On March 10, 11, 12, and 13, 2011, organized by the Ministry of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, visitors and locals are invited to enjoy the dance festival "Ciudanza".
Ciudanza is part of an innovative program, “Ciudades que danzan” (Dancing Cities), an international network of festivals with a program of contemporary dance shows in urban landscapes, existing in South America and Europe, in cities like Barcelona, Lisbon, Bologna, London and La Habana, among others.
"Ciudades que danzan" is the union of architecture, contemporary dance, and the public, opening a new vision of the artistic and cultural heritage of the city. Through the language of dance, people passing by learn to look at a place, a street, a corner in a different way, rediscovering it.
For this edition of the festival in Buenos Aires the spaces where the performances will take place are Plaza Miserere, Plaza San Martin de Tours and the square surrounding the monument to Carlos de Alvear, and Parque de la Memoria. 15 dance companies will participate in this event, presenting 17 different performances, giving a new value to public space through cultural activities.

Program:

Plaza San Martin de Tours
Eduardo Schiaffino and Posadas, Recoleta
Thursday 10 and Friday 11, 8:00 pm

Parque de la Memoria
Av. Costanera Norte Rafael Obligado (near Ciudad Universitaria)
Saturday 12, Sunday 13, 3:00 pm

Plaza Miserere
Av. Rivadavia 2800, Balvanera.
Saturday 12, Sunday 13, 6:00 pm

All activities are free of charge.

The third edition of Les Avant-Premières, a French film series that will feature the best French movies to be premiered during 2011, will take place between Thursday, March 17th and Wednesday, March 23rd, 2011, at the movie theaters in Patio Bullrich Shoping Mall.

The films that will be presented this year are:

• Potiche, mujeres al poder, by Sylvain Chomet
• Gainsbourg, vie héroique, by Joann Sfar
• Un Profeta (A Prophet), by Jacques Audiard
• El significado del amor (The meaning of love), by Michel Leclerc
• El extraño caso de Angélica (The strange case of Angelica), by Manoel de Oliveira
• Rompecorazones, by Pascal Chaumeil
• Mis tardes con Margueritte, by Jean Becker
• La fille du RER, by André Téchiné
• El Ilusionista, by Sylvain Chomet
• Khamsa, by Karim Dridi
• Welcome, by Philippe Lioret
• L’autre, by PM. Bernard, P. Trividic
• 77 Doronship, by Pablo Agüero

Tickets: AR$ 20, on sale at Patio Bullrich ticket office. Av, Libertador 750

To see the complete program and times, visit Les Avant Premieres website.

The Contemporary Ballet of Teatro San Martín, directed by the renown choreographer Mauricio Wainrot, former choreographer of the Royal Ballet of Flanders (Belgium), and Les Ballets Jazz (Montreal), will offer a series of free presentations of their choreographic version of the scenic cantata Carmina Burana at the Amphitheater Eva Peron in Parque Centenario.

Carmina Burana is a collection of chants from the 12th and 13th centuries, preserved in a unique Codex found in 1803 by Johann Christoph von Aretin at the abbey of Bura Sancti Benedicti (Benediktbeuern), in Bavaria. The codex comprises a total of 300 rhymes, written mainly in latin, some in an ancient German dialect, and ancient French.

Between 1935 and 1936 German composer Carl Orff set 24 of the poems to music, also called Carmina Burana, becoming a symbol of the German spirit. The most famous movement is "Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi (O Fortuna)".

The scenes that will be presented in this occasion are: Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi, Primo Vere, In Taberna Cour D’Amours, Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi.

Dates: Saturdays 19 and 26, Sundays 20 and 27 of February, 2011. 9:00 pm

Location:  Amphitheater Eva Peron, Av. Leopoldo Marechal y Lillo, Parque Centenario

FREE ENTRANCE. Free tickets can be picked up from 7:00 pm

Argentina Polo Tour, the fall tournament created five years ago by Adolfo Cambiaso and Gonzalo Pieres, presents its second stage of 2011, at the three fields that make up the Argentine Triple Crown: Tortugas Country Club, Hurlingham Club, and Campo Argentino de Polo in Palermo (Av. Libertador and Dorrego), starting February 17th, 2011, with the participation of  six teams up to 16 goals handicap. 

Teams: 

Sainte Mesme: Robert Strom 2, C. Nordheimer 4, G. Von Wernick 7, Birger Strom 1. Total: 14
Amadeus: Robert Kofler 0, Pablo Llorente 4, Guillermo Terrera 7, Santiago Marambio 5: Total: 16
Hammerle: Werner Graf 0, Matías Benoit 5, Carlos Farinatti 6, Juan Monteverde 5. Total: 16
Tom Tailor: Uwe Schroeder 0, Eduardo Anca 6, Juan M. Etchevertz 6 y Santiago Irastorza 6. Total: 16
Techno Polo: Frank Dubarry 0, Tomás Pieres 7, Tomás Gandara 6, Matías Logioco 3. Total: 16
Ferne Park: Jonathan Rothermere 0, Miguel del Carril 6, Joaquín Pitaluga 7, Eden Ormerod 3. Total: 16

The province of Mendoza will display all the magic of the National Harvest Festival, which in the 2011 edition will be called "The Faces of the Harvest." On February 17, from 12 noon, a tent will be set to distribute brochures, and typical products of the region. At 6:00 pm, an artistic team of 18 dancers and musicians from Mendoza, in the presence of the National Harvest Queen, Flor Destéfanis, will present the "foretaste of the wine harvest" in Buenos Aires, which will also include the traditional "Grape Trading".

The "Grape Trading" is one of the highlights of the event, a centennial celebration that has been part of the tradition, dating back thousands of years, when young and beautiful women got together to tread the grapes celebrating a bountiful and successful harvest. This time, the idea is to relive those moments with four beautiful women of our land.

The cult of the Virgin of Carrodilla will also be present as a significant icon of the great Festival of Mendoza.

The show will feature "Bela Lugosi", national rock band born in Mendoza back in 1993. The folk group from Mendoza "Los Chimeno" will also present their show in the stage.
The National Harvest Festival will take place in Mendoza, from Friday, March 4 to Monday, March 7, 2011.

The most important event for the Argentine fashion industry, BAFWeek, brings together the most established brands in the fashion world and the independent designers, for the launching of their Fall/Winter 2011 collections.
For this edition top designers and renowned brands as A.Y. Not Dead, Cook, Como quieres que te quiera, Cora Groppo, Desiderata, Garza Lobos, Grupo 134, Hermanos Estebecorena, María Pryor, MVZ, Prüne, Puma, Rapsodia, Ricky Sarkany, Tramando, Trosman, Uma, Varanasi, Vicki Otero and Wanama, among others, have confirmed their presence.
BAFWeek 2011 will feature daily fashion shows, and around 30 showrooms where designers will showcase their creations in an exclusive space, including accessories, shoes, bags, jewels, underwear, and men's and women's clothes. 
For the seventh consecutive time, BAFWeek supports University of Buenos Aires (UBA) students through the Seed Plot contest, so they can show their first collection together with the famous designers.

Dates: February 22, 23, 24, and 25, 2011
Location: La Rural Exhibition Center, Pabellón Amarillo. Av. Sarmiento 2704
Opening times: from 2 pm to 10 pm
Entry fee: $ 30 Pesos. Tickets on sale at the venue 2 pm to 8 pm. Having a ticket does not guarantee the access to the runway rooms, as this is subject to capacity.

BAFWeek official website.

After 10 years of being known as Telmex Cup, the ATP Buenos Aires tournament changes its name to be presented as Copa Claro, which will kick off on Monday, February 12th, with the qualifying rounds. The traditional tournament will receive some of the greatest world wide tennis players from February 14th to February 20th, 2011 at the courts of Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis club.

Every weekend from Saturday, February 5 until Tuesday, March 8, 2011, the “Carnaval Porteño 2011” (Buenos Aires Carnival) will take place at different neighborhoods, with the participation of 17 thousand artists, 100 "murgas" (carnival bands), and over one thousand drums and percussion instruments.

The parades will be held from 7 PM to 2 AM on Saturdays, and from 7 PM to 12 AM on Sundays and Carnival Holidays (March 7 and 8).

This year there will also be Carnival shows at the Amphitheater Eva Peron in Parque Centenario, (Leopoldo Marechal & Lillo), on Fridays 11, 18 and 25 of February and Mach 4, at 8:00pm.

Murgas and carnival are the artistic expressions of the marginal neighborhoods, their songs and urban folk customs. The lyrics of these songs are called "criticas", and combine the social denunciation with humor and dancing. What identifies the "murga porteña" from others are their costumes (frock coat, gloves, top hat, and stick), the drums with cymbals, and the various traditional rhythms used to differentiate every neighborhood.

Where to watch the parades:

• Abasto: Av. Córdoba between Agüero and Sanchez de Bustamante: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13 
• Almagro: Av. Corrientes between Medrano and Bulnes: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8
• Bajo Nunez: Arias between Arcos and Vuelta de Obligado: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8.
• Balvanera: Av. Belgrano between Saavedra and Pasco: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8
• Boedo 1: Av. Boedo between San Juan and Independencia: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8
• Boedo 2: Av. Belgrano between Colombres and Maza: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13.
• Caballito: Av. Avellaneda between N. Oroño and F. Sarmiento: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8
• Coghlan: Av Congreso between Donado and Lugones: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13 19, 20, 26, 27.
• Colegiales 1: Av. Federico Lacroze between R. Freire and Martínez: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13.
• Colegiales 2: Av. Federico Lacroze between Freire and Conesa:  Febr. 19, 20, 26, 27.
• Colegiales 3: Benjamin Matienzo between Conesa and Zapiola: March 5, 6, 7, 8
• Monserrat: Av. San Juan between Solis and Luis Saenz Pena: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6.
• Palermo: Darwin between Gorriti and Cabrera: March 5, 6, 7, 8
• Parque Centenario: Lambaré between Corrientes and Bogado: Feb 19, 20.
• Saavedra 1: Av. Balbín between Plaza and Jaramillo: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8.
• Saavedra 3: Av. Balbín between Pico and Arias: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8.
• San Telmo: Av. San Juan between Defensa and Peru: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8.
• Villa Crespo: Av. Scalabrini Ortiz between Av. Corrientes and Velasco: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6,.
• Villa Urquiza: Av. Triunvirato between Monroe and Olazabal: Feb 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27 - March 5, 6, 7, 8.

All the events are free of charge.

The government of the City of Buenos Aires presents "Aires Buenos Aires - Cultura para respirar" (Culture to Breathe), a program of cultural activities that starts next Friday, January 7th, 2011 consisting on over 100 free events, including: musical shows, drive-in movies, theater plays, activities for children, circus, performances open air "milongas", and numerous musical events, every day during January and February, 2011.
Los Cafres, Fidel, Ratones Paranoicos, Miranda, Attaque 77 and Nonpalidece, are some of the artists that will entertain the audiences with their musical shows.
There are many options for kids every day of the week. On Mondays, they can learn to dance Tango at Milonguitas opposite Caminito, with lessons by professors from the dance school of Mora Godoy.  On Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Pasaje Lanín, the small artists can develop their talents at "A Pintar en la Ciudad". On Thursdays, activities in the museums with  La Noche de Las Linternas (the Night of the Flashlights), with Mariana Cincunegui. On Fridays and Saturdays, open air movie projections at the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario, with animation movies from independent directors. And the circus show Ludus at Polo Circo, based on the pleasure of playing, for the astonishment of kids and adults alike.
The drive-in movie theater for adults will be set up at the Rose Garden, on Av Libertador & Sarmiento, every Saturday and Sunday at 9:00 PM. There will also be stalls for spectators without a car. The first  showing will be "Carancho", with Ricardo Darin, directed by Pablo Trapero, on Saturday 8th.
On weekends, open air milongas at Vuelta de Rocha (La Boca), with artists like Amelita Baltar, Adriana Varela and Luis Salinas, and tango lessons and exhibitions. At the Amphitheater of Parque Centenario  every Wednesday the company of Brenda Angiel presents "8cho", a different show with live music and aerial dance.
In February, Música Urbana at Costanera Sur presents the new albums of Pedro Aznar and Bahiano and the shows by Javier Malosetti with Les Amaturs. At the same stage there will be Folklore shows, with Opus 4, Jaime Torres and Dúo Coplanacu.
The Grand Closing of the event will  be at the Obelisk on February 19, with the presentation of the emblematic show that took Tango all over the world: TANGO ARGENTINO.


To see complete schedule of activities visit Aires Buenos Aires website (in Spanish only).

From January 6 until February 28, 2011, the Government of the City of Buenos Aires presents "Buenos Aires Playa" (Buenos Aires Beach), an oasis for those residents and visitors who have to spend the summer in the city, in the style of the artificial beaches installed in Paris, Rome, Tokio, Berlín, Bruselles, Ámsterdam, Viena, and Prague.

There are two beaches, one in the North of the city, in Parque de los Niños, and one in the South, in Parque Roca where, from Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 8 pm, visitors will enjoy an integral program of entertainment for the whole family: artificial sand beaches with sunshades and beach chairs; cultural activities like musical shows and book readings; water fountains and showers to cool down from the heat; sport activities and inflatable playgrounds for kids; magic and puppet shows; food courts; among many other activities and services.

Each park will have sports coordinators in aerobics, beach volley, football-tennis and other popular sports. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, there will be dance lessons, including hip hop and salsa; and every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the public will enjoy a varied program of musical shows. All the activities are free of charge.

Infants have to be permanently accompanied by adults. Entering the parks with alcoholic drinks and/or pets is not allowed. Free entrance. Opening times: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 8 pm.

How to get there:

Parque de los Niños (North):
Nuñez (on the shore of Río de la Plata where Avenue General Paz ends).
Bus 28, or by car through avenida Cantilo.

Parque Roca (South):
Escalada and 27 de Febrero.
Buses 91 and 115.

As a complement to this program, several parks in Buenos Aires will be transformed into solariums with free sun chairs and sunshades, including Parque Las Heras (Palermo); Plaza Naciones Unidas (Recoleta); Parque Rivadavia (Caballito).

On Sunday, February 6th, 2011, the Chinese New Year 2011,  the Year of the Rabbit, will be celebrated in the streets of the Chinese Quarter in Belgrano, on Arribeños Street, from Blanco Encalada to Juramento. 

The activities will take place between 10 am and 10 pm. At 12 noon, the ambassador or the Popular Chinese Republic in Argentina will officially open the ceremony, giving start to the traditional Dragon Dance.

Schedule of activities:

10:00 am: Start of the Gastronomic and Cultural Fair. Stands on Arribeños, Mendoza and Montañeses. Streets
12:00 pm: Official Inauguration. Dance of the Dragon.
2:00 pm: Start of the Cultural Shows
2:30 pm: Martial Arts Demonstration. Teacher CHEN MIN, WuShu Argentine Club. Children and adults.
3:20 pm: Japanese Drumbs Taiko. Kiseiko Mineidanchi, Mede Taiko. (
3:40 pm: Arrival of Dragon and Lions. School Choy Lee Fut.
3:50 pm: Demonstration of Chinese Martial Arts. School of Master LIU MING. AAMCHI.
4:00 pm: Traditional Chinese Dances. Prof. ANA WU.
4:15 pm: Games with the public
4:25 pm: Traditional Chinese Dances (2nd part)
4:35 pm: Taiko Japanese Drumbs on Arribeños and Mendoza.
4:40 pm: Martial Arts Demonstration. Teacher CHEN MIN WuShu Argentine Club. Children and adults.
5:00 pm: TANGO of Integration. Orchestra and couples composed by Argentines and Asians
5:40 pm: Traditional Chinese Dances. Prof. ANA WU.
6:00 pm: Dance of the Lion. School Choy Lee Fut.
6:15 pm: Yoga Demontration. Prof. Martín Trevisan,
6:30 pm:  Taiko Japanese Drumbs.
6:40 pm: TANGO of Integration. Orchestra and couples composed by Argentines and Asians
7:00 pm: Argentine Folklore Zambas and Chacareras.
7:20 pm: Demonstration of Chinese Martial Arts. School of Master LIU MING. AAMCHI.
7:40 pm: Shaolin Marcial Arts. Temple Shaolin Argentina. Master Jorge Gabriel Buzzi.
8:00 pm: Yoga Demonstration. Prof. Martín Trevisan,
8:20 pm: Games with the public, who will call the the Dragon for the closing of the Celebration of the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit
8:30 pm: Closing with Dane of the Dragon and the Lion on the stage. School of Choy Lee Fut Germán Bermúdez.
9:00 pm: Closing of the Festival.

As every year, the shopping malls of Buenos Aires will celebrate the Holidays with a show of fireworks and music, this time on Sunday, December 19th, at 10:00 PM. This free of charge event will take place simultaneously at different points in the city:

As a way of protest for the cancellation of Teatro Colon Ballet season, the members of the Teatro Colon Ballet Company will offer a performance on Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010, 9:00 PM, at Teatro Nacional Cervantes, which has offered its main concert hall for the realization of this performance.

The principal dancers, soloists, and members of  Teatro Colon ballet company will participate in the event: Karina Olmedo (First Dancer), Silvina Perillo (Soloist, substitute of the First Dancer), Gabriela Alberti, Vagram Ambartsoumian, Edgardo Trabalón, Leonardo Reale, Analía Sosa Guerrero, Marta Desperes, Nestor Asaff, Julián Galván, Dario Estanga, Verónica Lemarchand, Sergio Hochbaum, Roberto Zarza,Mariana Crespo, Federico Fernandez, Paula Cassano, Matias Santos, Rosana Perez, Gerardo Wyss, Luciana Barrirero, Natalia Pelayo, Maria Laura Domingo, Amalia Perez Alzueta. 

The program includes choreographs by Raul Candal, Michel Fokine, Ruben Gallardo, Alexander Gorsky, Asaf Messerer, Gustavo Mollajoli, Marius Petipa, Alexander Plissetsky, Laura Roatta and Jose Zartmann: Pas de Deux from Carmen, Spartacus, Spring Waters, The Corsair, Don Quixote; solos Death of a Swan and on baroque music by Astor Piazzolla, and a grand finale of Ravel's Bolero, with the participation of Choir Armonía Vocal.

Tickets: $ 40 Pesos, on sale at the Teatro Nacional Cervantes Box office,  Libertad 815, 10 am to 9 pm. Tel. 4816-4224.

The Orquesta del Bicentenario (Orchestra of the Bicentennial) will close their Classical Argentine Music Series 2010 with an outdoor concert in front of the Legislature of Buenos Aires. This Orchestra, under the direction of Alfredo Corral, was specially created by the Law School to pay tribute to the 200th anniversary of the May Revolution.

The free concert will be held on Friday, December 17th, 2010, at 7:00 pm on the pedestrian street Peru 100, and in case of rain it will be moved to the Golden Hall of the Legislative Palace, entrance on Peru 160.

The concert, named "200 artists to our 200 years", includes the Cantata of the May Revolution, from Juan Carlos Figueiras, with texts by Nelly Vargas Machuca, the Mass-Tango by Martin Palmeri, and Yupanquiana Suite by Carlos Carmona, which includes unpublished texts by Atahualpa Yupanqui.

On Saturday, December 18th, 2010, the City of Buenos Aires presents a new edition of The Bookstore Night, with over 70 free activities in 50 bookstores that will remain open during until 2:00 am. This traditional event represents the publishing industry and pays tribute to bookstores and booksellers in the City, recognizing the important role of the sector. In addition, this edition involves bookstores in different neighborhoods of Buenos Aires with activities in their premises since Friday 17th, concluding with the traditional festival on Avenida Corrientes.

UNESCO has named Buenos Aires as "Book Capital of the World 2011" in recognition of the quality of its programs to promote the dissemination of books, encouraging reading and expanding the publishing industry.

At 8:00 pm, on the main stage in Avenida Corrientes and Talcahuano, artists Kevin Johansen + The Nada + Liniers will star in an illustrated concert. The cartoonist Liniers will illustrate the songs live, and the images will be projected on a large screen located on stage.

At midnight and as closing of the event, Pedro Aznar will present a show of "Poetry and music" created especially for the Bookstore Night.

During the Bookstore Night, the vehicular traffic will be closed on Avenida Corrientes from Talcahuano up to Callao, where multiple cultural activities will take place simultaneously in bookstores, bars, theaters and on the streets. 

San Telmo will take part in the Bookstore Night with activities from 4:00 pm: Guided tours and storytelling, readings and performances by established and emerging authors.

In Palermo the Bookstore Night starts on Friday 17, at 5:00 pm, with a guided tour about "The Palermo of Borges and Cortazar." Meeting point: Borges y Guatemala (suspended in case of rain). There will also be activities for children, storytelling and talks for adults.

Activities for children: The Bookstore Night offers activities and games aiming to developing the link between children and books: treasure hunt around bookstores, a cartoon workshop and storytelling events are some of the activities planned for them.

The event is totally free of charge and it's not suspended for rain. Click here for the complete program (in Spanish only).