Issue 2013/08: WDSG 2013 | Over The Moon

Boogie-Woogie, Wheelchair DanceSport Latin, Standard

Over The Moon

Day 4 of the 2013 World DanceSport Games in Kaohsiung coincided with the Mid-Autumn Festival – aka the ‘Moon Festival’ – an important fixture in the Chinese calendar and a public holiday in Taiwan. The spectator turnout at the K-Arena reflected that. From the early morning hours the crowd got bigger and bigger – and also more vocal. By the time the finals came around in the later part of the afternoon, the audience cheered for every couple that came onto the floor.

Boogie-Woogie as a competitive dance event had most likely its premiere in Asia today, but the Kaohsiung residents caught on rapidly and interacted with the couples dressed in their 50s-style outfits throughout the competition.

Winners of the Boogie-Woogie event were the reigning World Champions from Norway, Thorbjorn Solvoll - Susanne Barhald Sandberg.

As many had expected, Russia dominated the Wheelchair Latin event. Both Russian couples made it to the final and took first and second there. The first ever Wheelchair DanceSport Champions crowned at World DanceSport Games were Sergey Antonov - Olga Beliaeva, RUS.

Right after his victory Sergey told the press that he now looks forward to see the able-bodied Latin dancers compete tomorrow. “These games are great for us all,” he said,” they give us the opportunity to look to the other disciplines and to able-bodied dancing for inspiration and certain points on technique.”

The third highlight of today was the Standard event. 25 couples had entered it and the final pitched some of the most resounding names in all of DanceSport against each other. Paolo Bosco - Joanne Kirsty Clifton, ITA, kept the upper hand with 196 points (out of a possible 200), leaving runners-up Emanuel Valeri - Tania Kehlet, DEN, less than 3 and third-placed Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, just over 6 points behind.

The audience watching the Standard Final live on YouTube was the biggest one yet for the games. Two YouTube channels are streaming all competitions live from the K-Arena: one of the host broadcaster Formosa TV, the other of the World DanceSport Federation.

Two hours with coverage on the different finals of the day air on Formosa TV and several other channels in Asia. Highlights on the 14 events contested during the World DanceSport Games 2013 will get released to broadcasters internationally from the end of September.

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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