Filipinos shine in the 11th Tango Dance Asian Championship

Based on their official webpage (http://campeonatoasiatico.com/index_en.html), of the 79 pairs registered under Tango de Pista (Salon): 3 are composed of  both Filipinos, and 9 pairs have Filipinos as male partners, making a total of 12 pairs with Filipino competitors, or approximately 15% of the total registered pairs, making us Filipinos the largest contingent in this year’s 11^th Tango Dance Asian Championship, next only to Japan with about 50% pairs represented, understandably because Japan is the venue of this Tango championship since it started 10 years ago, in 2004. The rest are a spattering of Koreans, Singaporeans, Indonesians, Malaysians, Chinese and other nationalities.

4th placers (the highest by far for a Filipino pair), Dennis Lagazon and Mariecel Onate, have been social dance (latin, standard ballroom) partners for many years before venturing seriously to Argentine tango. They have trained extensively with various tango artists in many parts of the world.

Of these 12 pairs, 7 got into the semi-finals. Gennysam Alcantara (Filipino) and partner Lily Tan made it to 3^rd place, Filipino pairs Atty. Maricel Onate and Dennis Lagazon to 4^th place, and Malu Cumagun-Dy Buncio and Ryan Fabul were awarded the Smile Award (Most Promising).

Smile awardees (Most Promising) Malu Cumagun-Dy Buncio with partner Ryan Fabul have been dancing the Argentine tango for just over a year, but are already multi-awarded: as champions in the Manila Tango Festival 2013, beginners category,  as well as 3rd placers in the TangoXposed Competition 2013 in Hanoi.

The other Filipino competitors, and am mentioning them here based on how their names are listed in the official webpage, were: Filipino couple Kiko Linsangan and Lyka Lozada, and the pairs with Filipinos as male partners:  Roy and Genie, Sherwin y I-ann, Michael Galura and Choi Fong, Yuko and Richard, Oliver and Sally, Don and Hannah, Rachel and Rodolfo, Suzy Hirawati Lucon and Lloyd Bediones. Though some of them have opted to represent the countries of their lady partners, we are as equally proud of their achievements, nonetheless.

 Among the 3 Filipino partners in the 11th Tango Dance Asian Championship held last June 2014, were real life couple, Kiko Linsangan and Lyka Lozada, who made it to the semi-finals round.  They were Champions in the Novice category of the 1st Hongkong Tango Championships last year. Both very young, this couple holds a lot of promise as Argentine tango dancers and teachers.

Maestro Jun Borja holds the distinction of being the first Filipino to join this prestigious competition in 2007 with partner Faye Salvador,  making it to the semi-finals round then; and in 2008, garnering the Special Toray Prize (Most Promising) with partner Yuko. 

Last year, Chu Bautista and partner Andrian Jang Lopez were the highest ranking Filipino pair at 5^th place. 

Argentine tango has become very popular here in Manila in the last couple of years, and is now spreading to key cities of  the Philippines very rapidly. With it, our Filipino male dance instructors have become very much in demand even with our neighbouring Asian countries.Not a few foreign tangueros/tangueras who have come to visit our local Milongas, marvel at our high level of knowledge and skill in Argentine tango. “Amazing!” is how they describe the way we dance. 

With Milongas happening 6 days a week, Manila is certainly the place not to be missed by our tanguero/tanguera, milonguero/milonguera friends the world over. Visit my FB page iTangoManila for regular updates on the Philippine tango scene, and send me a PM if you want me to arrange milonga tour packages for you here. 

Here in Manila, we promise you a very fulfilling and fun-filled Milonga experience. No one will miss out on a tanda, you only need to make sure that you have the energy for it!

This is me with Maestro Jun Borja!

ILoveTango! 
Psalm149:3 "Let them praise His name with dancing, making melody to Him with tambourine and lyre!"