional dancers)

Contestants will be able to express their personal view on the Argentine tango dance. This implies that they may resort to movements, figures and applications not usually related to traditional tango, but the classic tango figures must be present in the choreography: ochos, caminatas largas (long walks), boleas, ganchos and the “milonga embrace”. Couples may break the embrace and use additional techniques derived from other dance disciplines, as long as these are justified and performed for the benefit of a particular performance.

Tricks, aerial movements and other movements typical of other dance styles should not be used excessively, i.e. they should not exceed the third part of the performance. The couple should move around the entire stage.

Prizes

There will be one winning couple in each category of the 7th Dance World Cup. The first place in each one of the two categories will receive a FIFTEEN THOUSAND ARGENTINE PESOS prize ($15,000). In addition, the second and third places will receive prizes and special mentions. All contestants will receive a 7th Tango Dance World Cup attendance certificate. Each participant, by entering and receiving clearance, establishes that he/she knows and accepts all the provisions stated in this document. In case of controversy regarding the interpretation or implementation of these Rules, contestants and the Management agree to be subjected to the jurisdiction of the Tribunales en lo Contencioso Administrativo y Tributario de la Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires (Administrative Litigation and Tax Court). The parties hereby waive any other venue or jurisdiction that may be applicable for any other reason. For these purposes the parties establish that their valid legal residence shall be the one established in the appropriate entry forms. Any notifications shall be served upon such residence. Furthermore, any legal notifications that may be served upon the G.C.A.B.A. (Buenos Aires Autonomous City Government) shall be sent to the following address: Uruguay 440, piso 2º, of. 27, in accordance with Executive Order No. 3.758/85 (B.M. Nº 17.540 - AD 280.4), Legal Notice Number 868/CSJN/87, and Executive Order No. 294/GCBA/97 (BOCBA No. 168).