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(Cover Photo Courtesy of: dance-mag.com)

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]And things keep changing! The 3rd GrandSlam of the WDSF calendar year has officially concluded here in Rimini, Italy, and we found ourselves face to face with some intriguing occurrences![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”20px”][vc_column_text]With two finalist couples out of the running for the title due to their absence, Andrey Gusev and Vera Bondareva of Russia, Andrea Silvestri and Martina Varadi of Hungary, gave way to others to conclude this imperative annual event on another step towards victory. It was the night of Jakub Lipowski and Diandra-Aniela Illes, a duo that made Poland proud for making their very first GrandSlam final ever! Last month in Taipei, Konstantin Gorodilov and Dominika Bergmannova of Estonia also made their first GrandSlam final, finishing in 6th, and Paul Moldovan with Cristina Tatar of Romania took 7th, another couple who achieved their highest placement ever in a GrandSlam event. They reached the heights of the semi-final and were destined to make the top 6 final sooner or later. Polish couple concluded in 8th position in Taipei. For this reason, it was in favor of either Estonia or Romania to conclude the final 6 here in Rimini – but no, Poland made its breakthrough – now with two of its couples in the final![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kki4aF0Y_U&t=2s”][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]However, it’s essential to remember that the top couples of this division are so tight in technical and performing skills that they can easily swap places from competition to competition. Someone works just a bit harder than the rest, and a few weeks later, the results will show this. Nonetheless, outside forces also control such changes, including the adjudicators, the atmosphere, one’s personal feelings that day, and so on.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]

GrandSlam Win #13 for Russia

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]Our Champions here in Rimini, Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno of Russia, took their 13th GrandSlam title yesterday, with their main competitors from Germany trailing close behind in second. Here are the final placements of the top 6 couples after three solo dances of the Cha Cha, Rumba, and Jive and 2 group dances of the Samba and Paso Doble.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]Tsaturyan and Gudyno successfully earned over 39.00 points of scoring for each dance performed, resulting in them concluding the final with 197.541 points out of a total of 200 possible. They were 2.459 points away from achieving a perfect score, 40.00 points per dance – 200 points total! It was their highest-scoring in a GrandSlam event this year so far, and possibly of their entire careers![/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]

A Very Heated Semi-Final

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]From a total of 126 couples, the heat of action took place in the semi-final – into which got 13 couples. Here are the concluding semi-final placements:[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]As we can see, Gorodilov and Bergmannova jumped back down into the semi-final from last month’s Taipei final, as did Moldovan and Tatar of Romania, who just last month were one step away from the final in 7th place. They share the 10th and 11th place position with Russian duo Anton Aldaev and Natalia Polukhina. Also, we can notice that, little by little, Italian duo Vito Coppola and Oona Oinas are progressing from event to event, raising the ladders of competition to achieve higher results. Overall, it was a heated round to watch as the battle for the final commenced, and Poland made its breakthrough.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]

A DanceSport Fashion Icon

[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]Last but not least, it cannot go unnoticed the costume changes of the one and only Khrystyna Moshenska, who channels various style icons and transforms her image in almost every competition. Whether it’s the hairstyle, makeup, shoes, or the costumes, she always surprises all who watch her with her new and always changing look. For this reason alone, she is a legend in her character, personality, and endless belief in what she does – a true role model and icon for those who one day want to be just like her – a true champion in all aspects.[/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9jBt3Cdskc”][vc_empty_space height=”30px”][vc_column_text]

By Michelle Blank – Consultant & Contributor for FloDance

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