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Three days to tango at the Asia Pacific Tango Festival
The tango is known to be a beautiful intimate dance, with its own music and grand choreography. Recognizing the dance’s significant role in culture, UNESCO declared the tango as an intangible cultural heritage in 2009.
Originating in Rio De La Plata, this dance has found its way across the globe, even here in the Philippines, where it has had its share of enthusiasts.
Ely Damasin, an award winning Filipino dancer, has been dancing to Latin music since he was 13. Among all the dances he has trained in, Ely fell in love with the Argentine tango and mastered its routine at a young age. He enjoyed it so much that he has traveled as far as Buenos Aires for lessons with tango maestros. 
“Tango captured my soul at an early age. It has all the elements of what dancing for me really is: the passion, discipline, the music. The dance itself is an art,” Ely says. 
The Asia Pacific Tango Festival is a three-part festival which will open with the Tango Congress on April 21. Argentine tango champions Fernanda Ghi and Guillermo Merlo will be joined by couple Leila and Leandro Oliver, members of the world renowned “Tango X2 Company”; and Japanese couple Hiroshi and Kyoko Yamao, world champions at the Tango Salon in 2009. These champions will be teaching the rudiments of tango in a three-hour interactive workshop at the Dancing Queen studio at Makati Cinema Square.
Asia Pacific Tango Festival producer Ely Damasin with celebrity dancer and tango enthusiast Regine Tolentino. Photo courtesy of Ely Damasin
In pursuit of his passion for this art, he founded the Guachinango Tango group, an all-male Filipino ensemble of Argentine tango dancers. The group members share the same love for tango as Ely and they too have exerted efforts in spreading the appreciation of tango in the country through their performances and dance lessons given to fellow tango Filipino fans.
“Filipinos love singing and dancing. We are often called Asia’s Latinos because of our similarities with them in looks and culture. That is why tango is a well loved dance among Pinoys; it’s almost natural to us,” Ely adds.
Ely Damasin is now taking this effort to a higher level as he spearheads the Asia Pacific Tango Festival, the first of its kind in the Philippines. The event was officially launched last Wednesday at The Museum Cafe in Makati City wherein guests were treated to a mini tango showcase.
Guachinango Tango with guest foreigner tango dancer. Photo courtesy of Ely Damasin
The Tango Open on April 23 will be held at the Makati Sports Club. This is where professional and amateur tango dancers will showcase their talent with their three-minute number in three categories: Tango Salon, Argentinian Tango and Stage Tango. The performances will be judged by the international tango champions present.
The festival then ends with Tango Dream in Manila, a tango spectacle to be staged at the Meralco Theater on April 25. The show is a collaboration of contemporary dancers, Latin dancers and the Guachinango Tango group. The international tango dancers will also dance for the Filipino audience.
Vivian Lo, a tango student and a Hong Kong resident, has traveled to the Philippines to learn from Ely and to help in the event. “We dancers who love tango really don’t mind traveling around the world to dance, to learn, and to compete. There is dedication among tango dancers. I have gotten confirmation from fellow dancers across Asia of their attendance and we are all very excited,” she says.
Vivian also shares why tango is considered profound. “It teaches you to feel the music, to feel the soul, to feel your partner. Tango even teaches us etiquette, how to dance without disturbing others,” she adds.
Like Vivian, other foreign participants have started flying in for the festival as well and this has excited Ely and his co-producers, seeing the festival as an opportunity to promote dance tourism in the country. “This is our contribution to the Department of Tourism’s campaign, trying to make our country as a known dance community,” Ely explains.
The Filipino talent is regarded all over the world, and the Asia Pacific Tango Festival aims to bring out untapped potentials in the field of dance, particularly in tango. –KG, GMA News
For inquiries, e-mail Ely Damasin at elydamasin@gmail.com or call 0916-6449454.
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