Issue 2013/05: WDSG 2013 | The Highlights of Day One

:::: The Highlights of Day One :::: Issue 16/09/2013

The first day of competition at the World DanceSport Games brings two spectacular events to the floor of the K-Arena in Kaohsiung. Showdance Latin and Formation Standard are contrasting each other in many ways. Beyond the differences between the two styles – more formal the Standard, more uninhibited the Latin – there are fundamental differences in other areas as well.

It is Formation that is often said to be totally different from the other disciplines as it takes the smallest and most common team in DanceSport – a couple – and puts it in the context of a much bigger team: eight couples performing in perfect synchronicity. Not an easy task in a sport where strong individualism is very often considered a virtue.

Three of the top four finishers at last year’s World Championship Formation Standard in Ludwigsburg, GER, have made it to Kaohsiung.  Reigning World Champion TSC Braunschweig, GER, and the runners-up Vera Tyumen, RUS, are the two formations with the best prospects to be among the four A finalists here. After the first round, 4 out of the 7 formations qualify for the A Final, 3 have to content themselves with the B Final.

Showdance is another discipline with its particularities. Here the dancers are given the opportunity to express themselves through a highly personal performance that they create together with their choreographer. They choose the music, they select the moves, and they put together a four-minute routine that is capable of creating moods and telling stories. All the while showing perfect dancing with perfect technique and great artistry. 

The WDSG 2013 Showdance Latin pitches the recently crowned World Champions Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova , FRA, against the winners in 2012, Vladimir Karpov - Mariya Tzaptashvilli, RUS. After the Russian couple has turned professional at the beginning of the year, this clash between two divisions will be quite interesting to watch. Charles and Elena are coming off the best week of their career: World Champions Showdance plus a second place at the GrandSlam Latin Beijing. Vladimir and Mariya recently took second at the WDSF Super GrandPrix Latin in Stuttgart, GER.

Contact the WDSF Communications team in Kaohsiung for rights-free high-resolution photography and for broadcast quality HD video footage of the WDSF World DanceSport Games 2013.

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