Against all odds, we did again! Thank you all for the support to make it again, a very successful event!

It was great to see everyone coming back from around from NZ, and new faces from overseas as far from Australia, USA, Germany, Canada & Madagascar! Though the weekend was tiring as expected with lots of dancing, learning, socializing, late nights and sore feet! everyone still had a BIG SMILE on their faces the next day.

We say thank you to our overseas Tango Masters from Argentina, Damian & Nancy Esell together with little Joelle. Also, to our special guests teachers from Sydney. Jairo Rivera & Amy Teuchert. They were all fantastic teachers, friendly, down to earth and full of fun.

Thank you to all our NZ Teachers for sharing their knowledge & skills to our new comers on tango. A great experience for them to look forward to the next year's Tango Congress.

The History of Tango in NZ - this year marks the 20th years celebration of Tango in NZ. David Backler being the very first Argentine Tango teacher in Wellington, who is now residing in Melbourne using the same tango school name "Sidewalk Tango". We acknowledge all the first teachers that built the foundation of tango in their cities which now being developed by the current fanatic followers. This is an ongoing big project and we plan to have this ready by next year's Tango Congress of NZ in October 2009. So we give thanks to our Historians from different cities Carl Robson - Auckland; Carl Gordon - Hamilton; Sandy Dinsdale & Mark Sidebotham - Tauranga; Fernando dela Pasqua - Taupo; Kevin Jones - Wellington; Sooty Love & Judith Bauerdick - Napier; Juliette Fox - Nelson; Aki Mcdonald - Christchurch; Calvin - Geraldine/ Timaru; Mele Taumoepeau - Dunedin. Please contact them if you have anything like old photos that can be added into the story.

Thank you for those brave competitors, staging their talents and skills of tango. I'm very proud to say that each year of the Championship being held in Auckland, the level of our competitors are getting higher and higher. Nigel & I would be proud to escort the winners to Represent NZ in Buenos Aires for the World Tango Championship 2009. This years winner of Salon Tango - Peter Jackson & Ekin Mcdonald (aka Aki) were the winning match, Stage Tango winners John Flower & Felicity Rogers taking the crown again! now 3x champs in a row. The amazing Zaman Kamry & Joanne Wickliffe took the winning steps of Milonga Category. Watch out guys next year for Christchurch dancers they are getting dangerously Hot on the competition floor! Go Christchurch!

Thank you for all our volunteers & helpers, especially the Tango Club crew they were fantastic! Karyn Fromont & Jo Wickliffe in decorating the Hopetoun Alpha, Peter Williamson as DJ, audio technician etc. jack of all trade! Grant Fromont, Stephan Resch, Isabel Hubbard & Robert Ramsey-turner as DJ's, Alan King, Jo Wickliffe & Henry Liu as MC's. Martyn Atack, Vicky Brannigan and Judith at the front desk. Martina Fiedler as the Int'l teachers coordinator, Jessye Monique, Jeanne-Marie Schumann, and Carl Robson for the drinks & chippys at the Championship night, Murat for providing the food at Hopetoun. Marcus as one of the Taxi Dancers, and other volunteers that helped us organize this event.

Thank you to all our sponsors - Cafe Limon, Tango Club, The Heritage Hotel and the Embassy of Argentine Republic.

Thank you all for the support of Non-tango friends, NZ Teachers, Tango event organisers, and the NZ Tango Community.

We hope to see you again in October Labour Weekend 2009!

P.S.

- Our DVD's for this year's Tango Congress will be out for sale very soon at $25 each. If you like to order please contact Felicity Rogers - This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

- Photos - we had professional photographer on the Competition night only. We are collecting pictures taken for the congress specially on the Tango Ball at Hopetoun Alpha & the Gala Dinner at Heritage Hotel, if you have some good shots please forward to us to be posted in our website. Thanks a lot.