Argentine dance partners win top prize at world tango championship

Argentine dance partners Leandro Bojko and Micaela García are celebrating after winning the stage category, the last competition at the World Tango Championship finals on Tuesday, during a competitive dance-off at Buenos Aires' Gran Rex theatre.

The enormously followed event draws dancers from more than 50 countries for several rounds of intense dramatic competition in over 20 theatres.

Both amateur and professional couples showcased their skills in the two main categories: Tango de Pista (Salon Tango) and Tango Escenario (Stage Tango).

After winning the contest, García said that the victory had strengthened their union.

"This brought us together and is opening up this beautiful path for us, so we're grateful to be able to walk it," García told reporters.

The competition is the centrepiece of the Tango BA Festival and World Championship, that ran from August 20 to September 2.

Organised by the Buenos Aires Ministry of Culture, the festival includes over 500 activities at more than 50 locations, with over 2,000 artists participating in concerts, dance classes, and milongas.

Tango, a traditional dance born out of working class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage in 2009.

Its popularity has spread all over the globe, capturing performers and audiences alike in countries as far as Kazakhstan and Japan.