After winning the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN, Mirko Gozzoli and Edita Daniute, LTU, announced that they would end their active career that had extended over many years, that had them amass titles in every camp, and that had made them - as a couple and together with their other partners - a reference in the Standard dances during all of it.
A moving farewell and a last Waltz.
The 2014 PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN, the two Worlds Ten Dance in Riga, LAT, and the World Standard Formation in Braunschweig, GER, have all concluded. Thanks to our blogs you were able to follow all four championships in a timely manner. For the World Standard Formation we had hoped to report more in-depth, but thanks to host broadcaster NDR you should have gotten a good idea of what went on at the Volkswagen Hall in Braunschweig.
What is left? WDSF Communications will soon produce two highlight programmes for its video-on-demand service: one on the World Ten Dance and the other on the PD World Standard. Both should be available in two to three weeks through our on-demand outlet DanceSport Total Plus.
Our reporter Ferran Castanyer has recorded many of the best couples dancing in today's PD Open Latin in Nanjing.
Watch the best couples perform on DanceSport Total under "Uploads." The results of this Open should soon be available. Here's a photograph of the podium.
More soon!
Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Köhler, GER, dance the second round Viennese Waltz at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Emanuel Valeri - Tania Kehlet, DEN, dance the second round Quickstep at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Donatas Vezelis - Lina Chatkeviciute, LTU, dance the second round Quickstep at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Dan Cheng - Zhenni Li, CHN, dance the first round Vinnese Waltz at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Pasquale Nudo - Yulia Saykina, ITA, dance the second round Quickstep at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Rosario Guerra - Grazia Benincasa, ITA, dance the second round Slow Foxtrotat the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Davide Gozzi - Claudia Balestra, USA, dance the second round Slow Foxtrot at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Likai Wang - Lingyi Zhao, CHN, dance the second round Viennese Waltz at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
Alessandro Ilarioni - Aurora Sbardella, ITA, dance the second round Tango at the 2014 WDSF PD World Standard in Nanjing, CHN on 1 November.
One month after the World Championship Latin Show Dance in Ostrava, CZE, the professionals determine their European Champions in Dresden, GER. Martin Pastor reports:
What a WDSF weekend! 3 WDSF and 2 WDSF PD Championships and many other WDSF and PD competitions around the World! So the organisers, DTV PD Germany and Tassilo and Sabine Lax could actually be happy that 11 PD Showdance couples showed up at this great, well organized gala event at the Congress Center Dresden.
In front of the fantastic audience the undisputable winners were Vadim Garbuzov - Kathrin Menzinger from Austria with their self choreographed show Rise Like a Phoenix, the former Vice Champions of the PD World Show Dance Latin in Ostrava and of the PD European Show Dance Standard in Vienna. We can imagine how happy they were this time.
The silver medal went to Germany very clearly. Marius Cristian Iepure - Otlile Mabuse presented a very rhythmical and inspiring show named Long Way to Freedom (Mandela) choreograph Ton Greten. Bronze medallists with a very modern self choreographed show called New Dimension were Radim Pradka and Katerina Kolmanova from Czech Republic in very sophisticated costumes.
Very close to the medal were Tamás Gellai - Darya Vorobchenko , Hungary with their show Hope of the Bridge, also choreographed by themselves. Fifth were Ivan Kudashev and Kseniia Sokolova, Russian Federation with the Show choreographed by Vlad Pavlov, named Sleep Sugar. This excellent final was rounded up with the sixth place for Valerij Osadchenko and Sandra Kniazeviciute, Lithuania, with their self choreographed show Ediction.
Performances of all 11 couples were at the high level but unfortunately, 80% of the shows had tragic subjects and the characteristics of the Latin Dances was not always recognisable.