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Mazen Kiwan on tango in Lebanon

YOU JUST CELEBRATED THE NINTH EDITION OF THE BEIRUT INTERNATIONAL TANGO FESTIVAL AND THE FOURTH EDITION OF THE BYBLOS TANGO FESTIVAL IS COMING UP IN OCTOBER. TELL US MORE.

I moved to Paris in 1995 and the first time I came back to Lebanon was in 2002. I thought it would be great if I could bring tango to my homeland so I began to give workshops here. In 2003, I came with 16 of my students and that’s how it all started. Since the festival kicked off, we’ve brought over 2,000 people from 35 countries here. The festivals not only celebrate tango, but also give people the opportunity to discover the real face of Lebanon. We take our guests all over the country, from Tripoli to Saida. Proving that it takes two to tango, we got up close and personal with international tango star and “Dancing With The Stars” judge Mazen Kiwan to learn more about dance in Lebanon and his favorite things about the country