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World DanceSport MagazineJury vs. Popular VoteEDC 2008 Winners: Marcin Mroczek & Edyta Herbus, POLPhoto by Alain Douit, EBUAside from the televoting viewership around Europe,a jury panel made up of four IDSF Adjudicators evaluatedthe 14 EDC performances. Gladys Tay (SIN), BarbaraNagode Ambroz (SLO), Michelle Ribas (FRA) andSven Trout (GER) sat adjacent to the dance floor inGlasgow, holding the combined voting power of fourcountries. They observed each of the competing couplesand applied the universally accepted judging criteria– timing and basic rhythm, body lines, foot andleg action, etc. – to their observations. Making an authoritative,and above all an unbiased, assessment ofa dance routine is often the privilege of the experts.The scoreboard which reflects only the Adjudicators’ votes:RANK COUNTRY TOTAL1 DEN 482 GRE 403 LTU 324 AZE 285 RUS 246 POL 207 UKR 168 FIN 129 GBR 810 SWE 411 IRE 011 POR 011 AUT 011 NED 0With the televotes included, the final scoreboard changed:RANK COUNTRY TOTAL1 POL 1542 RUS 1213 UKR 1194 LTU 1105 AZE 1066 DEN 1027 GRE 728 POR 619 GBR 4710 FIN 4411 IRE 4012 SWE 3813 AUT 2914 NED 1“The panel offered a new dimension to the showand generated much reaction from the public atthe venue”, said Richard Bunn, a consultant to IDSFand one of the EDC creators, about the work by thefour Adjudicators. “They added to the atmosphereseen by the viewing public at home. Their expertiseplus a number of references to the IDSF provided asignificant promotion of DanceSport and its worldgoverning body”.Football vs. DanceSportThe EDC is made for television. The format, the style,the pace – everything aims to make for the most compellingviewing. The success of the EDC is, therefore,measured by the standards which govern televisioneverywhere: the ratings.The European Broadcasting Union, the 14 participatingbroadcasters, the producers and IDSF have everyreason to be satisfied with the viewing figures for thesecond EDC, which aired live in 25 European countrieson 6 September 2008 (19:00 – 21:15 h UTC).Even though the dance spectacular clashed head onwith qualifying round football matches for the FIFAWorld Cup 2010 in many markets, it held up its ownand garnered good ratings everywhere.In the United Kingdom, nearly 4.7 million viewers, a22% share, tuning into BBC1 made the EDC the mostwatched programme of the evening.Poland was not only in first on the dance floor. Thenational broadcaster, NPB/TROS, reported an audienceof 4.3 million and a staggering 49% share forthe EDC. The top score here too!Bjørn Erichsen, the Director of Eurovision TV, expressedhis satisfaction: “With this competition, wecreated a fantastic new Eurovision tradition, which weare confident will last for many years to come”.6 Jury vs. Popular Vote | Football vs. DanceSport

Cuore Latino·Latin HeartStefano Di Flippo and Anna Melnikova (ITA)World DanceSport MagazineRunners-up at the 2007 IDSF World Latin Championships in Vilnius (LTU), Stefano and Anna went on a winningspree during the first eight months of 2008, taking first in the Grand Slams of Aarhus (DEN), Irvine (USA) andStuttgart (GER). It was there that they found the time to sit down for an extensive interview with Heidi Götz,the editor of World DanceSport Magazine (WDSM).WDSM: Stefano and Anna, thank you for being here withme! Congratulations on your tremendous success: winnersof the Stuttgart Grand Slam! It was a great night andan outstanding performance. Ever since you decided todance together, your career looked very promising. Nowyou are the shooting stars in Latin. Over the past twoyears I often had the opportunity to watch you in competition.It was great to see how the audiences reacted to yourperformances. You had always been their favourites, veryoften receiving standing ovations.Anna: It was really a great night! We enjoyed it a lot, lot, lot…This is a great competition.Stefano: It was absolutely super. The audience was so goodto us; we could actually feel the positive energy for us.WDSM: You are dancing together since April 2006. Howdid you find each other?S: We first met during the competitions. At the time wewere dancing with different partners. Then we started to betogether in our private lives. This lasted for two and a halfyears. I was dancing with my sister for Italy. Then Anna splitwith Kevin. My sister decided to retire, to stop competition.So I called Anna and asked her whether she would do a tryoutwith me. And from the first day we found each other.A: Our energies proved to complement each other well.Our trainer, Caroline Smith, always said: “Your energiestogether will be like a bomb!” Stefano is very vigorous onthe floor: an open heart. I liked very much to dance withthis man on my side. From the beginning we worked veryhard. But it was difficult because Stefano came from oneschool, I came from another. We had been quite differentin style and technique, but Caroline sorted everything out.Now we are connected, even when it comes to the technique.It was a lot of work, but we did it.“Stefano is very vigorous on the floor:( an open heart!” )WDSM: Anna, like many dancers do nowadays, you leftyour home country to dance with Stefano – or with Kevinbefore him. How did you adjust to living in a foreign countryand – more importantly – how did you feel about itemotionally?A: It was very difficult because my family is very close tome. They always were and always will be. I was living withmy parents, grandparents and sisters. When I was in Englandfor the first year I did not think about it too much. Iknew I had to dance in order to be at my best. I had tostudy to reach the top. However, after a certain time, I reallystarted to miss my family. Even when I was living inEngland, I returned to Moscow nearly every month, maybeevery other month, for three or four days to see all thefamiliar faces. Then I went back to England and was readyfor practice again.Now I know I dance with Stefano. I like to dance with him;Cuore Latino · Latin Heart 7

All photographs were selected by Stefano andAnna. They are from their private collection.Page 7: Salou, ESPPage 8: Blackpool, GBRPage 9: Stuttgart, GERtalented and she is really good for me. I am a very luckyguy to be able to dance with her. I don’t think I want tochange my partner in the future. If I stop with her, I have tostop dancing. I would never find as good a girl again.“ I know that Anna is one of the best( dancers in the world!” )WDSM: After only a short time of dancing together youmade the final in World Championships. Can you give usthe reasons for success coming so soon?Silvia and Paolo with their coaches andchoreographers: Olga and Davide. Allphotos are courtesy of Silvia and Paolo.I also like Italy a lot. So for me it is actually quite okay, it isnot as difficult now. I am actually enjoying every day.WDSM: Do you plan to stay in Italy forever?A: I can’t plan for everything. I don’t know where I will benext year. For the time being it is Italy; then we shall see.WDSM: Stefano, most experts are convinced that youare one of the most talented and charismatic dancers ofyour time. Being in such a position, you probably had yourchoice. Many women would have been happy to partnerwith you. What was the reason for choosing Anna? Andwhat do you appreciate most about your partner?S: I know that Anna is one of the best dancers in the world.Even before we were dancing together, I was watchingher, following her progress. I liked her a lot because shehas something special that other dancers don’t seem tohave. She is really young at only 22! For me she is thebest dancer in the amateur division. I even see her in thetop among the professionals. My reason to dance withher: she loves to dance and is doing everything for DanceSport.She left her country to dance with me. Of course,she misses her family! But she does it because she lovesthe internationality of DanceSport. After every competitionshe goes home to have a new dress made. She wantsto look her best. And I am proud of this. She is extremelyA: At least for me, Stefano already was a big name andpopular in the dance world. He had been successful inevery age grade. In Youth he won the World Championshipstogether with Sarah. They represented Italy. TheseChampionships were held in Russia. From that momentonward everybody was following his career, thinking thathe could make it to the top in the amateur division.S: Before dancing with Anna I already made some ofthe finals. She was regularly in the semi-finals, usually inseventh or eighth place. She was among the best. If youput two people with a lot of energy and passion together,that’s what I thought, it is bound to work. We went to ourfirst competition after two months. It was in Blackpool. Wemade the final. If you can make the final there, you canmake it everywhere.WDSM: But did you expect to be successful immediatelyor was it a surprise?A: We expected it! We wanted to be the best couple.S: You can never be sure. But we had been very confidentabout us as a couple, we believed in our dancing. We eventhought we had this distinctly Latin look about us. Aftertwo months we thought: “Let’s go there, let’s be the bestlooking couple, the one with the best choreography, andthen everything will fall into place!”WDSM: In the international field and on this level it is veryexpensive to be a dancer. You constantly have to travel;lessons are very expensive. How can you afford it all?S: Of course, competing in DanceSport is very expensive.You have to have shoes, you have to have dresses … Youalso have to have lessons to improve. But on thisrespectwe are lucky: we have some sponsors – like Shoes DanceNaturals, Danceflash is looking after my outfits. We arefortunate and don’t spend too much money on lessons.8 Cuore Latino · Latin Heart

World DanceSport MagazineWe have our coach Caroline Smith; we have Richard Porter.We do around ten to twelve lessons a month and wepractise a lot. Travelling the world and taking “political” lessons:we don’t believe in this. We want to be on top becauseof our dancing and not because of certain lessonswe took. You know what I mean – you know this world.Obviously we have to travel a lot, the world over, but beingon this level we are invited to many competitions. So wedon’t have to spend much on our airfares. We win someprice money and we do a lot of shows, getting even bettermoney for them.A: Our parents are there too. If there are problems, theyare always ready to help us, to support us.S: Until two years ago my parents paid for everything .WDSM: Did you ever work another job or in a business?A: I started doing nails; I am helping with the dresses. Butit is not really a business! I am just helping at the moment.I never had a proper job.S: It is the same for me: I did not have a job. I started toteach in a club when I was 15. I had almost always beenteaching.WDSM: Anna, if you compare couples from Western andEastern Europe, what differences do you make out interms of quality, in terms of training?A: We were training in Russia, I remember, and Stefanowas quite shocked when he saw the kids. I had been iceskating from the age of four and I was used to this way ofpractising. It was very hard and rather cold. So when Stefanosaw the strict training, he was shocked.S: Sporting education in Russia is different: from the earlystages they immerse you in dance. Sport in Italy is importantonly if it is football. There is football, football andfootball! We do nothing else in our schools. The Russiansstart with ballet in school.A: Yes, this is tradition: every kid in the family has to dosomething.S: We are in a lucky situation, we have everything we want– we can do whatever we want. In some Russian familiesthe situation is rather different. They know that if the childrenpractise … and practise … and practise, they standto have a better future.“We want to show pure dancing.”( )WDSM: A question to both of you! How did you get intoDanceSport?A: I was ice skating; then I tried swimming. After my familymoved, I went to another school. I had a lot of friends there.They were dancing, so I tried it too. I liked it and signed upfor classes. The teachers thought I was talented, but myparents hardly expected me to become a dancer at first.S: I was on holidays with my parents: every evening therewas an opportunity to dance. I liked it very much. When wecame home, my parents took me to a dance school. I wentthere twice a week – for fun at first. After I got started …I simply never stopped. Dancing is like a drug!Cuore Latino · Latin Heart 9

World Dance Sport MagazineWDSM: Why did you choose Latin?S: I preferred Latin. My results had always been better.When I was 16 I concentrated on Latin and continued withonly one discipline. If you want to do Ten Dance, you haveto concentrate on ten dance competitions.WDSM: Both of you are strong personalities. How do youorganise your training?S: Now – after two and half, nearly three years – we understandeach other much better. We know how we haveto train. Sometimes it is better to let your partner do thetalking and you listen. Sure, that can be rather difficult, butI think this is the same for every couple.A: We have our coach! She is helping us a lot with this. Sheis a very strong woman.S: On our level you must understand that you have to useyour brains. That you have to be clever! Sometimes it isbetter to shut up.WDSM: Are you together in private?S: No, unfortunately we split. And our dancing is becomingbetter and better. I think if you are together in private lifeand in DanceSport, it is very difficult to keep your relationshipin a proper balance.A: If you train you can have certain feelings, sometimesyou need to shout, sometimes you want to cry. It is constantlychanging: up and down. I think it is virtually impossibleto separate that from one’s private life.S: We concentrate on the dancing 100 % now and we cansee the good results of this approach.WDSM: What are your aims in DanceSport?A: We want to bring back and show the feeling of a manand a woman on the dance floor. We want to show puredancing.S: I started out with my coach, Caroline Smith, and shetaught me to become a champion without any politics.I grew up with this. I am very grateful and would like tothank her for giving me this advice. Because nowadayseverybody wants to be successful in the shortest timepossible.In the beginning I was happy to make the 48, then the24. Sometimes I saw me little bit better than they placedme. But I trusted my coach and worked hard. In the endI realised that you can be first without the politics. Thisgives me the energy to go forward. I can also see that theaudiences like us.“Obviously we feel we are part of a( serious sport.” )WDSM: You are very successful. Do you feel that otherpeople could be jealous because of your success?S: It should never be a priority for these couples to bejealous of us. They should train more in order to beat us.But then, I don’t think that couples are really jealous. Thiswas the older generation: they were fighting each other. Intoday’s DanceSport, we are really friends with everyone.WDSM: There is a continuous discussion about DanceSport.If you ask ten people you will likely get twentyanswers. Is dancing a sport or is it art?S: For me it is sport! We train and work out like would inany other sport. We are watching our diets, we work onour stamina, and we go to the gym. Things all athletes do.Maybe it does go beyond sport: we have to think about theway we look and dress. In that respect, we have to do evenmore than most other athletes.A: Before we complete a single competition we do fivedances in each of the three or four rounds. We are requiredto undergo anti-doping tests. Obviously we feel weare part of a serious sport.WDSM: On 14 December you look to cap a highly successfulyear at the World Latin Championships in Melbourne.We wish you all the best, good luck!All photographs were selected by Stefano and Anna. They are from their privatecollection. Page 10: Team Italy in Salou, ESP – Stefano and Anna together withAniello Langella and Nataljia Midiuk10 Cuore Latino · Latin Heart

CitiesTale of Two OrganisersWorld DanceSport MagazineIDSF World Standard Championships 2008 ViennaDanceSport heads for home as the waltz is performed in the city where Johann Strauss II composed BLUEDANUBE – and where the splendours of ballrooms and formal attire mark society like nowhere else. “WaltzingVienna” takes on a whole new meaning, and a distinctly international spirit, when the world of dance meets todetermine the best in Standard. Hermann Götz, the President of the Austrian DanceSport Federation, writesabout all the efforts involved in organising IDSF World DanceSport Championships.The Austrian DanceSport Federation (ADF) celebrates itsfiftieth anniversary during 2008. For many years already,hosting great DanceSport events in Austria is an establishedtradition. The team built around the ADF Presidiummakes every effort to promote DanceSport and to providethe best conditions for the competitors, adjudicatorsand guests. Combining professional organisation with themost memorable atmospheres proved to be crucial in therunning of such big events.The first ever Austrian Open Championship took place inNovember 2003 in the Vienna Stadthalle. Since then, ithas developed into one of the leading events in CentralEurope. The organising team is working year round, startingwith the evaluation meeting one week after an Openconcludes. In early January the categories are finalised,the detailed schedules for the event are drawn up, and thepromotion gets started. Updated information is providedregularly through our website, www.austrianopen.at. Thewhole thing has developed into a continuous and neverendingcollaboration between enthusiastic volunteers.Members of the ADF Presidium act as ambassadors forthe Austrian Open. They travel around the world, from oneevent to the other, promoting our own festival.Vienna, in the heart of Europe, can easily be reached bythe couples: there are excellent flight and other travel connections.Hence the Austrian Open is steadily growing.This year we expect more than 2.200 couples. We wantto make them feel welcome, comfortable, and eager toreturn next year.We are particularly grateful that the International Dance-Sport Federation has granted ADF the right to host the2008 World Standard Championships within this year’sOpen. We are pleased to welcome more than 70 couplesin this, the most important and prestigious competition.The World Championships are supported by the AustrianGovernment and televised by our national broadcasterORF.Vienna photo by Thomas BinderhoferDanceSport photo by Austrian OpenTale of Two Organisers 11

World DanceSport MagazineIDSF World Latin ChampionshipsThe Formula One Grand Prix, the Australian Tennis Open, the Melbourne Cup – billed as the thoroughbredhorse race that stops a nation – the Aussie sports capital’s calendar is loaded with annually recurring highlights.The Commonwealth Games, the Cricket Super Series, the Rugby World Cup, Cycling and SwimmingWorld Championships … One could go on forever listing the high-calibre events which have been, and whichwill be, hosted by the City of Melbourne. DanceSport World Championships have also become a regular fixture:Ten Dance in 2004, Latin in December 2008. Margaret Lonsdale, the Event Director of the Tattersall’s IDSFWorld Latin Championships, provides WDSM with her views on DanceSport and the WORLD EVENT CITY.“Only a few more days to go until the largest DanceSportevent ever conducted in Australia will take place in beautifulMelbourne, my home,” says Margaret. “We are really lookingforward to welcoming everyone down under”.Yes, Melbourne appears to be in a league of its own whenit comes to organising successful sporting events. Thecity has the infrastructure, first rate facilities located closeto the city centre and serviced by public transport, andit has the crowds: 3.8 million people whose enthusiasmfor sports is huge. But there must be some other factorsweighing in as well.“Australian DanceSport Championships, organised annuallyby the Australian Dancing Society Ltd., developed the mainingredients for such an event over the past 25 years andanchored our drive to meet the state government’s criteria.Absolute belief, commitment to the task at hand and a goodteam were the most decisive factors in this process”.“It is necessary for all events, not only world championships,to plan ahead,” Margaret reports on a long journey. “Sincewinning the right to host these Latin World Championshipsin June 2006 – in Wels, Austria – I have been working almostfull-time on the project”.“We are most fortunate to have the support of the VictorianGovernment and the Victorian Major Events Company. Butto get this support, one must have a developed product – inthis case an event – that benefits the State of Victoria economically”.“The event must have the ability to attract corporate sponsorship.It needs television coverage. It requires strong marketingand publicity campaigns. It must have a capable managementteam.12 Tale of Two Organisers

World DanceSport Magazine2008 Melbourne“A special purpose company was established in 2004 for theIDSF World Ten Dance Championships. We now changed itsname and structure to the IDSF World Latin ChampionshipPty. Ltd. – with two Directors: one from the Australian DancingSociety Ltd. and the other from DanceSport Australia.This moved the event away from politics and allowed theEvent Director to focus on the task. For such a structure towork properly, however, there must be eagerness and trustfrom both parties to collaborate”.Once the corporate and financial foundations were inplace, Margaret and her team toured the world to securethe broadest international goodwill for the 2008 WorldChampionships.“Because Australia is geographically disadvantaged, a lot ofmy energy went into marketing the event internationally,”reports Margaret. “We have turned what is a negative into apositive with our visits to the IDSF Annual General Meetings.Each time we brought a DVD! I must thank the Presidium forallowing me to entertain the IDSF Members with my shortpromotional presentations. But it has worked! We have 50countries competing in our World Championships: 198 competitors,I believe.“Perhaps it is the appeal of visiting Australia? Perhaps it isthe steady flow of positive news about the Australian Dance-Sport Championships? Maybe the reverberating praise forthe successful IDSF World Ten Dance Championships in 2004encourages athletes and officials to come and see how wedo things in Melbourne, Australia?”What they will they perceive as distinctly Melbournian inMargaret’s approach to staging successful 2008 Latin WorldChampionships is revealing about the city’s sporting spirit.“Here we compete with the popularity of Australian Rulesfootball, tennis, surfing, swimming, running, netball, basketball,etc.,” Margaret points out. “Over the past 25 years, withthe assistance of my team, I have developed a showcase thatportrays the sport of dance in an artistic setting. We have agreat team: professional people – lighting and staging specialists– and exceptionally motivated volunteers. Everyoneshould easily recognise the benefits of having an outstandingshowcase to demonstrate to the general public just how fitathletes in DanceSport are.“Every competitor, every official, every VIP will be met at theairport and transferred either by car or coach to their accommodation.Free shuttle buses will run them to and from thevenue, host studios or clubs have been organised to allowthe couples to train. Athletes’ villages have been establishedin three of our hotels. All athletes competing in the WorldChampionship will get accommodation for four nights and350 Australian dollars allowance; plus their breakfast will beprovided. They will get a welcome gift, an official shirt, etc.We are proud and delighted to be hosting these importantIDSF World Championships.”For those contemplating to travel to Melbourne to take inMargaret’s EVENT at the 11.000-capacity Hisense Arenaon 14 December, here’s her advice:“It is not too late to pack your bags and give yourself the treatof a lifetime. There is a fair amount of doom and gloom inthe world today, my resolution is not to watch it. You cannotbe positive if you take in negative energy. Come on down!”.Panorama: Melbourne skylinefrom the Yarras EdgePhoto by David IliffPage 12: 2008 Tattersall’s IDSFWorld Latin Championships byDanceSport photo.netPage 13: 2008 Tattersall’s IDSFWorld Latin ChampionshipsTale of Two Organisers 13

World DanceSport MagazineWheelchair DanceSportWorld Championships 2008The last weekend in October saw a very eager group of athletes compete on the most elite of levels at the2008 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Wheelchair DanceSport World Championships in the capitalof Belarus.Kaminski and Katrzyna Bloch and Pawel Karpinski andJoanna Reda (POL) were awarded the bronze medal inthis event. They added a silver medal to their record in theDuo Latin (class 2) event. The gold medal was awardedto Ukrainian dancers Ivan Sivak and Nadiia Verbytska, thebronze medal was awarded to Andrey Antonov and AlexandraBerdnik from Russia.Marcin Blazejewski and Iwona Wydra from Poland wonthe Combi Latin (class 1) event, followed by Peter Vidasicand Helena Kasicka (SVK) and Valeriy Bevzyuk andOlena Iaremenko (UKR). The Slovakian couple won anothermedal in the Combi Standard (class 1) competition.This time they came in third place, leaving the gold medalto Oleksandr Ivanov and Illona Slugovina (UKR) and thesilver medal to Aliaksei Zukhtsikau and Veranika Kasach(BLR). Polish dancer Kamil Kuran together with his partnerNadine Kinczel won the gold medal in the Combi LatinBeginning with a very colourful opening ceremony, whichhad all the athletes included in an extravagant parade, thefestivities of the first day enlivened the audience. Followingthe parade, the traditional raising of the ParalympicFlag, the sounds of the Paralympic Anthem, and the variousdance presentations brought not only the spectators,but all athletes and officials to an appreciative silence.Many of the countries have reported that this was the bestWheelchair Dance Sport World Championships that theyhave ever experienced.The eight events that took place included the Duo Standard(Class 1 and 2), Duo Latin (Class 1 and 2), CombiStandard (Class 1 and 2) and Combi Latin (Class 1 and2). The competition, which was staged inside the FootballHall of Minsk, had a total of 137 athletes from 17 countriesaround the world.Russian dancers Aleksey Fotin and Ruzanna Kazaryanwon the gold medal in the Duo Standard (class 1) event,followed by Eduardo Nunez Medellin and Maria AntoniaPena Anguiano from Mexico and Andrei Tsibulski andHanna Siratsiuk from Belarus. Those three couples alsodominated the Duo Latin (class 1) event and took homethe medals in the same order. In class 2 of the Duo Standardevent European Champions Konstantin Sosunov andElena Shilyaeva from Russia took home the gold medal.The silver medal was won by Polish couple Norbert14 Wheelchair DanceSport World Championships 2008

World DanceSport Magazine(class 2) event, followed by Ihar Kisialiou and Hanna Charchakovafrom Belarus and Maxim Sedakov and SvetlanaKukushkina from Russia. Kisialiou and Charchakova alsomanaged to win the only gold medal for the host country,by winning the Combi Standard (class 2) event. AlexanderLyapin and Irina Gordeeva (RUS) won silver and Rafal Skieraand Monika Chojnacka (POL) won bronze.Grethe Andersen, IPC Wheelchair DanceSport TechnicalCommittee Chairperson, was impressed with the work ofthe Local Organising Committee, which consisted of theBelarusian Federation of Wheelchair DanceSport and theRhythmic Sport Gymnastics. She said that with the supportof the Belarusian Ministry of Sports and Tourism andthe National Paralympic Committee of Belarus, an exceptionalevent had taken place.Following the pledge for closer co-operation between theIPC and the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF),IDSF Secretary General Marco Sietas attended the WorldChampionships as well as the Wheelchair DanceSport Forumon 26 October. The forum had participating NationalParalympic Committees and the IPC Wheelchair DanceSport Technical Committee discuss the current governanceand the future of Wheelchair DanceSport.Wheelchair DanceSport involves athletes with a physicaldisability that affects the lower limbs. Wheelchair dancersmay participate in “combi”-style dancing with an able-bodied(standing) partner or duo-dance for two wheelchairusers together. Standard dances include the Waltz, Tango,Viennese Waltz, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep. Latin-Americandances include the Samba, Cha-Cha-Cha, Rumba,Paso Doble and Jive. There are also formation dances forfour, six or eight couples dancing in formation.“The sixth IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championshipswere successfully staged with so many well-trainedathletes,” Andersen said. “Minsk welcomed the dancers andthe officials with open arms and now has a legacy of its own.Without the help of all respective parties and especially allthe volunteers, this would not have been possible.”All photographs are courtesy of the International Paralympic Committeeand its Wheelchair DanceSport Technical Committee.Wheelchair DanceSport World Championships 2008 15

World DanceSport MagazineWorld Class DanceSportin StuttgartHeidi Estler, Press Commissioner for the German DanceSport Association(DTV), reports on the DanceSport competition that stands in aleague of its own: the German Open Championships (GOC). The 22ndedition of the 5-day event made history. Again!It was already the fifth time for the world’s best dancersto meet at the Stuttgart Culture and Congress CentreLiederhalle (KKL). Once more, the organisers GOC GmbH(made up of TSC Astoria Stuttgart, TSZ Stuttgart-Feuerbach,TBW and DTV) could be proud of having exceededthe benchmark of 5.000 accredited athletes. With over2.200 couples from 46 nations participating in the run forthe many titles, the German Open Championships mayrightfully claim to be the world’s largest DanceSport competition.The programme covered the whole spectrum:from juveniles up to seniors, from Standard over Latin toBoogie Woogie, from amateurs to professionals, showingworld class DanceSport in the halls of KKL over five days.Indisputably, the highlights were the two Grand Slam competitionsin Standard and Latin, with all top dancers entered,as well as the World Championships of the BoogieWoogie Oldie Class and the Boogie Woogie Main ClassWorld Cup.A total of 66 adjudicators from 32 nations in six teamshanded down over 80.000 marks, almost around the clock.Five chairmen, six masters of ceremony and seven associateswere supervising the events. 353 volunteers and up to175 other staff members per day were working in shifts onthe ample compound. For all those who fulfilled any tasksduring the five GOC days there was a catering service, providing80 cans of coffee per day, and distributing a total of2.000 sandwiches, all in all using 100 kg of cold meat and50 kg cheese, as well as 800 pretzels, 600 pieces of cake,and 8.000 bottles of water and soft drinks. Apart from that,another 80 cans of coffee were on their way to the differenthalls every day, since not only the volunteers but alsoall the athletes and the adjudicators were kept alive by thekitchen team. The 900 meals for the athletes were beingdistributed almost casually in the meantime.A total of 79 journalists from eleven countries (Germany,France, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldavia, Netherlands, Russia,Spain, the Czech Republic, Hungary and USA) were accreditedwith the press centre. The TV channel SWR was onlocation with three teams; in addition to that there were thelocal broadcasters, the Moldavian TV and the IPTV serviceDanceSport TV. As highlight on the last day of the GOC, theSWR reported live in a 90-minute broadcast on the GrandSlam Standard and the World Cup Boogie Woogie.The press and Internet team, present almost 24 hours aday, registered about 8 million hits from 60 nations ontothe GOC homepage, with 5.200 newsletter subscribersserved everyday, and with 12.000 pictures brought online.That implies that one picture was shot every eight secondson average!The DTV Meeting Point was the central place for everyoneto come together: for conversations of all kinds, as a retreatfor the adjudicators on their tightly scheduled coffeeand tea breaks, but also for coaches and couples. Alongsidethe largest DanceSport competition the largest tradeshow was also taking place at the KKL. 34 exhibitors infive halls had everything on offer which makes a dancer’sheart beat faster.DTV President Franz Allert made a very satisfied impressionas he spoke at the GOC closing press conference:“All in all, the event was a great success”, was the plauditfrom high up. “GOC is still the most attractive and biggestDanceSport event in the world”. An opinion which is obviouslyshared by the fans as well! “The ticket sales wentquite well this year; we even had an increase as comparedto the previous year,” said the GOC Chief Executive Officer,Wilfried Scheible, and added that he was satisfied with thetotal attendance of more than 20.000 at the 22nd GOC, theglobal DanceSport highlight at the KKL.“After the GOC is before the GOC!” is the essential and alsoself-explanatory statement for the Organising Committee:the preparations for the 23rd German Open Championshipsfrom 18 to 22 August 2009 are already in full swing.16 World Class DanceSport in Stuttgart

World DanceSport MagazinePage 16: Concordia Statue (1863) in StuttgartPhoto by Andreas PraefckePage 17: Benedetto Ferruggia – Claudia Köhler, GERPhoto by GOCWorld Team Cup YouthWith a great deal of promotional activities DanceSport’syounger generation had made people very much aware ofthe World Team Cup Youth: not a single empty chair wasavailable in the hall. Contemplatively, and with the alwayswell received combination of Slow Fox and Rumba, theLatvian couples opened the presentation series. Whereasthe Polish played off the “Grease” soundtrack, the Moldavianteam was relying on Tango. The Russians walkedin with the flag of the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Gamesand then pretended to dive into an imaginary pool for synchronisedswimming and other fun. The German couplespresented a particularly vibrant show with dots, wigs, a lotof hair spray and a lot of movement. Just as last year, theRussian team convinced with their creativity and precision.With 60.5 points, the Russians won clearly ahead of thealso very impressive German team (79.0 points).Virtually no participants were registered for the freestylecompetition: team presentations with no dancing afterwards.Hence the Russian youth couples were allowedanother jump into the pool – to the delight of a big audience– before the Germans entered for their thoroughlyprepared performance.Remember When …?DanceSport legends from the past led today’s top ladiesonto the floor. Most of the legends had even rifled throughtheir private collections of dresses. German NationalCoach Oliver Wessel-Therhorn, who had come up with theidea and incited the others to be game as well, opened thedances with Blanca Ribas Turón and a furious Quickstep,which he claimed he had practiced with her in his hotelroom. Rudi Trautz presented Motsi Mabuse wearing a dressof his former partner Mechthild. Ralf Lepehne danced ina Latin suit from his active time with Anna Kravchenko.Werner Führer was leading Annette Sudol onto the floor.And Karl Breuer, the senior among the “ancestors“, wasdancing with Claudia Köhler. For the younger readers ofWDSM: all of these gentlemen were at least once WorldChampions – between the sixties and the eighties of thepast century. With standing ovations the audience gavetheir thanks for the marvellous interlude. Even hours later,the applause flared up again whenever one of the protagonistsentered the VIP room.IDSF Grand Slam LatinAndrea Pfautsch and Florencio Garcia Lopez providethe couple-by-couple commentaries on the six finalistsfor WDSM:There were 339 couples entered in the first round of theGrand Slam Latin at the KKL. Among them 36 coupleswho qualified directly for the second round due to theirresults in 2007.We were able to witness a tremdendous level of dancingalready in the round of the last 99. It featured excellentspeed, energy and dynamics. Many of the couples showedvery good technique and expressive choreographies aswell. It made for hard decisions for the panel of 11 topclassAdjudicators. Who were they to mark for the followingrounds?Valentin Chmerkovskiy and Valeriya Kozharinova werethe only couple that reached the semi-final after havingWorld Class DanceSport in Stuttgart 17

World Dance Sport MagazineJurij Batagelj – Jagoda Strukelj, SLOPhoto by GOCSergei Konovaltsev – Olga Konovaltseva, RUSPhoto by GOCdanced from the very first round. In the end, they ended upa successful, but also, seventh.What was necessary to make the final? An uncompromisingwill to win, an exceptional sense for the music, personality,… youthful unconcern? Each of the six couples in thefinal embodied at least one of these criteria to absoluteperfection.Stefano Di Fillipo – Anna Melnikova (ITA):True champions! They were placed first by each adjuicatorin all five dances. The audience honoured their performancesand their beautiful individual dancing with severalstanding ovations. They showed the highest level of technique.A fine couple dancing!Alexey Silde – Anna Firstova (RUS):Unchallenged runners-up! They are a well shaped anathletic couple. In each of the five dances Anna offeredAlexey enough space to act out his dominant male role.In the Cha Cha Cha there are maybe too many intendedshoulder and head actions by Alexey.Andrey Zaytsev – Anna Kuzminskaya (RUS):They also caught a pefect day. Very harmonic and impressivedancing with both partners at the same high level –and with a great sense for the music! Above all Anna has avery good leg and foot technique. An elegant couple!Jurij Batagelj – Jagoda Strukelj (SLO):Probably a disappointing result for them – but also a justifiableone on that particular evening! Very athletic style ofdancing with the lady actually being the active partner!Zoran Plohl – Tatsiana Lahvinovich (CRO):They truly deserved being in the final, but unfortunatelythey wer not as sparkling as in Blackpool this year. Alwaysin a good shape!Aniello Langella – Natalija Maidiuk (ITA):Clearly a couple for the future! Due to their expenditure ofenergy in the semi-final they seemed to have little problemswith their stamina.Altogether a terrific competition with performances sweepingthe audience off their chairs! A fantastic evening!IDSF Grand Slam StandardCouple-by-couple commentaries on the Grand SlamStandard finalists are provided by Asis Khadjeh-Nouri.Thousands of dancers flocked to the annual Grand SlamStandard in Stuttgart and turned the GOC into one of themost prestigious festivals in the world. The great musicalityand the ability of today’s competitors to accurately usetheir body weight explain the improvement of all dancersin comparison to the past. The couples have visibly establishedtheir understanding of footwork as well as intelligentmuscular power, linked with clever choreography andenthusiastic energy.18 World Class DanceSport in Stuttgart

World DanceSport MagazineNino Langella – Nataliya Maidiuk, ITAPhoto by GOCAndrei Zaitsev – Anna Kuzminskaja, RUSPhoto by GOCWinners of the highly coveted Grand Slam title wereBenedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Köhler (GER). With theirgreat personality, and by being a free-moving couple, theywere eminently visible on the dance floor. During all therounds I enjoyed their Waltz, which – in my opinion – wasvery well presented and equally elegant due to the greatcontrol of their body, weight and shapes. My congratulationsto them!This year’s runners-up were the couple Marat Gimaev -Alina Basyuk (RUS). They provided an impressively dominantposture combined with powerful movement. I believecoming in second was an excellent result for the talentedcouple, reflecting their notable improvement over the pastyear.Third were Simone Sigatori – Annette Sudol (GER). Thecongenial couple was totally settled, very steady and supremelyfocused while simultaneously showing excitement.They have the ability to provide an attractive contrast intheir interpretation of each dance – their particularly sharpTango and, on the other hand, their charismatic appeal inthe other four dances. It was the best performance I haveever seen of them. They really challenged the other couplesstriving for a higher placing, and they were amazinglysupported by the audience.Fourth were Sergey Konovaltsev - Olga Konovaltseva(RUS). The lively and charismatic dancers kept a steadyshape throughout all dances as well as great energy untilthe last beat of the Quickstep. Especially their Tango waseffectively compact and well-grounded. Hence, the youngcouple clearly deserved their place in the final.Fifth were the Polish champions Wiktor Kiszka - MalgorzataGarlicka. The couple provided clarity in their bodyline,control of their swing as well as great musical expression.Their appearance on the dance floor was great. In allrounds, they got everything together. In my opinion bothdancers are talented and have the potential for placingeven higher in the future.Sixth were Federico di Toro - Genny Favero (ITA). Theelegant and musical couple showed high discipline in alldances. They produced soft, natural and elegant action. Itis always a pleasure to watch them dance.I can honestly say that this Grand Slam Standard at theGerman Open Championships 2008 was an unbelievableevent with plenty of highlights that caught one’s eye - forall the right and wrong reasons.For sure hundreds of dancers will recur to participate inthis incredible festival in the years to come.World Class DanceSport in Stuttgart19

World DanceSport MagazineApplause for the Lecturers“Staying awake was not a problem”, Heidi Estler sums up the IDSF Adjudicators’ Congress in Stuttgart. Post-German Open Championships blues? Far from it!“How are we going to survive today?” This seemed to bethe central question for most of the adjudicators, who hadspent five days marking the performances by the 5.000athletes in Stuttgart. Hours and hours of DanceSport wereon the programme from Tuesday through Saturday – withone highlight after the other. Now they convened on Sunday,the infamous day six of the GOC, for the IDSF Adjudicators’Congress at the KKL. The lack of sleep was visiblein some of the faces. However, now was the time to payclose attention to the lectures of Simona Francello andOliver Wessel-Therhorn. The two succeeded in mesmerisingall 251 participants of the Congress with their contentsand presentations. They received standing ovations at theend of each lecture.Simona Francello, who used to dance very successfullywith Fabio Selmi, kicked off the presentations with MicheleBonsignori and Monica Baldasseroni showing differentways of how to walk in and out. She explained that alreadyat the early stages of a competition it should become evidenthow good or bad a couple really is. An important aspectif the latter looks to win the championship title, sheadded. For all dances she demonstrated together with theItalian top couple which sources for errors can lead to totalfailure being perceived by the adjudicators. During thelecture Simona participated actively and even convincedWilliam Pino to get onto the dais to illustrate her ideas: “Ifhe is here, we simply have to use him!” Pino changed hissneakers against dancing shoes and demonstrated a skilfuland perfect contra check.Oliver Wessel-Therhorn brought Grand Slam winners StefanoDi Filippo - Anna Melnikova as well as the GermanChampions Jesper Birkehoj - Anna Kravchenko along forhis lecture. “Both couples work along the same principles:their dancing is based on their character!” Oliver began hisaddress by explaining what he, personally, does not likeabout the current trends in Latin. It is the “faster, higher,stronger”, plus the “doing tricks”, which he could do without.He does not insist on an artificial and too manneredLatin, but he demands certain dancing action of the manand of the woman. Both to fit each other as well as the music!Together with Anna Melnikova he demonstrated differenttypes of “action - reaction” complementing each otherwell. And others which do not! “What we hear and what wesee must be coherent. Only a change in the music dictatesenergy and dynamics”, he stressed upon the adjudicators.A fantastic Rumba by Birkehoj – Kravchenko and a brilliantJive by Di Filippo – Melnikova brought the lectureto a conclusion. Well, not quite: as the absolute climax,Oliver took the floor himself and danced with both Annas:Melnikova and Kravchenko. The audience jumped off theirseats. Applause! Final curtain!Top: Stefano Di Filippo, AnnaMelnikova, Oliver Wessel-Therhorn,Anna Kravchenko, JesperBirkehoj – photo by GOCBottom: Simona Francello andMichele Bonsignori – photo byHeidi Estler20 Applause for the Lecturers

On Coursefor ExpansionIDSF Secretary General Marco Sietas chairs theMembership Commission. Here he informs about thelatest campaigns aiming to bring new national memberorganisations to the world governing body – andto develop DanceSport globally.The IDSF Membership Commission (MC) is tasked withpromoting and developing DanceSport worldwide. SouthAmerican and African countries are the commission’s currentpriority. A number of countries there are keenly interestedto become members of our steadily growing family. Atthis moment, IDSF has a total of 86 National Members, 62of them are recognised by their National Olympic Committees.Over the course of 2007, several countries have becomeIDSF Provisional Members: Madagascar, Indonesia,Ecuador and Namibia. Our latest incorporation – at the beginningof October 2008 – has been Trinidad and Tobago.It is our first Member from the Caribbean, and we hope tohave others from this area joining IDSF in the future.Several countries are in advanced stages of their applicationprocess and should become Provisional Members inearly 2009: Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela and Guam.Furthermore, the MC provides know-how and trainers inorder to develop and promote DanceSport in differentcountries:ARGENTINAFor a period of six years already, Anastasia Maximova, aninternationally renowned trainer, is lecturing and trainingin Argentina. She participated in the first Latin AmericanChampionships, held on 25 August 2008 in Tigre, ARG, asa judge. 35 couples representing different IDSF Memberscompeted in this important competition.It was an outstanding success for the Argentine Dance-Sport Association (AABD) and, of course, for the whole ofDanceSport in South America. We would like to congratulatethe AABD President, Estela Arcos, for his excellentwork.URUGUAYFor the first time ever, the MC has sent a trainer to Uruguay.We started off with a Congress attended by 25 people.They will be the first holders of a Trainer License issued bytheir country in the upcoming months. Their foremost aimis to promote DanceSport in Uruguay further.The MC would like to thank our primary contacts in Uruguay,Yukie Ohno and Miguel Angel Romero, for their support.We also thank the government authorities for theircontinuous help and support to DanceSport.CHILEThe MC sent a trainer to Chile for the sixth time already.By now, there are many National Trainers who are workingunder the umbrella of the well organised Chilean Federation,directed by its President José Luis Tejo. In 2008 theystarted with granting Trainer B licenses. They will soon organisea Training Camp open to couples from Argentina,Uruguay and Mexico.COLOMBIAThe well known Spanish trainer Joan Cayuela lectured attwo Trainer Congresses in Colombia. He taught Dance-Sport principles, technique and the syllabus figures to theattendees.A start-up organisation is working hard to obtain the recognitionof the Colombian sports authorities – and of thepolitical institutions – with the aim to become an officialSport Federation as soon as possible.ECUADORThe Ecuadorian Federation, recently accepted as a ProvisionalMember, is developing steadily. The National OlympicCommittee and the governmental sports authoritiesgive the young organisation maximum support. Its leaders,President Jorge Gutierrez and all his Presidium Members,must be congratulated.They organised their very first DanceSport competition andhad over 50 couples entered in the different categoriesand age grades. Representatives of the National OlympicCommittee of Ecuador attended as guests of honour.BRAZILThree years ago, the MC started dispatching trainersto assist Brazil in the development of DanceSport. EvaAngües, six-time World Senior Latin Champion, took onthe responsibility for conducting the Trainer Congress inSao Paulo. She had the opportunity to get in contact withsome of the professionals from Rio de Janeiro and fromnorthern Brazil.The MC will continue to support our well organised Memberin Brazil. We hope that we will be able to integrate thethousands of dancers in Brazil further, converting theminto true DanceSport athletes.AFRICAThe MC plans to organise a Trainer Congress in Namibiain July 2009. It will be open for several African countries.The very first Ranking Championships are currently beingorganised in South Africa. The IDSF World Ten Dance Cupwill be held in Cape Town, RSA, on 26 September 2009!On Course for Expansion21

World DanceSport MagazineThe DanceSport AcademyThe International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) oversees a comprehensive competition structure. The vastmajority of competitions in DanceSport are controlled directly by the world governing body or indirectly throughIDSF member organisations. In the recent past IDSF has entered into alliances with even more organisations– such as the International Professional DanceSport Council and the International ParalympicCommittee – has started to align certain development goals with its partners, and has pledged close cooperationin attaining these goals. For a number of different organisations to work together towards the futuredevelopment of DanceSport, one needs to assume the lead and coordinate the efforts. With its five decadesof experience, its expertise and credentials, IDSF is willing to take on such responsibility. The DanceSportAcademy could become the first true development project. IDSF Presidium Member Petr Odstrcil presentsthe innovative concept developed by his working group.WeaknessesA unified education system for trainers and judges doesnot exist in competitive DanceSport. Traditional congresses,seminars and workshops are too fragmented and tendto focus only on parts of the mosaic which constitutesmodern DanceSport. New and updated information onmethodology are not readily available. Technical publicationsare old; many of them were authored over 50 yearsago. New ideas and concepts are presented only on therarest of occasions. Hardly anybody is currently workingon the theoretical base and the sporting principles ofDanceSport.OpportunitiesIt is a strong – but wrong – belief among the communitythat the bulk of know-how in DanceSport lies firmly inthe hands of the glorified professionals. While that mighthave been true in the twentieth century, the situation haschanged radically by now. The dancers formerly known asamateurs have more than caught up. The lion’s share ofcompetition-related information is generated and managedby IDSF. As a consequence, the world governingbody must play an active role in the continued developmentof DanceSport. The DanceSport Academy (DSA) isthe IDSF initiative aiming to establish and maintain definedstandards in education and training. It is to reinforcethe existing educational systems at all levels. The DSAbecomes the brain and the heart of DanceSport.ActionsThe ambitious DSA project was first presented to the 2008IDSF Annual General Meeting in June. Shortly thereafter,the IDSF Managing Committee appointed a WorkingGroup consisting of Petr Odstrcil, Natasa Ambroz, DragoSulek and Peter Loja to develop the concept even furtherand to get it ready for implementation from 2009.StructuresThe main structure of the DSA is envisioned as follows:The KNOW-HOW CENTRE includes above all the board ofsupremely qualified lecturers.· Renowned specialists are persuaded to collaborate inthe DSA.· The new generation of pedagogues gets its training atthe DSA.The PRODUCTION CENTRE is responsible for all outputwhich is essential to the dissemination of information. Theoutput:· A magazine published on the Internet which provides informationto licensed trainers and adjudicators.· Technical books, videos, music, etc. which are authoredby the faculty.· Television programmes on DanceSport and other promotionalmaterials which are produced under the control ofthe Academy.This output is financed with revenues generated through acertification system for DanceSport equipment and throughindustry support.The EDUCATION AND RESEARCH CENTRE is in chargeof educating:· Trainers and adjudicators for countries without existingeducational systems· Lecturers for the existing national educational systems· Top-level/international trainers and adjudicatorsThe Education and Research Centre conducts research into:· Dances· Human abilities and skills related to dancing· Methodology· HistoryThe LICENSING CENTRE handles the certification of thenational educational and licensing systems. Furthermore,it grants and administrates all licences for:· Top-level/international trainers and adjudicators· Chairpersons, scrutineers and masters of ceremony fortop-level/international competitions· Member countries without their own licensing system22 The DanceSport Academy

QualificationsIn DanceSport, as in all other sports, a number of peoplework around and for the athletes: they are generally expectedto be experts.These experts work in different positions and at everylevel. Some of them may even work in more than one capacityand at several levels. They are either amateurs orprofessionals.Knowing who the true experts are – and being able to assessprecisely where their competences lie – is paramountto deploy them properly. A licensing system is thereforeneeded. Different licences clearly identify experts specialisedto work in fields such as· Lecturing – educating other experts such as tutors, instructors,etc.· Training – trainers, coaches, teachers, etc.· Evaluating performances – adjudicators, judgesThrough the respective licences, the key officials requiredto oversee the evaluation process in a competition are appointedfor the· Enforcing of rules – chairpersons· Running of competitions – masters of ceremony· Compiling of results – scrutineersTop: Midshipmen rejoicing in having received a quality education at the USNaval Academy in Minneapolis, MD – photo by Cherie Thurlby, USDDEducational SystemsA national educational system is accredited and certifiedby DSA depending on the quality of education it is capableof administering. The standards of education may varysomewhat. The highest standard is the academic: university/college.The DSA evaluates each national system and determineswhich ones are acceptable. The DSA expects an educationalsystem to adhere to the established licensing system– or to implement its own, as long as it is fully compatiblewith that of the DSA.The national educational systems should cover the· INTERNATIONAL LEVEL, which – for the specialisation ofadjudicators – should be divided further into sublevels:· Championship level· International level· NATIONAL LEVEL, which should ideally be structured asfollows:· National championship level, which corresponds tothe international level if the national system is certifiedby the DSA· Advanced level – advanced techniques and popularvariations· Beginner level – level of syllabusCompetitorsTrainersAdjudicatorsChairsOfficialsScrutineersMasters ofCeremonyIDSFLevelNationalLevelWorld ChampionshipsInternationalNational ChampionshipsAdvancedBeginnerC-IC-NT-C A-CT-I A-IT-2 A-2T-3 A-3H-CH-I(1)H-2S-CS-I(1)S-2M-CM-I(1)M-2The DanceSport Academy 23

World DanceSport MagazineThe DSA lecturers seek:· To provide education to all applicants for IDSF licences:adjudicators, trainers and officials.· To provide education to select couples – to certain athletes– in order to test and verify the lecturers’ conceptsand procedures.· To certify national education systems (NES) as well as independenteducational systems (IES), i.e. different typesof private/corporate schools in DanceSport.· To substitute for missing national education systems.· To provide the continuing DanceSport education (CDE).The use of qualified lecturers is one of the conditions forthe certification of a national educational system. A hierarchyamong the lecturers should be established at thenational level too.LecturersIDSF designates the board of lecturers for the DSA. Thelecturers are experts: specialists in one or more subjectsand at specific levels. They are designated by an IDSFbody made up of minimum three senior lecturers. Thedesignated lecturers must be able to teach their subjectscompetently, to write lecture notes and quality papers ontheir subjects, and publish these on the IDSF website or inother IDSF publications. The latter is compulsory to maintainthe status as designated lecturer.Organisation PrinciplesThe traditional concept of an academy – of an educationalsystem – would require classrooms, offices and peopleworking in them. To eventually build such a system, lotsof time, money and, of course, many PEOPLE are needed.At this time, all these resources are rather limited for theworld governing body of DanceSport.But IDSF is an organisation for the young in mind – for progressivepeople. Therefore, the DSA should be organisedfollowing modern principles, adhering to updated strategies,using state-of-the art technologies and communications.The guiding principles are flexibility and connectivity!The basis to the imminent launch of the DSA is the latestcommunications technology – the Internet and everythingassociated with it – and the DSA is to become a virtualschool. Connected to the real life!24 The DanceSport Academy

Future VisionsWe will all work from our own homes and offices. IDSF willmerely provide the connections – the Internet and moderncommunications software – plus some administrativesupport through our IDSF Office in Sant Cugat. It existsalready!We will have no dance floors. We use floors in differentcountries, cities … Wherever our students need them! Ourlecturers will be organised as flying teams. It is cheaper fora small group of experts to fly/travel than it is for a biggergroup of students.True, people need to meet sometimes: to get to know eachother better, to discuss certain issues face to face … andto build an even better community. Hence we organiseannual congresses.We won’t be able to produce everything ourselves. Norcan we directly control all outside productions in DanceSport.But what we can do is create standards – and theprocedures to maintain them. Through licences, certificationsand grants!The DSA should ultimately be working as the worldwidecoordinator of education in DanceSport. It is only appropriatethat its managing body becomes the Board of Coordinators(BC). The BC consists of the chair – who is responsiblefor running the DSA – and of four coordinatorswho are responsible for each of the DSA centres.In some ways, IDSF has long embarked on the mission ofthe DSA. It has produced quality papers:· Education of judges and licences (White Paper, 2002)· Compilation of information on the national education systems(N. Ambroz, 2004)And it has imparted knowledge and skills through its commissionsand charges.:· Training Camps for Teachers and Coaches (MembershipCommission)· Adjudicators’ Congresses (Technical Commission)· Chairpersons’ Congresses (Technical Commission)· “Open” Congresses (Education Department)The next step towards a full implementation should be toupdate and to validate the existing documents – and tointegrate some of these missions (marked red in the organisationalchart) into the DSA structure.Page 23 – top: Simona Francello, Michele Bonsignori and Monica Baldasseroniat the Stuttgart Congress – photo by Heidi EstlerPage 23 – bottom: Dancing ArtDSAAdministration Centre Education Centre Production Centre Technical CentreLicensingTop-Level ESwww.idsf.eduDatabases andServersLecturersRenewals, etc.PublishingCoordinatorCommunicationsResearchCoordinatorsNational-Level ES(Flying Teams)TelevisionCoordinatorCertification ofProgrammesCertificationof nesInternationalLevelEquipmentCertificationRules andProceduresAdvancedLevelBeginnerLevelESEducational SystemNES National ESThe DanceSport Academy 25

World DanceSport MagazineUniversal & MultidisciplinaryA Random Round-UpIDSF World Cup LatinShanghai, CHNThe 2008 IDSF World Cup Latin took place at the LuwanArena in Shanghai, China, on 20 July. A total of 27 nationswere represented in this prestigious event which ranover two days. On day one, the top athletes performed ashort Samba routine to thrill the crowd during the OpeningCeremony: it was the perfect prelude to their class actson day two.Officials from the Shanghai Sports Department and theChina DanceSport Federation (CDSF) worked closelywith IDSF – through Presidium Member Shawn Tay – topromote and develop this premier DanceSport festival.The arena was packed with enthusiastic spectators andsupporters. Their applause and cheers spurred the athletesto perform at their absolute best.1 Stefano Di Filippo - Anna Melnikova ITA2 Alexey Silde - Anna Firstova RUS3 Martino Zanibellato - Michelle Abildtrup DEN4 Jesper Birkehoj - Anna Kravchenko GER5 Jevgenijs Suvorovs - Andrea Zelinkova LAT6 Mirko Sciolan - Nuria Santalucia AUSWorld Rock ‘n’ Roll Confederation ChampionshipsThe top international Rock ‘n’ Roll competitions take partbetween October and December every year. The BoogieWoogie dancers had their highlight with the World Championshipsin Varberg, Sweden, on 11 October and the EuropeanChampionships in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, on15 November.It proved to be the perfect year for French couple MaevaTruntzer and William Mauvias, they were crowned Worldas well as European Boogie Woogie Champions in 2008.In Sweden, the runners-up were one of the most successfulcouples in the recent past: Sarah Montalban and RemyKouakou Kouame (FRA); Johanna Johansson and RikardEkstrand (SWE) took third. In Switzerland, second placewent to Frida Borg and Marcus Rosendal (SWE); the ItaliansSonia Salsedo and Marco Larosa finished third.World Boogie Woogie – Main ClassVarberg, SWE, 11/101 William MAUVAIS - Maeva TRUNTZER FRA2 Remy KOUAKOU KOUAME - Sarrah MONTALBAN FRA3 Rikard EKSTRAND - Johanna JOHANSSON SWE4 Y. MORTREUIL-HENRY - S. MORTREUIL-HENRY FRA5 Nicolas DENIAU - Melanie DENIAU FRA6 Masi SAURÉN - Matleena KORTESALMI FIN7 Espen HARTVIKSEN - Tina MONSEN-NYHEIM NORThe Rock ‘n’ Roll Formations contested their titles inCroatia and Russia. The Rock’n’Roll Dream Team (GER)was able to win the title as World Champions for the secondyear running. In the European Championships thesurprise came from Poland: the Mega Dance Team convincedthe judges with their extremely difficult acrobatics.Some minor mistakes by the Germans were enough todrop them into second.The Rock ‘n’ Roll World Championships for the Main Classwere held in Graz, AUT, on 6 December. The final Mastersevent took place in Lyon, FRA, on 22 November.World RR Formations – Main ClassSt. Petersburg, RUS, 20/091 Rock ‘n’ Roll Dream Team GER2 Kontine RUS3 Rock Comets RUS4 The Rockets GER5 Route 66 SUI26 Universal & multidisciplinary

Juvenile Champions:Open as well as National!Sergey Rozhkov – Marina Zakharova (RUS)WDSM: And – I assume – you go to school there?S: Yes, I am now in seventh grade of secondary school.Marina is also in secondary school, in sixth grade.WDSM: Do you have plans for your future when it comesto your scholastic career?S: I don’t think about which school I will attend in the future.For the time being, I am learning a lot and I am busywith my dancing.WDSM: You have to do your homework and you have totrain. How can you combine the two?S: The learning and the dancing take place under the sameroof, in my school. In the morning I attend my classes downstairs,in the afternoon I go upstairs for my training on thedance floor. Marina lives in a different part of Moscow, shehas to come to my school for our training. That is not so easyfor her.WDSM: When did you take up dancing?Sergey, born in Moscow on 13 May 1996, and Marina,born in Moscow on 26 February 1997, are the standoutsamong the new generation of motivated Russianathletes breaking onto the international DanceSportscene. WDSM editor Heidi Götz interviews theyoungsters during the German Open Championshipsin Stuttgart. She tries to find out what keeps the twofocused on becoming World Champions one day.WDSM: It is a pleasure for me to be with you here today,presenting both of you to the WDSM readers. I alsowelcome Pavel Dorokhov, President of the Russian DanceSportFederation. Thank you for joining us and being ourvery own interpreter. Marina and Sergey, I watched you incompetition here at the Culture and Congress Centre. Youdanced in Junior I, the age grade for the 12 to 13-year oldathletes, winning the Latin and placing third in Ten Dance.I particularly remember you at the awards presentationdraped in a Russian flag. You are a promising couple froma country which produces champions by the dozens. Tellus more, please!Sergey: Our families live in Moscow, in different parts ofMoscow.S: I started to dance when I was four years old; Marina whenshe was five. We started to dance together in November2007. I was looking for a partner. Marina came to our cluband we had a tryout for a few hours. Immediately my trainerthought that she would be the best partner for me.WDSM: What are your interests and hobbies aside fromdancing?S: I like to play football. After I have done all my homework,I like to go out for a match. Near my house there is apitch where I play with my friends. I enjoy that very much.My second hobby is to speak English. I learn it at school.It was not a compulsory course, but I decided to take itanyhow.Marina: I enjoy walking around, playing computer gamesand painting.WDSM: How did you get in contact with dancing?S: My brother began with DanceSport when he was tenyears old. My parents brought me along to the studio. Ihad to watch my brother on the floor and, all of a sudden, Idecided to give it a try myself. I liked it very much!Juvenile Champions: Open as well as National! 27

World DanceSport MagazineM: I did rhythmic gymnastic when I was three years old. Ialso tried figure skating. My parents introduced me to allthese sports. But in the end I decided on my own to concentrateon DanceSport. I like dancing very much. WheneverI listened to music, I started to move and to dance.My parents looked for the nearest studio. That is how Imet Sergey!WDSM: What do you enjoy most in DanceSport. Is it thetraining or the competing?S: I like to train – very much – but I also like to compare withother couples, to compete against them. I guess I like both.WDSM: Pavel, why does the Russian Federation organisechampionships for children from the earliest stages?Pavel Dorokhov: First, because it is permissible in ourcountry. Second, we have many children dancing in Russia.They have to train a lot; and competitions tend to maketheir training more interesting. Without competitions, thekids would eventually lose interest. That is why we havenational competitions in Juvenile I, for children born 1999or later, and the National Championships in Juvenile II, forthose aged ten or eleven. In all these contests, the youngcouples do six dances – in both styles. We do not allowthat the organisers separate Standard and Latin.M: It is the same for me; I like competition as well as practice.28 Juvenile 28 Champions: Open as well as National!All photographs are courtesy of Sergey and Marina. They are from their private collection.

World DanceSport MagazineWDSM: As I watch Sergey and Marina, they have bright eyesand smiling faces whenever they talk about DanceSportand competition. In other countries parents are often afraidof putting too much pressure on their sons and daughters.They prefer a different approach – more like those we knowfrom recent motion pictures such as “Take the Lead”. Everythingshould remain fun: no pressure, no rankings!PD: There are psychologists who say that you have to becareful, sensitive, especially with very young people. Butthere are other experts as well! They suggest that thesooner you start teaching children how to deal with acompetitive situation the better. The children will becomestronger. They learn to enjoy victory… but also to deal withdefeat.WDSM: Which competitions do you like best and which isyour most important success?S: I like two competitions particularly well: the Germanand the Russian Open Championships. I like them bothand I am very proud that we could win them.PD: And the Russian National Championship is not importantfor you? After all, you are the reigning RussianNational Champion!S: Yes, of course, that would be another favourite competition.You are right: there are three important competitions for us!M: For me it is the same! The German and the RussianOpen Championships!WDSM: What are you dreaming of in terms of your DanceSportcareers? I think I know your answers already.S: I am dreaming of becoming World Champion in JuniorII, first of all!M: Winning the World Championship, of course!WDSM: As I said, I knew what you were going to answer.WDSM: We often hear about the stern training discipline inthe Eastern countries. Is it that the case as many peoplethink? How do practise?S: We train close to six hours every day, five days perweek. On weekends we go to the competitions. Maybetwo or three times every month!WDSM: Do you practise only your dancing or is theresomething else you do for your training? Maybe you doballet or gymnastics?S: It is mainly the dancing; we do some stretching oncea week.WDSM: Do you train on your own or is there always acoach with you?S: Half of the time the trainer is watching us; then she workswith the other couples. We have to practise on our own.WDSM: Is this only your own coach or are there others aswell?S: There are some other coaches too. We go to another studiofor lessons: we occasionally work with Carol McCraild,Tommy Shaugnessy, Graham Oswick and Ton Greten.M: I also had lessons with Alexey Silde when I was dancingwith my former partner.WDSM: Have you travelled to many different countries?S: We were in Germany, England, Ireland and Turkey.M: I had also been in Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine!WDSM: Pavel, have you ever been concerned about pushingDanceSport for juveniles too much in Russia? Havingit possibly cause health problems for the young athletes?PD: We are collaborating closely with our experts and weare sure that they are very strict in what they are suggesting.We don’t want to transgress on physical or – this iseven more important – on psychological limitations. Wedo train our coaches. Every year we hold a congress inMoscow, over three days, and one of the most importanttopics is DanceSport for youth. It covers all aspects: fromphysiology to training routines. Experts from the PedagogicAcademy are the lecturers.WDSM: What is your motivation for training and workingthat much?M: I like this sport, I like it as dancing. I simply love it!PD: I often ask the parents whether they have to put pressureon their children. What is required to motivate them for training?All our parents tell us that their children like to dance.They merely have to go along with, support it. The familiesstay involved; they travel together and help their kids.WDSM: For the other athletes in your age grade you arestarting to be come idols. I am sure many of them wouldlike to dance you. Can you give them any advice?S: I believe that they must train a lot and like our sport asmuch as we do.WDSM: Wrapping up our interview, I thank Pavel Dorokhovfor helping us as an interpreter and an expert on youth inDanceSport. I can tell that he is very proud of the youngRussian couples. I wish you, Marina and Sergey, great successand a lot of fun in your careers. I am sure we will meetagain at other competitions. Who knows? I will then congratulateyou on being IDSF World Champions.Juvenile Champions: Open as well as National! 29

World DanceSport MagazineIDSF World and EuropeanDanceSport ChampionshipsWorld Senior II StandardLiege, BEL, 20/101 Michael Lindner - Beate Lindner GER2 Walter Valenta - Irmtraud Maurer AUT3 Bernd Farwick - Petra Voosholz GER4 Luciano Mannello - Patrizia Presti ITA5 Raymund Reimann - Antje Schulz GER6 Lonny Tsang - Susie Tsang USA7 Giampaolo Diotallevi - Christiana Marini ITA8 Maurizio Lanno - Maria Parisi ITA9 Claus Halfmeier - Britta Halfmeier GER10 Bruno Lazzareschi - Ida Zotta ITA11 James Barron - Rachel Barron GBR12 Massimo Schiano - Antonella D’Itri ITAWorld Adult StandardVienna, AUT, 15/111 Paolo Bosco - Silvia Pitton ITA2 Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Köhler GER3 Andrea Ghigiarelli - Sara Andracchio ITA4 Marat Gimaev - Alina Basyuk RUS5 Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol GER6 Emanuel Valeri - Tania Kehlet DEN7 Sergey Konovaltsev - Olga Konovaltseva RUS8 Luca Bussoletti - Tjasa Vulic SLO9 Marco Cavallaro - Joanne Clifton GBR10 Wiktor Kiszka - Malgorzata Garlicka POL11 Donatas Vezelis - Lina Chatkeviciute LTU12 Angelo Madonia - Jelena Samuilova LATWorld Junior II Ten DanceMinsk, BLR, 8 – 9/111 Kuzin, Evgeny / Agikyan, Valeriya RUS2 Akhmetshin, Andrey / Grigorenko, Anastasia BLR3 Gunnarsson, Alex Freyr / Nissen, Katrine DEN4 Lipowski, Jakub / Duranska, Kamila POÑ5 Iori, Giorgio / Galli, Valentina ITA6 Nuzhdov, Oleksiy / Kozma, Katerina UKR7 Liepnieks, Valts / Diure, Daniela LAT7 Sosunov, Maxim / Kazarina , Evgeniya GER9 Skuhravy, Jan / Bergmannova, Dominika CZE10 Manukian, David / Fedotova, Alina ARM11 Ganev, Georgi / Gadzheva, Veronika BUL12 Tam, Winson / Kus , Anna Nina CANWorld Adult Ten DanceBerlin, GER, 29/111 Kies, Christoph / Turón , Blanca Ribas Turón GER2 Cigoj, Miša / Malai, Alexandra SLO3 Zaytsev, Andrey / Kuzminskaya , Anna RUS4 Bitsch, Bjørn / Williamson, Ashli DEN5 Cannizzaro, Domenico / Junkure , Agnese ITA6 László, Csaba / Mikes , Anna HUN7 Dvorak, Martin / Silhanova, Zuzana CZE8 Gilin, Alan / Trutneva , Anastasia CAN9 Hirvonen, Markus / Hirvonen, Mariia FIN10 Kravchuk, Oleksandr / Getsko, Olesya UKR11 Kashkovskyy , Yevgen / Matus, Ana MDA12 Gaudet, Steeve / Colmard , Laure FRAWorld Formation LatinWiener Neustadt, AUT, 29/111 Klaipeda University DSC “ZUVEDRA” A LTU2 Grün-Gold-Club Bremen GER3 TSZ Velbert GER4 Vera Tjumen RUS5 HSV Zwölfaxing AUT6 Klaipeda University DSC “ZUVEDRA” B LTU7 DSC Tsveta Radugi RUS8-12 DC Mara Minsk BLR8-12 Valcer Dance Studio HUN8-12 Dance East Oldenzaal NED8-12 KS Kamion Dance Warsaw POL8-12 Dance Club Aurora SRBWorld Youth StandardSalou, ESP, 06/121 Ulanov, Danil / Glazanova, Anastasia RUS2 Galuppo, Francesco / Pacini, Debora ITA3 Jeschke, Jacek / Wior, Wiktoria POL4 Skuratov, Anton / Uehlin, Alena GER5 Novikov, Pavel / Iwanowicz, Karolina POL6 Azanov, Anton / Isakovich, Ekaterina RUS7 Vinokurov, Evgeny / Luft, Christina GER8/9 Balestra, Luca / Balestra, Krizia ITA8/9 Coropceanu, Serghei / Cheptiene, Marioara MDA10 Kitsun, Andrey / Krepchuk, Yuliya BLR11 Linis, Edgars / Anacane, Eliza LAT12 Gorodilov, Konstantin / Koger, Emma/Leena EST13 Abols, Ronalds / Vitenberga, Santa LAT14 Krasnoshlyk, Sergiy / Schapina, Darya UKR30Results

World DanceSport MagazineinternationalDanceSportfederationEuropean Youth Ten DanceSchladming, AUT, 21/061 Yury Simachev - Angelina Sibaeva RUS2 Evgeny Vinokurov - Christina Luft GER3 Pavel Novikov - Karolina Iwanowicz POL4 Konstantin Gorodilov - Emma-Leena Koger EST5 Earle Williamson - Tara James DEN6 Andrei Kitsun - Yuliya Krepchuk BLR7 Matteo Lumetta - Carlotta Liardi ITA8 David Odstrcil - Beata Koblizkova CZE9 Edgars Linis - Eliza Ancane LAT10 Cristian Radvan - Tatiana Seliverstova MDA11 Joel Gonzales - Ariadna Gil ESP12 Andrej Mesojedec - Lea Perovsek SLOEuropean Cup Adult StandardSofia, BUL, 18/101 Sergey Konovaltsev - Olga Konovaltseva RUS2 Luca Bussoletti - Tiasa Vulic SLO3 Salvatore Todaro - Violeta Yaneva BUL4 Guerra Rosario - Eleonora Grazia ITA5 Oliver Rehder - Jasmin Rehder GER6 Kaspars Banders - Vita Jaroscuka LAT7 Christoph Santner - Maria Santner AUT8 Elimantas Kalinauskas - Greta Laurinaityte LTU9 Olexandr Kravchuk - Ilesya Getsko UKR10 -12 Alari Lukk - Dina Soritsa EST10 -12 Romian Leal - Chloe Leal FRA10 -12 Tomas Uvacek - Martina Reiterova SVK13 Pawel Szajda - Karina Hoffman POLEuropean Cup Adult Ten DanceLappeenrantan, FIN, 27/091 Misa Cigoj - Alexandra Malai SLO2 Timur Imametdinov - Ekaterina Nikolaeva RUS3 Andrej Mosejcuk - Izabela Janachowska POL4 Valentin Lusin - Renata Busheeva GER5 Volodymyr Lyatov - Veronika Myshko UKR6 Markus Hirvonen - Mariia Hirvonen FIN7 Vladimir Slon - Bianka Zubrowska AUT8 Valerijus Osadcenko - Olga Osadcenko LTU9 Alari Lukk - Dina Soritsa EST10 Evgeny Selin - Hanna Oladottir ISL11 Steve Gaudet - Laure Colmard FRA12 Sergei Kiselev - Ekaterina Popova BLREuropean Formation StandardMoscow, RUS, 25/101 Vera Tyumen RUS2 Kodreanka Chisinau MDA3 TK Ludwigsburg GER4 Lotos-Jantar Elblag POL5 Braunschweiger TSC GER6 Impulse Chelyabinsk RUS7-10 Krok Hradec Kralove CZE7-10 Szilver TSE Szentes/ HUN7-10 DSV Voetisch s Hertogenbosch NED7-10 KTS Interklub Madit Bratislava SLOWorld Formation StandardChisinau, MDA, 11/101 DSC Codreanka MDA2 TC Ludwigsburg GER3 Braunschweiger TSC GER4 Lotos-Jantar POL5 Impulse RUS6 Mara BLR7 Szilver TSE HUN8-10 TK Chvaletice CZE8-10 Kodmon TSE HUN8-10 KTS Interklub Madit SLO11-12 Kadryl POL11-12 TC Kosice SLO13 Floris Dance Team ROMWorld Cup Adult LatinShanghai, CHN, 20/081 Stefano Di Filippo - Anna Melnikova ITA2 Alexey Silde - Anna Firstova RUS3 Martino Zanibellato - Michelle Abildtrup DEN4 Jesper Birkehoj - Anna Kravchenko GER5 Jevgenijs Suvorovs - Andrea Zelinkova LAT6 Mirko Sciolan - Nuria Santalucia AUS7 Zufar Ludwig Zaripov - Anna Tchemodourova AUT8 Joonas Piippola - Katri Makinen FIN9 Gregoire Lyonnet - Anastasija Gorbachenko FRA10 Nicolas Garcia - Maria Turlupova ESP11 Paul Voicu Marian - Saray Gomez ROM12 Gediminas Grigonis - Zemaityte Justina LTUResults 31