Dance championship «Vietnam International Tango Championship»

   Argentine tango in Vietnam rests on a few hundred people, and once a year they gather in Ho Chi Minh City to measure themselves against each other. The national international championship opens the day early: couples take the floor while the city is still waking up, and the dancing carries on into marathon format later.

   The tournament is put together by the Saigon Tango Marathon team, who run Vietnam's main tango event. Its main sponsor is Lalua Tango, a Hội An atelier making custom tango clothing — dresses, skirts, tops and menswear.

   In short
What it is — Vietnam's international Argentine tango championship
Run by — the Saigon Tango Marathon team
Start — early in the morning, ahead of the day's other events
Setting — the twelfth floor of an office tower in Gò Vấp rather than a conventional dance hall
Same day — a second tournament, the East Asia Tango Championship, runs on the other side of the city; the two are spaced apart, so catching both is realistic

   Go if you dance: it is a chance to compete under judging and to see the regional level up close. Go if you are only curious about tango: a championship remains one of the few chances to watch it live rather than on video.

   Categories, rules and entry conditions had not been published when the event was announced — ask the organisers directly on the number in this listing.

   If you dance tango in Hanoi or Da Nang, early October is worth planning a trip south for.