2019 WDSF Events in Stuttgart

Marius-Andrei Balan – Khrystyna Moshenska (GER) repeated their win from last year with outstanding performances and scores. The last jive earned them the biggest applause of the day, as well as the highest scores of the final, 39.375. ”The final round was really unforgettable”, Khrystyna commented. ”The public in German Open is appreciating good dancing, they don’t go after places or ranking. They appreciated us today more than ever before, and this is very important”, Marius thanked.

Timur Imametdinov – Nina Bezzubova (GER) ranked second and organised a little surprise for the supporting spectators by entering their last solo handing out roses to some members of the audience on the way down to the dance floor. ”It was a big, big thank you for this public, which has been supporting us for three years in a row standing on their feet at the last day of the event. Thank you, public, those roses were for you! Unfortunately, we can’t bring a rose garden inside, so we just had a few”, Nina said emotionally to Evaldas Sodeika, who was interviewing them after the prize presentation ceremony. ”All the competition went very well for us from the first round onwards”, Timur summarized their day.

The third place on the podium belonged to Charles-Guillaume Schmitt – Elena Salikhova (FRA). ”This is the best competition and I’m super happy to be on the podium, in top three”, Charles said. ”I’m having so many emotions, I’m between crying of happiness and laughing so much, I’m so happy”, Elena said, and continued saying ”The support of the crowd gave me so much energy and I wanted to give it back”. Charles agreed saying ”It’s like sharing the emotions. This is the best feeling!” During Paso Doble they said they felt really ”on”, and the adjudicator panel had noticed it, too, by awarding the couple their highest scores of the final.

Andrey Gusev – Vera Bondareva (RUS) ranked fourth. They scored higher points in Jive than Charles and Elena, but it wasn’t enough to bypass the French. Andrea Silvestri – Martina Varadi (HUN) ranked fifth. They had an energetic Samba which earned them the highest scores in the final. Edgar Marcos Borjas – Alina Nowak (POL) ranked sixth and they ended their final with their best scores in Jive.

The couples will be seen next time at the World Championship, which will be competed in Moscow on September 7th. Only about two weeks to go until the best of the best in Latin dancing meet again and pursue for the World title. It will be the home turf of the reigning Champions Armen Tsaturyan – Svetlana Gudyno, and the couples will use the remaining time to prepare to push harder, and to achieve and show something extra. It will be something worth waiting for!

Evaldas Sodeika – Ieva Zukauskaite (LTU) ended the 2019 WDSF GrandSlam Standard in Stuttgart with a standing ovation. The last Quickstep earned them the best scores of the day, 39.625, which confirmed the win in both scores and in the spectators’ hearts. In the interview, conducted by Timur Imametdinov, the couple said they felt really welcomed, from the first round. ”We enjoy winning, it’s an amazing feeling!”, they giggled, but continued: ”We try to win the hearts of the audience, and by the reaction of them after the last dance, I think we touched a small piece of their hearts tonight.”

Ranking for the second place was just as clear as the ranking for the first place. Francesco Galuppo – Debora Pacini (ITA) continued their good season and getting good scores. Slow Foxtrot earned them the best scores and the loudest applause of the day. The couple enjoyed the atmosphere: ”The audience was really amazing, the band was really, really nice”, Debora said. ”We have really good memories of German Open, we have won a Youth competition here. And, we are very happy with our dancing this year”, Francesco confirmed.

The third place was at a tie after three dances, as Evgeny Moshenin – Dana Spitsyna (RUS) and Alexey Glukhov – Anastasia Glazunova (RUS) shared the same scores at that point of the final. Evgeny and Dana then pushed hard for their Slow Foxtrot, earning 0.25 points more than Alexey and Anastasia. Alexey and Anastasia then had an amazing Quickstep, which earned them 0.08 points more than Evgeny and Dana. In the end, the final margin in scores left Evgeny and Dana third with a margin of 0.169 points. ”It helps to find out the results are shaky”, Dana commented. ”In such a tight competition we have to fight. And we did!”, Evgeny said.

Alexey Glukhov – Anastasia Glazunova ranked fourth, but with their incredible dancing and spirit they were the main conductors of the excitement for the German crowd, which started to react, sigh and cheer each time the standings were shown on the screens.

Vaidotas Lacitis – Veronika Golodneva (LTU) ranked fifth. They improved their scores towards the end, and their last dance of the final, Quickstep, earned the couple the best scores of the day. The same can be said for Evgeny Nikitin – Anastasia Miliutina (RUS), who ranked sixth, and were also given the best scores in Quickstep.

As the last chapter of the journal of the 2019 WDSF GrandSlam Series Standard before the Big Final is approaching, the scene has been set in a way that defines the unpredictability of sport. Every couple has been improving and fine-tuning their dancing during the long season, and the results of it can be seen in quarterfinals, semifinals and finals of each competition. They all have what it takes to win; to win the competition, to win the hearts of the spectators, and, most importantly to top themselves.

It was a night for Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska (GER), who danced and scored outstandingly well in a final which will be remembered for a long time. The atmosphere was amazing, all couples showed something extra and the audience loved it!

The final result:

1. Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER
2. Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER
3. Charles Guillaume-Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA
4. Andrey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, RUS
5. Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, HUN
6. Edgar Marcos Borjas - Alina Nowak, POL

Congratulations for the couples, and thank you for such an astonishing evening!

Sondre Olsen Bye - Tatiana Georgiievska (NOR) won their second European title in Stuttgart after a long day in Saturday. The couple said the schedule fit them well as the breaks were short and they could keep up the good spirit throughout the day.

The Finns, Juho Päivinen - Mari Munne won their first medal, silver, and it was also the first medal in Main Class for Finland. The couple was overwhelmed of their success after a difficult start for the year, but they had felt strong throughout the day and in the final.

The third place and the bronze medals were awarded to the Swedish couple Viktor Edlund - Wilma Edlund.

The spectators were clapping in the same rhythm with the music throughout the semifinal. The biggest cheers were heard after the Rumba heat, where the both German couples shared the floor at the same time. Heat after another, dance after another the noise became louder and louder.

The anticipated final will be danced between these six couples:

33 Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, HUN
84 Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER
98 Charles Guillaume-Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA
113 Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER
140 Edgar Marcos Borjas - Alina Nowak, POL
183 Andrey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, RUS

Rest of the evening in Beethoven Saal is dedicated to GrandSlam Latin semifinal and final, and the European Championship Boogie Woogie final.

The seven finalist couples entering the floor and dancing for the European Championship are:
Sondre Olsen Bye - Tatiana Georgiievska, NOR
Juho Päivinen - Mari Munne, FIN
Masi Saurén - Anna Tyutyunyuk, FIN
Simone Corsi - Giulia Cornelli, ITA
Victor Edlund - Wilma Edlund, SWE
Nils Andrén - Bianca Locatelli, SWE
Alexey Gavrilov - Svetlana Gavrilova, RUS

The live stream is running, check it below.

It might be only a glimpse of what is coming at the semifinal and the final, but the couples were really pushing each other to higher level - and the crowd loved it!

The semifinal round will begin at 20:10 CET with these fabulous couples:

19 Winson Tam - Anastasia Novikova, CAN
33 Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, HUN
41 Konstantin Gorodilov - Dominika Bergmannova, EST
84 Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER
98 Charles Guillaume-Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA
113 Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER
140 Edgar Marcos Borjas - Alina Nowak, POL
162 Paul Moldovan - Cristina Tatar, ROU
176 Guillem Pascual - Rosa Carne, ESP
183 Andrey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, RUS
219 Bangbang Yan - Yujun Du, CHN
235 Anton Aldaev - Natalia Polukhina, RUS

2019 WDSF GrandSlam Latin is already running, and we already know the top 50 couples who will proceed to the fourth round. Please have a look at the Gallery, we have just uploaded hundreds of photos by Reinhard Egli, Helmut Roland and Marina Melnikova, and they look just amazing!

The quarterfinal round, which will also be broadcasted on DanceSportTotal.com is scheduled to start at 17:20 CET. If you haven't joined us by now, there is plenty of time to do it now.

And, that is not all!!! Our associate member, the World Rock'n'Roll Confederation is hosting the second day of the 2019 European Championship Boogie Woogie today, and the live stream will be available on our Youtube channel. You can also watch it here:

Part 1:


Part 2: