A World Championship That Feels Close, on the Other Side of the World

At seven this morning, I watched a livestream of the final of the Tango World Championship being held in Buenos Aires.

Seven in the morning here is seven in the evening in Buenos Aires. There is exactly a twelve-hour time difference.

Last year, Diego and Aldana won the Tango de Pista category. They have a tango studio in Yutenji, and I have been learning from them for many years.

This year, they are competing in the Tango Escenario category—the choreographed division. Their final is tomorrow.

Today was the final of Tango de Pista, the category they won last year, so naturally I was curious and started watching early in the morning.

Among the dancers who reached the final were several people I had met and talked with, and some I had danced with.

As I watched the screen, I saw a young Argentine couple who had once been invited to Diego and Aldana’s studio. Next to them was an Indonesian couple.

It brought back memories.

When Diego and Aldana were touring around the world, the young couple looked after their studio. I was a little concerned about them, so I took them to several milongas.

One of those was a welcome milonga for the Indonesian couple.

Apparently, the two couples had known of each other, but that was the first time they had been properly introduced and spoken together.

Now they were side by side, competing in the final of the world championship.

It gave me the odd feeling that the world had suddenly become very small.

Flor and Hernán had also made it to the final.

It has been more than ten years since I studied tango with them. Soon afterward, they moved to Italy, had children, built a family life, and continued working on their tango there.

The level of the world championship rises every year. I was very happy to see them reach the final again after such a long time.

This year, the Tango de Pista category was won by a Greek woman and an Argentine man. Their dancing was highly technical and impressive.

Personally, though, I was cheering for Rodrigo and Indira, who finished second.

They are both tall, with a body type closer to mine. I am always curious to see how tall dancers move, and I naturally find myself cheering for them.

Tomorrow morning is finally Diego and Aldana’s final.

I had a small matter to contact them about today. I wondered if I should really be bothering them with something like that the day before the final, but at the end of my message I wrote, “I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”

I do not know whether they will reply. It is the day before the final, so it would be perfectly understandable if they did not. I will wait patiently.

They have been through all sorts of difficult situations, so I think they will probably face tomorrow’s final with their usual calm.

They are on the other side of the world, and yet everyone dancing seems to be someone I know.

Tomorrow morning, I will be in front of the screen again.