Video on Demand

The GrandSlam Latin Series 2017 concluded with the "Showdown in Shanghai", the invitational Final danced at the Luwan Stadium in early December. It was marked by a huge surprise: the absence of the Serie's dominators - Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA. The couple had won every single leg but decided not to contest the last title in play for 2017. Instead, they announced that they would continue their careers in the Professional Division.

The GrandSlam Final ended up being a very closely fought battle between the couples considered to be the likely successors to Gabriele and Anna: Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, and Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER. It was a margin of only two decimal points that made the difference in the end between Marius-Andrei and Khrystyna in first and Armen and Svetlana in second.
These two couples face off for the first time this year in the inaugural leg of the GrandSlam Series in Helsinki, FIN. Both come off wins at prestigious World Opens in January and February: the Germans won Pforzheim, GER, and the Russians Copenhagen, DEN, and Lisbon, POR.

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Helsinki. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. The quarterfinal will be the bonus feature. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster YLE and the Finnish DanceSport Federation.

It is the privilege of the GrandSlam leg in Helsinki, FIN, to mark an important milestone: the start of another Series. Forgotten are all of last year's results: the supremacy of the two dancers who won everything there was to be won as well as the rallying for positions of five, six or seven couples behind them.

Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, will return to the floor after a season-opening win at the 2018 European in Copenhagen, DEN, two weeks ago. While it is unlikely that the powers have shifted much since then, this second major Standard competition of the year will be revealing in many respects.
Couples we haven't seen dancing in Denmark will join us here, couples that haven't made the final then could make it now. Even though the shifts are of a subtle nature, there are shifts.

And on top of everything: what you will get to watch as a LIVE webcast and then as a video-on-demand highlight will be the best Standard dancing available anywhere on air or on-line.

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Helsinki. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. The quarterfinal will be the bonus feature. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster YLE and the Finnish DanceSport Federation.

The 2018 edition of the European DanceSport Championship Standard brought 61 couples from 30+ countries to the Tivoli Congress Centre.

Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova continued where they had left off in the last competition they danced in. On 10 December 2017 they made it to the highest echelon of the podium in the GrandSlam Standard Final in Shanghai, CHN. Just nine weeks later they ended up in the same enviable position at the 2018 European Standard. Winning their third consecutive continental title of their career, they swept the numerous audience off their seats for a standing ovation.It was a great championship and the first one streamed live through the new platform DanceSport Total | DST.

An eleven-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of fthree parts: the full-length semi-final, the full-length final and interviews with the medallist couples. The quarterfinal is offered as an extra feature.

© 2018 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the in-house production crew at the Tivoli Congress Centre. All music played during the quarterfinal, semi-final and final of 2018 European STD is available from WDSF Music Partner Casa musica.

Last year's GrandSlam Standard Final will forever be remembered as the last duel between the eternal opponents Simone Segatori & Annette Sudol, GER, and Dmitry Zharkov & Olga Kukikova, RUS, where the former ended up on top.

From there it was total dominance by the Russians in four GrandSlam legs of the 2017 Series as well as in the World Championship held here in China back in September. Even though they had made the announcement to change to the Professional Division, Simone and Annette have not yet danced any competitions there and, as the #2 in the GrandSlam Ranking, would be entitled to dance in this Standard "Showdown Shanghai". But they have not entered. Something which allows another German couple to put in its first appearance in this GrandSlam Standard Final: Tomas Fainsil and Violetta Posmetnaya.

There are four more newcomers to the most exclusive competition in all of DanceSport: Russians Evgeny Nikitin - Anastasia Miliutina and the Chinese wild card couple Qiu Yuming - Wei Liying. They should do their country proud - here too - as they did in the World Standard, where they became the first ever semi-finalists from China.

To consider the pre-event favourites and dominators Dmitry Zharkov & Olga Kukikova as shoo-in winners today would be justifiable, if it were not for the mishaps that saw a great dancer (almost) tumble on two occasions last year. Here is the all-star line-up for the 2017 GrandSlam Standard Final: Madis Abel - Aleksandra Galkina, EST Tomas Fainsil - Violetta Posmetnaya, GER Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA Alexey Glukhov - Anastasia Glazunova, RUS Vasily Kirin - Ekaterina Prozorova, AUT Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU Evgeny Moshenin - Dana Spitsyna, RUS Evgeny Nikitin - Anastasia Miliutina, RUS Vadim Shurin - Anastasia Meshkova, LAT Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin, GER Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU Qiu Yuming - Wei Liying Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam STD Final. With full graphics but without commentary.The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. Music by casa-musica.de

What sets the GrandSlam Latin Final in Shanghai, CHN, apart from the rest of the top-tier competitions on the DanceSport calendar are three factors. It is the most strictly invitational competition there is, with entry reserved to the 12 top couples in the GrandSlam Ranking, couples having danced in minimum four out of the five regular legs in the Series.

It is also the shortest and most compact competition. Extending over only three rounds, it starts at 7:30 p.m. with the first and concludes not even three hour later with the last round and the awards presentation. Finally, it is its place in the calendar: for virtually all the participating couples it is the last competition of the year. A fact which brings about a special atmosphere - more relaxed than elsewhere - even though the fight is about the highest prize money awarded in the Series.

In addition to the 12 couples from abroad, the organisers get to invite the best couple from China as a wild card, making it a contest between the best Latin dancers of the world's most populous country against the best of the rest of the world. In the not too distant future, and if current tendencies should prevail, China could eventually keep the upper hand.

The defending GrandSlam Champions did not make it to Shanghai. Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, notified WDSF and the organisers of their decision not to dance the Final this year. Reasons were not given. Nobody among the other finalists knows what could have led them to withdraw. Maybe - after Gabriel's history-making marriage proposal on the floor at the 2017 World Latin in Vienna, AUT, three weeks ago - they decided to elope. To make their story even more wildly romantic! Who knows? In any case, if they should be on their honeymoon somewhere, we hope they will enjoy it.

Their absence opens new perspectives for the other couples here. First for Konstantin Gorodilov and Dominika Bergmannova, EST, who got a last minute-invitation to take the place of Gabriele and Anna in this year's "Final Showdown in Shanghai". But then each and every one of the 13 Latin couples could stand to benefit, one way or another, from a shoo-in places available in the semi-final, in the final and on the podium.

Here they are - in the alphabetical order of the man's last name: Anton Aldaev - Natalia Polukhina, RUS Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN Konstantin Gorodilov - Dominika Bergmannova, EST Andrey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, RUS Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER Edgar Marcos Borjas - Alina Nowak, POL Paul Moldovan - Cristina Tatar, ROU Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS Bangbang Yan - Jing Zhu, CHN Timur Yusupov - Sofia Kharina, RUS

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Final. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. Music by casa-musica.de

Moldovans Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus are the couple to beat for others aspiring the title in this year's World Latin. After all, they are the defending champions and were defeated only once during 2017: by Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, in the European Championship in Cambrils, ESP, in April.
It is precisely this circumstance which makes the upcoming World Championship so compelling. Both couples faced off against each other only three weeks ago, in the 2017 GrandSlam Moscow: the Moldovans prevailed - but only by two decimal points. That's nothing!

Two German couples should also be considered very serious contenders in this event: Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova started their year off with a bang by defeating Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska in the German Championship. Coming in ahead of Marius-Andrei and Khrystyna in Vienna, AUT, would bring it to a successful conclusion for Timur and Nina, who danced one of their best GrandSlam legs in Moscow, coming very close to the 190 points in the final.

Marius-Andrei and Khrystyna have not danced in Moscow and appeared only in three World Opens, where none of the above couples had entered, since their second-place finish to Gabriele and Anna in the GrandSlam Stuttgart. That was in August. If Goffredo - Matus should come in first, they will win the title for a third consecutive time, a feat that was only achieved by two other couples in the sixty years of WDSF history: by Aniello Langella and Khrystyna Moshenska, ITA, and by Franco Formica and Oksana Nikiforova, GER.

6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2017 World Latin. With full graphics. The programme is made up of six parts: the full-length semi-finals, interviews with the finalists, the full-length finals and interviews with the medallists. All music by http://www.casa-musica.de
Produced by the WDSF Communications team and the host broadcaster ORF. All rights reserved © 2017!

The Latin dancers, too, were delighted over the return of this fifth regular GrandSlam leg to the location it was originally assigned to: Moscow, RUS. After the one-year hiatus, when they were forced to travel to the Spanish Costa Brava to dance, it seemed so much easier - for almost everybody.

Out of 175 couples which had entered the GrandSlam Standard in Moscow, 150 were from Russia. An impressive ratio that reflects perfectly how deep talent runs in Russian DanceSport. When it came to the decisive stages, the percentage of non-Russian couples increased - but only at first glance. Many of the quarter- and semi-finalists from abroad had one partner holding a Russian Federation passport too.

In the first BIG final after Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol had announced that they were turning professional, there was supposedly on vacancy up for grabs by those couples making the cut on a less consistent basis. In the end, Alexey Glukhov - Anastasia Glazunova, RUS, claimed it, with Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin, GER, and Madis Abel - Aleksandra Galkina, EST. It should only be a matter of time before we will see Madis and Aleksandra dance their first final!

Yes, Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, won this GrandSlam too, making it five out of five for the Series. They did so as convincingly as ever, but right behind them - just over three points back - were Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU. They had their highest GrandSlam total ever: 193 points!
Second runners-up were Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA, ahead of Evgeny Moshenin - Dana Spitsyna, RUS. Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU, whom we had interviewed prior to the GrandSlam, had to content themselves with 6th place.

A 16-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with some of the finalists, the full-length final, interviews with the medallist couples.
© 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with RED SQUARE - Match TV as the host broadcaster and the All Russian Federation of DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll.

We're back in Moscow for the last regular leg of the 2017 GrandSlam Series. We remember: in 2016, the Latin and Standard competitions deciding over which couples would make it to the "Final Showdown in Shanghai" had to be moved south on the shortest of notice, after the hosts had cancelled them on the shortest of noticd.

Luckily, a Spanish organiser took over and staged the GrandSlam Platja d'Aro on the same dates as Moscow was scheduled: the last weekend in October! One year later it is the All Russian Federation of DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll, the new WDSF Member, which acts as the host and organiser for the first time. In a big way! Everything seems a little bigger and brighter when it comes to the setting of the atmosphere.The Crocus Expo, the traditional venue, looks better than ever before in a new fit-out! This seems to inspire the dancers too.

In the GrandSlam Latin, we had expected that a number of couples would renounce to dance the Moscow leg as they already had their four results required to qualify for the Shanghai Final. In the end nearly all of them came! Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, who had four wins to their credit in the 2017 Series, dance in Moscow for the very first time. They knew they have to go up against Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, who had won here three consecutive times, if we include last year's substitute event in Spain too. Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER, had told us in Stuttgart that they would make it to Moscow. After all, Timur has all of his family and friends here. Maybe it was the absence of the second German couple, Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, that left the small gap for a new couple to make it to the final. But there are six vying for that place, many with final experience already.

A 16-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with some of the finalists, the full-length final, interviews with the medallist couples. The full-length quarterfinal is the bonus feature.

© 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with RED SQUARE - Match TV as the host broadcaster and All Russian Federation of DanceSport and Acrobatic Rock 'n' Roll.

It is the 42nd edition of a World Championship in DanceSport's decathlon that gets contested in Marseille FRA. The first edition was held back in 1959, but there were a few hiatuses when none was held.

For the records, Bjorn Bitsch and Ashli Williamson are the World Champions with most titles to their names: four and won consecutively between 2010 and 2013 ... They just got their fifth world title in Professional Ten Dance last night, after turning pro not even a full month ago.

Of all the 36 couples that have entered this year there is none with a title to their credit. Last year's World Champions Jaak Vainomaa & Taina Savikurki, FIN, separated immediately following their win in Vienna, AUT. There is a couple with a recent (2017) European title - Dumitru Doga - Sarah Ertmer, GER - as well as European Champions (2016) who did not even make it to Marseille: Konstantin Gorodilov - Dominika Bergmannova.

And then we have a few couples that have been on or near the podium for a number of years already. Seniority in this category have Daniil Ulanov - Kateryna Isakovych, CYP, and Winson Tam - Anastasia Novikova, CAN, are the juniors. So here you have it, we dropped a few names of dancers who could be ending up on the highest echelon and who could be crowned as the 43rd WDSF World Champions in what is - without a doubt - DanceSport's most physically taxing event.

Whoever makes it to the top will have danced 40 times . They will have changed between Standard and Latin attires four times ...

A 7-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2017 World Ten Dance. With full graphics. The programme is made up of six parts: the full-length semi-finals, interviews with the finalists, the full-length finals and interviews with the medallists. All music by casa-musica.de 
Produced by the WDSF Communications team and the organisers of the World Ten Dance and the Federation Francaise de Danse. All rights reserved © 2017!

Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, have conquered the last two strongholds of Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER, by winning the GrandSlam in Hong Kong and Stuttgart in July and August, respectively. As the scale started to progressively dip in favour of the Russians, there were at least two major competitions where the Germans kept claiming victories.

Three consecutive times - until this year! Now Dmitry and Olga stand poised to be crowned World Champions for a third time, something that would put them in a league with four legendary couples: John and Betty Westley, Richard Gleave and Janet Wade, both representing England, or, more recently, Paolo Bosco - Silvia Pitton, ITA, and Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Koehler, GER. If, on the other hand, Simone and Annette return to their winning ways here in Chengdu, CHN, it would not only tie them with Dima and Olga at two titles, it would see them match the records of their trainers: William Pino and Alessandra Bucciarelli, ITA, as well as Oliver Wessel-Therhorn, GER, their mentor until his untimely death. Everybody be reminded: Simone and Annette last defeated Dima and Olga in China.

That was in the Shanghai GrandSlam Finals not even ten months ago. Obviously, there is a lot at stake for the two favourite couples. But winning or losing, both will put up a good fight and show the incredible level of dancing that they have treated us with time after time over the past three years.

Ever since this rivalry started back in 2014, we have seen exceptional dancers pushing each other to greater heights with every competition. Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, who have kept up and even drawn a little closer in the last competitions, could make it their fourth consecutive third-place finish in a World Championship. Or they could stage the surprise?

One couple that won't be in the Chengdu final: Bjorn Bitsch and Ashli Williamson. They announced that they would move on to the next chapter in their career by dancing the 2017 PD World Standard that is scheduled to take place one week after this one in Prague, CZE.

A seven-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with some of the finalists, the full-length final, interviews with the medallist couples. The quarterfinal is offered as an extra feature.
© 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the Chengdu host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation CDSF. All music played during the semi-final of the 2017 World Standard is available from WDSF Music Partner Casa musica.

That the Standard seems to be the GrandSlam of choice for the majority of the Stuttgart audience can easily be explained. On eight out of nine occasions since 2008, the winners were German couples. And local Stuttgart couples at that!

Only Emanuel Valeri - Tania Kehlet, DEN created a brief interregnum - in 2013 - between the five-time Stuttgart Champions Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Koehler, GER, and their successors, the three-time Champions Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER.

The GrandSlam Standard Stuttgart has always been a German stronghold, to the extent that sometimes a few of the other couples have chosen to stay away - in the past as well as in the present. Even though there were again some previous finalists missing from the starting lists, the top three of the world ranking were present and ready to dance the final at the Beethoven Hall on Saturday night.

Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, have won everything there is to win this year and kept on top of their game ever since their last defeat, in Shanghai, CHN, in the 2016 GrandSlam Final last December. Over the past two years they have claimed two World and two European titles, they most recently celebrated their first victory in the GrandSlam Hong Kong, but they have never won in Stuttgart.

For Simone and Annette, who were first in the last three GrandSlams in Stuttgart, it would be very important to return to their winning ways in front of a home crowd and ahead of the 2017 World Standard in September. The fight between the two couples will probably be as tight as ever, threatening to eclipse the great dancing put in by the third: Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU.

But let's not worry about them: their confidence is growing with every time they take the floor in a GrandSlam final.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary), interviews with some of the finalists (2), the full-length final (3 · no commentary), the interviews with the medallist couples (4).
© 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the German DanceSport Federation - DTV and the German Open Championships - GOC. Music by Casa musica: http://www.casa-musica.de

Participation in the 2017 GrandSlam Stuttgart turned out to be in line with that of the previous year, with 272 entries it should end up being the best attended Latin leg of the 2017 Series. When it comes to the numbers for the German Open Championships overall, attendance was lower than usual. Above all the dancers from Russia kept away; something which the organisers blame on the ever declining value of the ruble in exchange for the Euro.

However, that Armen Tstauryan - Svetlana Gudyno and Sergey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, the two top-ranked Russian couples, chose not to enter the Stuttgart leg, could well have other reasons too. That they are not dancing brings changes to what has become the customary line-up for GrandSlam finals this year, providing opportunities for a number of couples that had to content themselves with places seven through ten in the most recent legs. It also limits the competition for the two couples dancing on home turf: the current German Champions Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova and their predecessors Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenka.

In the 2016, they were, respectively, second and first runners-up behind Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA. The Moldovans seem to have made their peace with Stuttgart after recording their last GrandSlam defeat here back in 2015, when they came in third behind Tstauryan - Gudyno and Balan - Moshenka. Ever since, they won every leg they entered, that's nine consecutive wins in two years.

They are certainly the favourites here too. Two dancers who are particularly motivated to do well in Stuttgart are Charles-Guillaume Schmitt and Elena Salikhova from France. A few years ago they swept the German public off their seats with a Paso Doble, winning the dance and coming in third. It was a magic moment.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final (1 -  no commentary), interviews with some of the finalists (2), the full-length final (3 - no commentary), the interviews with the medallist couples (4). The full-length quarterfinal is available as bonus feature. All music played live by the Boris Myagkov Big Band. Under licence of the WDSF Music Partner © 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the German DanceSport Federation - DTV and the German Open Championships - GOC.

The 2017 GrandSlam Series Standard reaches its halfway point with the third regular leg held in Hong Kong on 9 July.

The two earlier legs in Helsinki, FIN, and in Wuhan, CHN, produced an identic outcome in as far as the winners as well as the runners-up were concerned. In Finland, Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, prevailed in a hotly contested final over Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, with a total score of 193.17 to 191.91. That's a winning margin of very little over one point!

One month later in China, the Russians claimed their second victory, but this time the margin separating the two couples was all of 0.05. It was produced either by freaky math or by the system's insistence that a winner had to be declared even if it all looked very much like a tie on the floor. In any case, everybody was eagerly awaiting the next encounter between the two dominant Standard couples of the past three years. It was supposed to happen on 19 May in Olomouc, CZE, during the 2017 European. But as they did the year before, Simone and Annette decided against dancing it.

Not unexpectedly, the championship's narrative was that of another crown conquered by Dmitry and Olga, who made it their fourth consecutive championship title since the 2015 World Standard in Vilnius, LTU. They did so with a personal best of 195.79 points. Runners-up were as in the 2016 European in Wroclaw, POL - Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, who were very happy with their total of 191 points too.

That brings us to Hong Kong and the GrandSlam Standard that is the highlight on Sunday 9 July. Of course, we can only hope that all the top couples will be there and ready to dance it. But all dancers love this bustling world city and are eager to show their best stuff in what must be one of the most perfect venues for DanceSport: Queen Elizabeth Stadium (QE II). If we look back at last year's GrandSlam Standard, it proved to be the turning point in a Series that had developed precisely as this one did.

After coming in runners-up in Finland and in China, Simone and Annette struck back at the MacPherson Stadium because of a scheduling conflict at the QE II  and held Dmitry and Olga at bay with 194.93 to 193.59.

The story continues at QE II and the WDSF Communications team will provide you with a front row seat to all the action. Together with the host broadcaster TVB, the team members will bring you the best Standard dancing there is in full HD. 6-camera production with full graphics, a few behind-the-scene pieces plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final, the interviews with the medallist couples. © 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster TVB and the Hong Kong DanceSport Association Music by Casa musica

The 2017 GrandSlam Latin legs in Helsinki, FIN, and in Wuhan, CHN, went to Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, with the Russians Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno as the runners-up on both occasions.

It looked as if the dominators in Latin would continue their winning streak well into 2017, even with the realistic chance to stay undefeated for another year. That's when the upset came suddenly and unexpectedly: Armen and Svetlana claimed the title at the European Championship in Cambrils, ESP. It was their second after 2015. Gabriele and Anna were relegated to second place and disappointed. But not for long.

Just six weeks later in Faenza, ITA, the Moldovans were living up to Gabriele's life motto of "Born to win!" once more as they were able to take their revenge and defeat the Russians in an International Open.

Would Juventus have done the same with Real Madrid in the Champions League Final in Cardiff, GBR, one week later, the power of everything would have been in perfect balance again for Gabriele and Anna, both ardent "tifosi" of the Vecchia Signora. But everybody knows how that final ended.

With virtually all top Latin couples present here in Hong Kong, we can look forward to lots of exceptional dancing at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium on Saturday 8 July. For those who don't know: 8 July is the birthday of Armen Tsaturyan. And birthdays seem to go well with victories: Gabriele found out about it last year. He won the GrandSlam Helsinki on his.

But let's not think that there are only these two couples in contention for the top echelon on the Hong Kong podium: Germans Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska and Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova stand poised to take over at any time, should the two favourites not be inspired.

Marius-Andrei and Khrystyna, so the unconfirmed rumours, have also gone south to expand their horizons. Training on a daily basis together with most of the others who will likely dance in today's final should take the surprises out of the equation.

Together with the host broadcaster TVB, the members of the WDSF Communications team will bring you the best Latin dancing there is in full HD. 6-camera production with full graphics, a few behind-the-scene pieces plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final, the interviews with the medallist couples. The full-length quarterfinal is the bonus feature! © 2017 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster TVB and the Hong Kong DanceSport Association. Music by Casa musica

The situation in Olomouc, CZE, is comparable to the one that presented itself one year ago, when the European Standard title was contested in Wroclaw, POL.

Not all of the favourites enter this championship either. In 2016 we wrote: "To everyone looking forward to another taste of the drama in the dance-by-dance battle for points that was decided by the whim of four decimals separating the Russians from the Germans in the Wuhan final: it won't happen in this European!

Simone and Annette are not among the starters, having withdrawn at the very last moment." Whatever the reason for them to stay away in 2017 too, we must learn to accept such a decision. It is their career and only theirs. Even if their absence preempts us from enjoying another tight race between the #1 and the #2 in the WDSF World Ranking.

Just to remind ourselves, last time Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, and Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol danced against each other in the final of the 2017 GrandSlam Wuhan, the margin separating first from second place was nothing - well, it was 0.04. That is not even half of a decimal point. Third place in 2017 Wuhan, CHN, went to Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, who were five points back.

They told us after the awards presentation that they would probably train more and compete less this year. Who knows, this approach could allow them to close the gap to the two top-ranked couples. They were the runners-up in Wroclaw last year, seven points behind Dmitry and Olga. But that was with the Judging System 2.1. Let's see how they fare with 3.0.

The 6-camera production in High Definition covers the decisive stages of the 2017 European Standard, with full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster CESKA TV and the organisers, T.T.Trade Vitkovice and the Czech DanceSport Federation. All rights reserved © 2017! Music by Casa musica!

Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, were crowned European Champions for the second time in their career. After winning the 2015 European Latin in Aarhus, DEN, they surprised many by narrowly defeating their direct opponents and considered the favourites for the 2017 title, Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, in a dramatic final.

Relive this extraordinary final that came down to the wire and that saw the powers shift, however minimally, for the first time in nearly two years. In fact, it required scores of 39 points and more in the Paso Doble and in the Jive to come from behind and stage the upset by nine decimal points. Since their third place in the 2015 GrandSlam Latin Stuttgart, which was won by the Russians too, the Moldovans remained undefeated in two World and one European Championships plus altogether eight successive GrandSlams.

Armen and Svetlana, on the other hand, had to content themselves with two victories in GrandSlams - Moscow 2015 and Platja d'Aro 2016 - where Gabriele and Anna did not dance.

The 6-camera production in High Definition covers the decisive stages of the 2017 European Latin, with full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster High TV and the organiser Publiolimpia. All rights reserved © 2017! Music by Casa musica

The 2017 GrandSlam Standard Wuhan is bound to go down in history for several reasons. The quality of dancing was outstanding and the scores were exceptionally tight from the quarterfinal.

The Judging System 3.0 was used for the second time with 0.25 increments making the 1 - 10 scale even more suitable for finer distinction between the couples' performances. And yet it produced a perfect tie between Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, and Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, in the round of 24: 192.917 vs 192.917! Hard to imagine, considering the many assessments that were made by the 12 adjudicators before the system computed the scores!

Would a final standing have been established after the semi-final, the runners-up in the final would have been the winners. But even more importantly, having a margin as negligible as 0.04 deciding over the final outcome of this GrandSlam Standard makes it virtually impossible to speak of victors and runners-up in the traditional sense of the word.

This final could have gone either way - and the two top couples know it perfectly well. The third-placed couple, Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, danced their first leg in Wuhan after skipping the one in Helsinki. They also ha a stellar performance in the final on 9 April. In the interview that follows the awards presentation they tell you what they will change with a view to this year's GrandSlam Series and the other top competitions.

A 7-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Wuhan. The programme is made up of four parts: the Viennese Waltz, Slow Fox and Quickstep of the semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Hubei TV and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Participation in this GrandSlam Latin leg was very much in line with that of the one danced in Helsinki three weeks earlier: 90 couples. About 50% came from outside of China, including all but one of the top 20 in the current World Ranking Latin.

Among them were the two top German couples Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska and Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova. They missed Helsinki due to a scheduling conflict with their German Champion. That was bound to make a tight competition to get into the final even tighter, with many couples having made one recently and vying for another one based on that.

Semi-final and final were danced in front of a full house and a most appreciative crowd. Their favourites were Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska, GER, who had in turn declared Wuhan as one of their favourite places to dance at even - before the GrandSlam went underway.

The standings in the final didn't produce any major surprises: Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matius won their tenth GrandSlam of their career and made it a winning streak of 8 - between regular legs and Final - since their last defeat in Stuttgart 2015. Maybe the fight for the medals was not as tight as it was last year, when the top three couples all won dances, but it was just as interesting to watch.

It's hard to believe, but these couples seem to get better from one week to the next.

A 7-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Wuhan. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Hubei TV and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

If it wouldn't have been for a change of date that the GrandSlam organisers had to announce in order to keep their event in sync with GoExpo, the sports trade show that it is embedded in, all Latin couples in the top ten of the World Raking would have been able to make it to Helsinki, FIN. But with the German Championship Latin scheduled almost concurrently, two high-profile couples were a priori missing: Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska and Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova danced in Siegburg, GER, until very late on 18 March. Marius-Andrei and Khrystyna made a valiant effort to be in Helsinki for the inaugural leg of the 2017 GrandSlam Series. They arrived at the Messukeskus Hall 4 just 90 minutes prior to round two, danced the five dances and then they informed the chairman Drago Sulek of their decision to drop out of the competition ...

But what a competition it turned out to be: particularly the final. Not only the dancing by the six finalists was at an incredibly high level, the emotions, too, appeared to be heightened. The outcome itself was almost of lesser importance, with all six couples radiant over what they had achieved. You will hear statements made by the dancers prior to and after the final. They will surprise you!

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Helsinki. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster YLE and the Finnish DanceSport Federation.

The 2017 GrandSlam Standard Helsinki will do what it always does: it establishes the first reference for the year.
Three months have passed since the top couples had all entered into one and the same competition. It was the GrandSlam Standard Final in Shanghai on 12 December 2016. Since then, most of them have competed very selectively at the international level - and in avoidance of having to go up against whom they consider their main opponents in the World and GrandSlam Rankings.

In the case of the top two in last year's rakings, Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, and Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, come off convincing wins at World Opens in Antwerp, BEL, and Tokyo, JPN, respectively. In Tokyo, Simone and Annette were assessed by adjudicators using the new Judging System Version 3.0 that brings significant improvements to the judging process, at the request of the Competition Manipulation Task Force, making it much more resistant to attempts of collusion than its predecessor 2.1. This will be the first GrandSlam ever judged with JuDSys 3.0 and the results should be revealing in many ways.

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Helsinki. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster YLE and the Finnish DanceSport Federation.

It's again the human side of superb dancing that makes the MVB 2016 | Latin Edition so compelling to watch.

All these top couples recall perfectly well when and where they put in their best and highest-scoring performances during the last year. Whether it was in one of the six GrandSlam legs, in the World or in the European Championship, the cameras of a host broadcaster as well as the members of the WDSF Communications team were there to capture them in action.

Join the world's elite in Latin as they look back at 2016 and some of the very best stuff that they were able to show on the floor at prestigious competitions. Even if it is a compilation of superb dancing, it aspires to go beyond the purely visual or technical and to bring the viewers up close and personal with the exceptional people who perform it at the highest international level.

MVB 2016 is masterfully edited by award-winning director Pedro Toro. LATIN EDITION STARRING Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska Andrey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, RUS Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, HUN Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN

It's again the human side of superb dancing that makes the MVB 2016 | Standard Edition so compelling to watch.

All these top couples recall perfectly well when and where they put in their best and highest-scoring performances during the last year. Whether it was in one of the six GrandSlam legs, in the World or in the European Championship, the cameras of a host broadcaster as well as the members of the WDSF Communications team were there to capture them in action.

Join the world's elite in Standard as they look back at 2016 and some of the very best stuff that they were able to show on the floor at prestigious competitions. Even if it is a compilation of superb dancing, it aspires to go beyond the purely visual or technical and to bring the viewers up close and personal with the exceptional people who perform it at the highest international level.

MVB 2016 is masterfully edited by award-winning director Pedro Toro. MVB 2016 | Standard Edition With Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA, Bjorn Bitsch - Ashli Williamson, DEN, Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU, Evgeny Moshenin - Dana Spitsyna, RUS, Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin, GER.

The top 12 couples in the GrandSlam Standard Ranking that had accrued minimum four results in the regular legs of the 2016 Series got their invitation to dance the "Final Showdown in Shanghai." The season-ending GrandSlam Finals provide the world's best dancers with one more opportunity to make their final statement for the year and to bring good prize money back from their trip to China.

As far as the statements go, most eagerly awaited were those of the 2016 World Champions Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, and of the 2014 World Champions Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER.
These two couples have fought hard over supremacy in Standard for the past three years, with their fortunes swaying back and forth. Maybe the Russians had a slight advantage in the ongoing duel during the 2016 Series: of the three legs where both couples danced they had won two. Overall, they had a total of three wins - Helsinki, Wuhan, Platja d'Aro - against the Germans' two: Hong Kong and Stuttgart. But the other couples wanted a say in this Shanghai Showdown too.

Watch the semi-finalists and finalists make it on the floor of the Luwan Stadium! STARRING Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA Bjorn Bitsch - Ashli Williamson, DEN Vadim Shurin - Anastasia Meshkova, RUS Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU Evgeny Moshenin - Dana Spitsyna, RUS Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER Anton Skutarov - Alena Uehlin, GER

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Final.
With full graphics but without commentary.
The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. Music by http://www.casa-musica.de

Like every year, the 12 top couples in the GrandSlam Latin Ranking that have entered minimum four of the five regular legs making up the Series are invited to Shanghai, CHN, to contest the last major title and the highest purse. That of the GrandSlam Final Champion! They are all here. Well, almost!

Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska, GER, have met the qualification criteria with 3999 points total, four entries and a third position in the ranking. But unfortunately they could not make it to the "Final Showdown in Shanghai". Marius-Andrei came down with a high fever and was unable to travel.

Watch the semi-finalists and finalists burn the floor at the Luwan Stadium! STARRING Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, HUN Andrey Gusev - Vera Bondareva, RUS Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN Giacomo Lazzarini - Roberta Benedetti, ITA Anton Aldaev - Natalia Polukhina, RUS Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA.

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Final. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. Music by casa-musica.de

The last time that the world title in DanceSport's decathlon was contested was in Chengdu, CHN, in September of 2015. Much has happened since then!

For the World Champions, Miha Vodicar and Nadiya Bychkova, SLO, Chengdu was not only their second consecutive win, it also turned out to be their second to last competition together. Just one week later, they retired as a couple. The question about who their successors would be was answered for the first time in Copenhagen, DEN, when Konstantin Gorodilov - Dominika Bergmannova, EST, won the 2016 European title ahead of former European Champions Jaak Vainomaa - Taina Savikurki, FIN, and second runners-up Dumitru Doga - Sarah Ertmer, GER.

But one couple was missing from the starting list in February: Daniil Ulanov - Kateryna Isakovych. After the runners-up in the 2014 and 2015 World Ten Dance had opted to dance for Cyprus instead of the Ukraine, they were not eligible to enter any championships for a period of one year. Well, that year is up and Daniil and Kateryna are here in Vienna, AUT, ready to take another shot at a victory that has eluded them for quite some time.

But their main opponents from Estonia, Finland and Germany are also keen on taking first here at the Multiversum.

6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2016 World Ten Dance. With full graphics. The programme is made up of six parts: the full-length semi-finals, interviews with the finalists, the full-length finals and interviews with the medallists.
All music by http://www.casa-musica.de. Produced by the WDSF Communications team and the organisers of the World Ten Dance and the host broadcaster ORF. All rights reserved © 2016!

They are all here - for a change - and ready to do battle!

All the top professional couples that have marked Standard dancing over the past two years, ever since the retirement of Mirko Gozzoli - Edita Daniute, LTU, following the 2014 PD World Championship in Nanjing, CHN, should be dancing in the 2016 edition of the WDSF PD World DanceSport Championship Standard in Aarhus, DEN.

The 2015 World Champions Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Koehler, GER, will go head-to-head with the 2016 European Champions Emanuel Valeri - Tania Kehlet, DEN.
The couples had avoided each other in championships after the 2015 European in Copenhagen, DEN, but they both danced the 2016 PD Super GrandPrix in Stuttgart, GER. And what a closely fought battle that turned out to be! Ferruggia - Koehler won four dances, but Valeri - Kehlet got just as much applause from the expert public at the Beethoven Hall as did the Germans - plus they claimed the Quickstep very convincingly.

As in last year's PD World Standard in Leipzig, GER, the Judging System 2.1 will again be used to determine the winners. If we take the total score of Ferruggia - Koehler in 2015 as a reference - 194.4 points out of a possible 200 - we will see where the journey goes this time around. The third couple that will also fight for the title are Donatas Vezelis - Lina Chatkeviciute, LTU, who had been runners-up in both the recent World and the European.

It is without precedent in the history of WDSF: the World Championship Standard for the professionals coincides in time and place with the normal World Championship Standard. Well, almost.

A 4-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2016 PD World Standard. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team. All rights reserved © 2016!

It was two years ago in Vienna, AUT, when Simone Segatori and Annettee Sudol, GER, won their first World Champion title. More than other couples who ever get to this level in their careers, they had to put their patience to a test, waiting their turn in a hierarchy that seemed to last an eternity.

Finally, after Vienna in 2014, Simone and Annette were able to embark on their run, winning one GrandSlam after another, claiming the European title, being the ones to dominate and completely at the top of their game ... Until December last year in Vilnius, LTU, when they came in as runners-up to Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, the new and current World Champions.

While that first upset had come as a surprise to some, the Russians put it into perspective by getting onto a winning streak afterwards. That lasted for six months, until the 2016 GrandSlam Hong Kong, when Simone and Annette defeated Dmitry and Olga by a narrow margin in a memorable final. That was at the end of June! Since then the two couples have gone their separate ways, never coinciding in a GrandSlam - but each winning one

That brings us to Aarhus, DEN, and the 2016 World Champioship that is danced on 12 November at the Ceres Arena. Who will walk away as a double world champion? Or could it be that the time of Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, has come already?

6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2016 World Standard. With full graphics. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team and the organisers of the Aarhus International Dance Festival. All rights reserved © 2016!

While a GrandSlam Standard leg was held in Platja d'Aro as recently as 2012, one needs to look back to 2009, and the month of May of that year, to find the last GrandSlam Latin on record for this location.

Alexey Silde and Anna Firstova, RUS, the dominators at the time, won it ahead of Vladimir Karpov - Mariya Tzaptashvilli, RUS. Third was a young and talented Italian dancing together with his sister Antonia. Yes, you got it right: Gabriele Goffredo, by now a Moldovan, a two-time World Champion and a dominator himself “together with his current partner Anna Matus“ made his first ever GrandSlam podium right here over seven years ago, at the age of 21.

It would be nice to raise the questions, "Let's see how he fares this time around " will he and Anna extend their winning streak to five out of five for the year?” But unfortunately we cannot do that. Gabriele and Anna are not here in Catalonia but far more to the south, in Andalucia, Spain, where Gabriele's brother gets married over this weekend. As a consequence, we are bound to see two new winners in the 2016 GrandSlam Series Latin. Who will they be? Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, are the # 2 in the World and GrandSlam Rankings and also the last couple to beat Gabriele and Anna at the 2015 GrandSlam Stuttgart, some 14 months ago.

What was still a rumour in Chengdu, CHN, during the 2016 World Championships there in September, has long been confirmed: Armen and Svetlana are now stable mates “if that is indeed the appropriate expression“ with Gabriele and Anna. How about the Russians taking the Moldovans' customary place on the highest echelon of the podium just to keep the stable owners happy?

But there are very strong German opponents on location at the "Palau de Congressos i d'Esports" too: Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska and Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova need a fourth result to qualify for the "Showdown in Shanghai", the series-ending Final in December, and it may as well be a good one.

In the GrandSlam Stuttgart they both defeated Armen and Svetlana. And at the Chengdu World Latin, the point spread between all three couples was less than four points. This bodes well for a heated contest, with Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, also highly motivated to bounce back from a disappointing sixth-place finish in China.

The 6-camera production in High Definition covers the decisive stages of the 2016 GrandSlam Latin Platja d'Aro, with full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. The full-length quarterfinal may be added as a bonus feature. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster High TV and the organiser Publiolimpia. All rights reserved © 2016! Music by Casa musica.

Four GrandSlam legs have been danced in Standard this year, two went to the 2015 World and the 2016 European Champions, Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, and two went to Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER, who had held the same titles one year earlier. The Russians had extended their winning streak from November 2015 through June 2016, more than six months, until they had to succumb narrowly to the Germans in the Hong Kong leg. Maybe it was that loss that had Dmitry and Olga decide to stay away from the fourth leg of the 2016 Series in Stuttgart, GER, and to try to regroup in Russia.

Despite their policy to "dance anywhere at any time" that they adhered to in the past. Now that we have Dmitry and Olga here with us in Platja d'Aro, their opponents, Simone and Annette, have chosen to take a short sabbatical after their last win in the Boston World Open at the beginning of the month. From what we hear, they have travelled to China to train dancers there. Something we can hardly blame them for, because teaching and training others is an important aspect of gaining one's livelihood in top-level DanceSport: the prize money alone would definitely not be enough.

At the same time we are also aware that 'avoidance' is the name of the game frequently played ahead of a World Championship. Couples steering clear of one another during the weeks and even months leading up to the pinnacle championship is one way of building up drama - and it also helps to avoid that one couple could get cast as a runner-up too soon.

The World Championship Standard in Aarhus, DEN, is exactly two weeks away In any case, virtually all the top Standard couples are present and ready to dance for the win in the last regular leg of the Series that was scheduled to take place in Moscow, RUS, on 29 October. But ill-guided Russian officials cancelled it. That all these couples, including the entire elite from Russia, have made it to Catalonia in northeastern Spain is an achievement in itself, as the relocation was decided on less than two weeks ago.

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2015 European Standard. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.
Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster High TV and the organiser Publiolimpia. All rights reserved © 2016! Music: Casa musica

MY VERY BEST 2015 (MVB 2015) is much more than just a compilation of the best dances that were performed by the best couples in DanceSport during 2015. It shows you the human side of great dancing!

With the WDSF Communications team present and recording at all locations where these couples excelled in Championships and GrandSlams, the abundance of fabulous images can be taken for granted. Captured in full HD with multiple cameras by the host broadcasters and artfully edited by members of the team, the stunning imagery is one facet of the production

But MVB 2015 goes beyond the purely visual or technical of dancing. It brings you up close and personal with the exceptional people who perform it at the highest international level, providing you unique insights into the human side of DanceSport! Follow the best dancers throughout 2015 and learn what they consider to be their most outstanding performances "or those of their peers" and find out what emotions were stirred at different moments and in different competitions: from scoring high to feeling low!

MVB 2015 is directed by Pedro Toro, who won the Gold Award at the Baku Sports Film Festival 2014 for "Do your dance", and is produced by the members of the WDSF Communications team on behalf of the World DanceSport Federation.

With:

• Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA
• Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS
• Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA
• Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER
• Yury Simachev - Anastasia Klokotova, RUS
• Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER
• Andrea Silvestri - Martina Varadi, HUN
• Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN
• Edgar Marcos Borjas - Alina Nowak, ESP
• Jenya Suvorov - Jenya Libman, ISR
• Fedor Poliansky - Dina Akhmetgareeva, RUS

All content © 2016 World DanceSport Federation | WDSF | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Any infringement of the applicable copyright and/or the trademark restrictions will result in legal liability.

MY VERY BEST 2015 (MVB 2015) is much more than just a compilation of the best dances that were performed by the best couples in DanceSport during 2015. It shows you the human side of great dancing!

With the WDSF Communications team present and recording at all locations where these couples excelled in Championships and GrandSlams, the abundance of fabulous images can be taken for granted.

Captured in full HD with multiple cameras by the host broadcasters and artfully edited by members of the team, the stunning imagery is one facet of the production. But MVB 2015 goes beyond the purely visual or technical of dancing. It brings you up close and personal with the exceptional people who perform it at the highest international level, providing you unique insights into the human side of DanceSport!

Follow the best dancers throughout 2015 and learn what they consider to be their most outstanding performances “or those of their peers “ and find out what emotions were stirred at different moments and in different competitions: from scoring high to feeling low!

MVB 2015 is directed by Pedro Toro, who won the Gold Award at the Baku Sports Film Festival 2014 for "Do your dance" and is produced by the members of the WDSF Communications team on behalf of the World DanceSport Federation.

MVB 2015 | Standard Edition With Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA, Bjorn Bitsch - Ashli Williamson, DEN, Nikolay Darin - Natalia Seredina, MDA, Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU, Alexey - Glukhov Anastasia Glazunova, RUS, Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin, GER, Vasily Kirin - Ekaterina Prozorova, AUT.

Music (where recorded) is courtesy of CasaMuscia

The Chengdu organisers have been building up to this, gradually, over recent years. They have been running the two World Championships in ShowDance since 2014, after taking over from the previous perennial host city Beijing. In 2015 they ran the World Ten Dance. This year it is the World Latin, the championship that draws the biggest attention of them all.

Participation in this World Latin is slightly below the levels of the last two editions - Vienna, AUT, and Ostrava, CZE - and maybe there is an explanation for that too. The bureaucracy to obtain a visa at some of the Consulates and Embassies of the People's Republic of China was particularly challenging this year. One couple was denied a visa: Norwegian Champions Petter Engan - Kine Mardal were not able to travel to Chengdu.

Of the 74 couples entered are all the favourites for the title. Defending World Champions are Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA. Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, the first runners-up in 2014 and 2015, have high ambitions to finally make it to the upper echelon of the podium. And Germany is represented by two couples that have the proven ability to come very close to or even beat the two mentioned earlier: Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska and Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova.Who else, you are asking? Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, have come in third in a European but missed the podium in World Championships so far. Fourth was their best place. And there are quite a few others too: Yury Simachev - Anastasia Klokotova, RUS, were finalists last year in Vienna; Edgar Marcos - Alina Nowak, ESP, Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN, Andrea Silvestri - Varadi Martina, HUN, missed out on that narrowly, coming in seventh through eighth.

The competition will be tight and the adjudicators challenged, but this is what makes watching the decisive stages of a World Latin so compelling.

A seven-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with some of the finalists, the full-length final, interviews with the medallist couples. The quarterfinal is offered as an extra feature.

© 2016 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation CDSF. All music played during the semi-final of the 2015 World Ten Dance is available from WDSF Music Partner Casa musica. Access the full playlist for the rounds 2 - 5

Who doesn't remember last year's final round of the GrandSlam Standard Stuttgart. It started off with a closely fought battle between the dominant couple in the 2015 Series up to that point, Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, and their perennial opponents, Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, in the Tango. The Russians scored two times 10 in the four components and won the first dance with four decimal points over the almost equally high-scoring Germans. The latter fought back immediately and went on to win the Stuttgart leg by just over for points. It was their last win for the year, however, as the Russians bounced back and won all other face-offs.

Of the three GrandSlam legs held this year, two went to the Russians and one to the Germans. The atmosphere at the Beethoven Hall was not quite as electric this year as it was in 2015, when the finalist couples swept the spectators off their seats time after time. Maybe it was the absence of a closely fought battle at the top - like the one that made last year's final so memorable - that kept the public in the stands more subdued?

The 2016 GrandSlam final was definitely marked by outstanding dancing. All six couples - two of them newcomers to the final in Stuttgart - outdid themselves in each and every dance. But the final lacked the drama of the one last year. One single couple keeping away from a competition can have this effect.

The package covers full-length and multi-camera quarterfinal and semi-final, interviews with some finalists, full-length and multi-camera final, interviews with the medallists plus an additional in-depth interview with Simone and Annette (available as a free bonus feature)!

© 2016 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the German DanceSport Federation - DTV and the German Open Championships - GOC. Music by the Boris Myagkov Big Band - most titles available through the WDSF music partner Casa Musica.

Last year's GrandSlam Latin in Stuttgart, GER, produced a few suprises. Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, who had won the two previous legs of the Series in Wuhan, CHN, and in Hong Kong, found themselves in an unexpected third place and more than five points out of first. Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, were the winners over Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska. GER, with a margin of only four decimal points and after a memorable fight in the last solo dance, the Jive.

All three couples are confirmed to return to the floor at the Beethoven Hall this year. So far in the 2016 Series, Gabriele and Anna have won all three legs. But as opposed to some of last year's GrandSlam Latin legs, the results were almost always tight between the couples from Moldova, Russia and Germany.

In Wuhan, the outcome was unpredictable until the very last dance of the final, with all three couples winning minimum once dance each. Let's hope we will get to see the same in Stuttgart!

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary), interviews with some of the finalists (2), the full-length final (3 · no commentary), the interviews with the medallist couples (4).

© 2016 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the German DanceSport Federation - DTV and the German Open Championships - GOC.

Originally planned to be held in Paris, FRA, in spring, the 2016 European finally takes place in the heat of the summer and a famous coastal resort in Italy. Benvenuto a Rimini! As a consequence of the terrorist attacks on 13 November 2015, the Paris organisers reported that they were not able to comply with the enhanced security measures imposed by the national government and renounced from hosting the championship. That's when the Italian DanceSport Federation FIDS offered to include it into its flagship event "Sportdance 2016," a sort of Italian Open that gathers some 35,000 dancers for eight days of national and international competitions in a multitude of DanceSport disciplines.
The 71 Latin couples dancing the European on 9 July were easily accommodated. So here we are, late in the year and with the European Latin title still vacant.

What we have had so far are three GrandSlam legs, all won by Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, with Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, coming in second every time. In Wuhan, CHN, and in Hong Kong, the German couple made up of Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska were in third, but only decimals behind the Russians. Particularly Wuhan produced great drama, with the three top-ranked couples all winning dances.

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2016 European Latin. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Provinciali and the Italian DanceSport Federation.

Even if overall participation is slightly lower than for the GrandSlam Latin, the GrandSlam Standard Hong Kong matches the latter when it comes to the density of top-ranked couples. Only three out of the top 20 in the Standard Ranking are absent from the line-up. Hence this competition, too, turns into a gathering of the section "Who is Who" and pits the absolute best against each other.

We are coming off the European Standard in Wroclaw, POL, where Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER, did not to defend their title won in Cambrils, ESP, a year earlier. And where perennial opponents Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, ended up with a fairly straight shot at claiming their first continental crown.

If Wuhan is the measure we can go by in terms of the margin separating one couple from the other after all five dances in the final, Hong Kong promises to be another duel with an extremely high dosage of suspense. Take it all in "together with the incomparable atmosphere at the McPherson Stadium" through the Vimeo on Demand highlight programme that will become available on Friday 17 June.

It is a 6-camera production with full graphics, a few behind-the-scene pieces plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final, the interviews with the medallist couples.

© 2016 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster TVB and the Hong Kong DanceSport Association Music by Casa Musica

To merely say that this GrandSlam Latin Hong Kong is well attended would be an understatement. Some 70 couples have entered the third leg of the 2016 Series. Among them is each and every one of the top 10 in the current World Ranking. And if we look at the top 20, there are only three couples that won't be dancing in Hong Kong this year.

In the last GrandSlam Latin in Wuhan, CHN, we were missing Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, for family reasons and Edgar Marcos Borjas - Alina Nowak, ESP, for health reasons. Both couples are on the starting list now.

The stellar line-up is guaranteed once more and the setting for this year's GrandSlam Latin will be spectacular. Even if the venue had to be changed from the traditional Queen Elizabeth II Stadium to the slightly smaller McPherson Stadium, the atmosphere is bound to be as exuberant as ever.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final, the interviews with the medallist couples.

© 2016 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster TVB and the Hong Kong DanceSport Association Music by Casa musica.

Two GrandSlams preceded this European Standard and both produced nearly identical outcomes. The top three couples maintained their places from Helsinki to Wuhan: Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, won twice, Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, were first and Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, second runners-up in both.

Many anticipated to witness yet another battle between these couples in Wroclaw too. To everyone looking forward to another taste of the drama in the dance-by-dance combat for points that was decided by the whim of four decimals separating the Russians from the Germans in the Wuhan final: it won't happen in this European!

Simone and Annette are not among the 60 starters, having withdrawn at the very last moment. That should clear the way for some new couples to break into the semi-final and final of this championship – and for at least one new couple to make it to the podium.

Another thing that is certain: without the defending champions on the floor of the Centennial Hall, new champions will be crowned. With this unpredictability mixed in, watching this European should be as compelling as all the other major Standard competitions over the past two years.

An 8-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Wuhan.
The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.
Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster ATM System, the World Games 2017 Wroclaw Organising Committee and the DanceSport Federation of Poland.

The GrandSlam Standard Wuhan produced quite a few surprises in last year’s edition. Even though the same six couples as usual danced in the final round, the outcome left quite a few experts wondering.

Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, ended up in sixth place against all prognosis and after five consecutive podium finishes. Usually finishing higher in the standing than their fellow countrymen Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, this time they were narrowly defeated.

Another surprise involved Italians Francesco Galuppo and Debora Pacini, who recorded their best GrandSlam result of their career by taking third. And here many figured that the “usual” finalists had subscribed to their respective places for the entire Series. To confirm that this is not true, one only needs to look to the two dominant couples for the past two years.

Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, staged their upset after Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, had won eight consecutive GrandSlams and two Championships. Will Wuhan bring changes to established order of things this year too?

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Wuhan. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Hubei TV and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

The GrandSlamLatin Wuhan brings together the international elite for the second big match-up in the 2016 Series. The outcome here should be even more conclusive as to who the movers and shakers will be this year than that in Helsinki. Remember, two top-ranked couples and shoo-in finalists in any GrandSlam did not dance there - but they will join in the action here.

Marius-Andrei Balan – Khrystyna Moshenska were crowned German Champions and Timur Imametdinov – Nina Bezzubova were the runners-up three weeks ago in Wetzlar. Let’s see how they fare here!

Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, won their first regular GrandSlam here in 2015. This year they return to Wuhan with the World Champion title plus high hopes to extend their winning streak – and to remain undefeated for six months.

There is at least one couple that will try to keep that from happening: Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, had a similar streak going, with GrandSlam victories in Stuttgart and in Moscow. They figure it’s about time for another!

A 7-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Wuhan. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Hubei TV and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Fighting back and holding ground continues in Latin. Or is there more? It has been exactly one year since Nino Langella and Vera Bondareva won their one and only GrandSlam together right here in Helsinki. While Nino has moved on to pastures elsewhere in the world of dance, Vera is set to reappear together with her new partner Andrey Gusev in the GrandSlam Latin that gets danced in hall 4 of the Messukeskus Expo on Sunday 6 March. Interesting!

All the 2015 GrandSlams that came after Helsinki were marked by an outright battle for succession to the hegemony that Langella and his previous partner Khrystyna Moshenska had exercised for a very long time, winning three World and two European titles plus 14 GrandSlams altogether

Over the course of the 2015 Series the wins of regular legs were evenly split between two couples: Gabriele Goffredo – Anna Matus, MDA, and Armen Tsaturyan – Svetlana Gudyno, RUS. They arrived at December’s “Showdown in Shanghai” with two wins each and were considered to have equal chances for the third and decisive victory in the Final.

Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus were the ones who finally put the icing on the cake by winning Shanghai only three weeks after they had claimed the World Championship title in Vienna, AUT. Armen and Svetlana were obviously disappointed with how their successful year came to an end, but they vouched right then and there that they would fight back the first opportunity they get.

This brings us to the here and now, to the 2016 GrandSlam Latin in Helsinki – where the next chapter is due to be written in the story of a rivalry between two equal opponents. Are there other couples that could stage the upset, defeating either of the odds-on favourites and taking first in the first leg of the Series? Of course – and quite a few at that! But just as last year, Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER, again appear not to be one of them. They danced a World and an International Open so far in 2016, winning both convincingly, but they are not – at the time of writing this – among the close to 100 couples entered.

A 9-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Helsinki. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.
Approximately 90-minutes running time! Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster YLE and the Finnish DanceSport Federation. Music by http://www.casa-musica.de

The stage is set for another dance-off over supremacy in Standard. It is the first GrandSlam Standard of the Series in 2016 – at long last! And it comes after three months of top couples staying clear of one another as they compete rather selectively and opt for those floors where they don’t necessarily coincide with their opponents.

The two couples that dominated last year’s GrandSlam Series – as well as the World and European Championships – come off a major break. They last danced against each other in December’s “Final Showdown in Shanghai.”

Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, kept away from international competition for eleven full weeks – until they reappeared in the Bassano Open on 27 February. Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER, danced only national competitions during the same period and selected this GrandSlam for their return to the global scene.

What we can be sure of is that both couples have worked intensely in the studio ever since Shanghai, getting ready for yet another face-off between them. Their roles seem reversed from when they slugged it out in Helsinki in March 2015. This time the Germans are the challengers – and the Russians have to defend their newly acquired supremacy.

But Helsinki is certainly more than just a duel between the two odds-on favourites. Virtually all couples in the top 25 of the WDSF World Ranking dance the first Standard leg in Helsinki. They have prepared themselves just as diligently since Shanghai. But some went about it differently! Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite, for instance, entered five World and International Opens – and won them all.

A 9-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Helsinki.

The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Approximately 90-minutes running time! Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster YLE and the Finnish DanceSport Federation. Music by http://www.casa-musica.de

A hierarchy seemed firmly established when it comes to the standings that were produced by the major Standard competitions held throughout the year - at least until very recently!

Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER, were the dominators from the first leg of the GrandSlam Series in Helsinki, FIN, on to the European in Aarhus, DEN, and on to the biggest of them all, the GrandSlam Stuttgart in August.
Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, seemed destined to be the perpetual runners-up, claiming their second places with varying margins of points that separated them from the winners.
Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, were cast as the second runners-up - except in the GrandSlam Wuhan, where they fell back a few places.

This could have continued forever, but then - suddenly - the powers shifted and the customary order was reversed. In the 2015 World Standard in Vilnius, LTU, the Russians staged the ultimate upset by winning all five dances and the title over the Germans. And that with a difference of nearly seven points - a landslide! Even the Lithuanians managed to place ahead of Segatori - Sudol in the Quickstep of the final.

Exactly eight days later the same three couples face off again to contest the last title of the year. Together with ten other top-ranked couples they have been invited to Shanghai, CHN, and the GrandSlam Finals.

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Standard Final. With full graphics but without commentary.

The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. Music by http://www.casa-musica.de

It has been a rather tumultuous year in Latin and the five GrandSlam Series competitions taking place at somewhat regular intervals reflected that perfectly. When the series went underway with the first leg in Helsinki, FIN, everybody was eager to see three "new" couples that had formed after two high-profile partnerships were dissolved following the 2014 World Latin.

Even the sceptics seemed to like what they saw: winning Helsinki with his new partner Vera Bondareva, Nino Langella seemed all set to continue where he had left off five months earlier. It came all the more as a surprise when the two dancers did'n make it to Wuhan, CHN, and when Nino announced that he would move on to new horizons prior to Hong Kong. But by then, three couples had started to position themselves as the heirs apparent to his dominance.

Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, had two back-to-back victories in Asia, but Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno came back fighting and took the next two legs: Stuttgart, GER, and Moscow, RUS. Nino's former partner Khrystyna Moshenska and Marius-Andrei Balan were runners-up twice but failed to make it to Moscow - something that keeps them out of the season-ending GrandSlam Final in China. As the 12 top-ranked couples compete one more time in this Shanghai Showdown the stakes are higher than ever for two of them: so far, Gabriele and Anna won two legs plus the World Championship in Vienna, AUT, Armen and Svetlana won the other two plus the European in Aarhus, DEN.

With these records for 2015, the GrandSlam Final becomes the tiebreaker of sorts.

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the GrandSlam Latin Final. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. Music by http://www.casa-musica.de

Emotions were flying high at last year's World Standard in Vienna, AUT, when the fight for the title was between two couples that had never tasted victory at this level before.

Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, and Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, had won GrandSlams, but a world or continental title had escaped them so far in their career. The final tally of points in the Vienna final had the Germans in first with 191.685 and the Russians in second with 189.171, no landslide by any measure.

Much has happened since then. Simone and Annette went on to win the European title and four GrandSlams in 2014. Dmitry and Olga held against it with one GrandSlam victory in Moscow.

There were some very memorable dances too. One only needs to think back to GrandSlam Stuttgart, where the Russians convinced the panel with their Tango and shocked the Germans in the first dance of the final.

This World Championship in Vilnius, LTU, should see the fight for supremacy in Standard continue between the same two couples. With a third not too far off and capable to stage an upset: Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, dance at home and in front of their fans and friends. That always inspires ...

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2015 World Standard. With full graphics but without commentary. The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists. Approximately 90-minutes running time. Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster KTS and the Lithuanian DanceSport Federation. Music: Casa musica casa-musica.de The quarterfinal will be added as a special feature.

Watch the full-length final of the 2015 Professional Division World DanceSport Championship Showdance Standard that was danced on 22 November in Vienna, AUT.

The 64-minute programme includes interviews with the medallists. What makes this programme unique: it is provided free of charge as a courtesy and as a thank you to our followers and clients on Vimeo.

DO NOT PURCHASE. Just watch the trailer!

The programme was produced between the host broadcaster ORF, the production company TV Film and WDSF Communications. Director: Thomas Völkl. All rights are reserved. And yes, if you have not yet joined Vimeo, this would be the perfect time to do it! It's easy and it's free too.

This year's World Latin in Vienna, AUT, should bring back memories of the one held in the Austrian capital only three years ago. In 2013 the outcome was just as unpredictable as it is now. Then, too, it was a fight for first between two couples that had won all the important competitions throughout the year. One was European Champion, the other held against that with several high-profile GrandSlam wins. Remember?

This year the situation is virtually identical. Russians Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno are the reigning European Champions. Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, MDA, have won two of the four GrandSlams against the Russians but kept a lower profile as of lately.

If that is not enough, think of a third couple that came within four decimal points of winners Armen and Svetlana in the Stuttgart GrandSlam, keeping Gabriele and Anna a fairly distant third there: Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER. And then think of the bronze medallist at the 2015 European in Aarhus, DEN: Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA!

In short: take guesswork and imagination and assemble the podium of your choice!

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2015 World Latin in Vienna, AUT.
With full graphics but without commentary.
The 90-minute programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster ORF and the Austrian DanceSport Federation.

Over 200 couples danced over two days at the Crocus Expo venue to determine the winners of the last regular leg in the 2015 GrandSlam Standard Series. Dancing started at 8 a.m. for the first round for those couples that were not in the top 50 of the WDSF World Ranking. Over more than three hours, they were called to the floor in countless heats. The best made it to the decisive stages on day two, when the 12 adjudicators took up their positions in front of computer terminals and started officiating the last three rounds with the WDSF Judging System 2.1.1. Ultimately, six couples would be left to dance in the final. Who is likely to get that far, you are asking? Well, Moscow is always good for a few new faces making their first appearance in a last round. Last year it was Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin, GER, and Vasily Kirin - Ekaterina Prozorova, AUT, who went up against the much more established finalists from Russia and Lithuania. Can they repeat in 2015? In any case, the level of dancing was spectacular and the atmosphere splendid when the master of ceremony signalled the orchestra to play for the first solo dance: the Tango! The full-length semi-final and final of the 2015 GrandSlam Standard in Moscow, RUS, danced on 25 October. A 6-camera production - 94 minutes in all - with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! © 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Russia 2 and the Russian DanceSport Union - RDSU.

It was the last of the five regular legs that make up the 2015 WDSF GrandSlam Series. As such it was at somewhat of a disadvantage: some of the couples that had already qualified for the "Showdown in Shanghai," the GrandSlam Finals held in December, decided to skip this one. But fact is too that Moscow was still the leg with the second-highest participation, 296 couples in the Latin this year, falling only very few entries short of matching that in Stuttgart, GER. Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, the current world #1 in the World Ranking Latin, obviously insistedt on dancing in front of the families and fans. So did Yury Simachev and Anastasia Klokotova, RUS, who tried to repeat their podium finish from Hong Kong. Joining them were those committed to dance in Moscow and in all five legs - even though they had their flights to China already booked already. When it comes to the Latin, that's Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER. The other German couple, Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska, GER, would have still needed that fourth result, but didn't make it to Moscow ... And, as a consequence, won't be dancing the Finals. The full-length semi-final and final of the 2015 GrandSlam Latin in Moscow, RUS, danced on 24 October. A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! © 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Russia 2 and the Russian DanceSport Union - RDSU.

36 couples made the journey to Stuttgart, GER, to take part in the 2015 World Championship Boogie Woogie of the Main Class. They were accompanied by 39 other couples competing for the world titles in Junior and Senior plus a host of supporters who came to watch and cheer.

Between all of them they created the anarchic atmosphere that makes Rock 'n' Roll stand out from the other DanceSport disciplines contested during the German Open Championships.

This 48-minute programme covers the highlights of the two days of Boogie Woogie in Stuttgart: the Slow and the Fast Finals of the Main Class plus the opening and award ceremonies - including the free-for-all last dance with hundreds on the floor.

Looks behind the scene and interviews with some of the finalists round it off.

A 6-camera production with full graphics!

© 2015 World Rock 'n' Roll Confederation | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster Schawa TV, the German DanceSport Federation and the organisers of the German Open Championships.

The World Championship in the DanceSport decathlon is held in Chengdu and all six finalists of last year's World Ten Dance in Riga, LAT, have travelled to China.

In Riga, Miha Vodicar - Nadiya Bychkova, SLO, prevailed over Daniil Ulanov - Kateryna Isakovych, UKR, after they danced a very strong Latin part. Jaak Vainomaa - Taina Savikurki, FIN, were third.

The only non-European couple in the final was Anton Belyayev - Antoaneta Popova, CAN. They ended up in fifth.

At the European Championship that was held in Mégève, FRA, earlier this year, Miha and Nadiya kept the upper hand against Jaak and Taina, but the winning margin was a mere two points.

Watch all these perennial contenders in action at the Feilong Gymnasium.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of six parts:

• the full-length semi-final Standard (1 · no commentary)
• the full-length semi-final Standard (2 · no commentary)
• interviews with some of the finalists (3)
• the full-length final Standard (4 · no commentary)
• the full-length final Latin (5 · no commentary)
• the interviews with the medallist couples (6)

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation
WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the Chinese DanceSport Federation CDSF.

Over the past ten years, the victories at the GrandSlam Standard Stuttgart were divided up between one Danish, two Italian and two German couples. Six wins went to the host country, three to Italy and one to Denmark.
Simone Segatori - Annette Sudo, GER, were first in 2014, claiming the second GrandSlam of their career after 2014 Hong Kong and starting on a streak that has not stopped yet. |

If the two plan on matching their German predecessors when it comes to dominance at the GrandSlam Stuttgart, they will need a win this year too – and then three more until 2018.

Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Koehler won here non-stop between 2008 and 2012! Another victory by Segatori - Sudol would definitely get celebrated at the DanceSport Club Astoria Stuttgart too.Both dancers represent this club – as did Ferruggia - Koehler before them.

That a local couple is always among the contenders for the home GrandSlam is one of Stuttgart’s peculiarities. And one that converted this city into the Mekka of DanceSport over the past decade!

But let’s not preempt what will end up being a tight competition between the Germans and the other favourites. In 2015 Hong Kong, Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, RUS, came within less than two points in a total score of nearly 200 for all five dances to stage the first major upset for the year.

Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU, Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA, Nikolay Darin- Natalia Seredina, MDA, and Bjorn Bitsch- Ashli Williamson, DEN, are the Hong Kong finalists looking to repeat their exploits in Stuttgart.
Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU, who chose to skip dancing in Hong Kong, are on the starting list for Stuttgart. They better be there too, if they plan to qualify for the Shanghai Showdown in December.

Four GrandSlam results will be required for that.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The programme is made up of four parts:

• the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary)
• interviews with the finalists (2)
• the full-length final (3 · no commentary)
• the interviews with the medallist couples (4)

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation
WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the German DanceSport Federation - DTV.

Stuttgart is traditionally the biggest GrandSlam of the Latin Series and the 2015 edition won't change that either.
371 couples are on the preliminary starting list – and that with one week still to go until the entry deadline.

Even if some should fail to show up for the first round at 8 a.m. on 13 August, we could have us another record participation. Just for reference: 345 couples danced in 2013, 333 in 2014.

That all the top-ranked couples will be present can easily be confirmed by taking one brief look at the starting list.

The best couples are marked with two stars – very appropriately – as they are exempt from dancing the first two rounds.

Moldovans Gabriele Goffredo and Anna Matus, who are currently first in the GrandSlam Ranking, are looking for their third successive win after Wuhan and Hong Kong. But reigning European Champions Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, who hold the number one position in the combined World Ranking, should have their say in the matter too. As do the other four couples who also danced the final rounds in Wuhan and Hong Kong: Charles-Guillaume Schmitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA, Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER, Timur Imametdinov - Nina Bezzubova, GER, and Yury Simachev - Anastasia Klokotova, RUS.

Making it to the final and from there onto the podium is probably harder in Stuttgart than at any of the other GrandSlam locations. Even if the finalists don't dance until round three, they will have to dance six full rounds before a winner is declared. And the competition is tougher here than elsewhere. Who would want to miss Stuttgart?

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists!
The programme is made up of four parts:

• the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary)
• interviews with the finalists (2)
• the full-length final (3 · no commentary)
• the interviews with the medallist couples (4)

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation
WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster and the German DanceSport Federation - DTV.

Music: Casa musica  WDSF GrandSlam Partner SWAROVSKI

It is one of the particularities of DanceSport in many Asian countries that Standard is the discipline preferred by the public at large. It could the panache reminiscent of early twentieth century ballrooms, the tail suits and gowns, the timeless music that all find great acceptance in the culture.

If you should ever experience 3,000 spectators in attendance at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium cheering on their favourite couples in the Quickstep, you will get the idea of just how appreciated the most classic of all DanceSport disciplines is in Hong Kong.

When the GrandSlam Standard was danced on June 1 last year, the majority among the 62 couples entered came from Europe, but Asia, Australia and North America were also well represented. In fact, Hong Kong was the second most international leg after Stuttgart, GER.

The final was an all-European affair and the line-up of couples was virtually identical to those for most of the Series in 2014. Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, won their first GrandSlam ever and embarked on a winning streak that persists until today.

Will they add another win on 21 June?

That most of the top ranked couples will try hard to make it to Hong Kong is a sure thing.

Asia's world city is high on the list of preferred GrandSlam destinations for all of of them. It's likely the combination of good flight connections, of the uniquely cosmopolitan atmosphere in the host city and, above all, of the friendliness of the organisers.

Only one entry can definitely be ruled out: Nino Langella has recently announced that he will leave the world where dance is sport and move on to another. We wish him luck in his new ventures. Nino's longtime partner Khrystyna Moshenska will be in Hong Kong together with Marius-Andrei Balan.

And Vera Bondareva, with whom he won the first GrandSlam leg of 2015 in Helsinki, has only recently announced her new partnership with Evgeny Kuzin. Maybe they will make it too?

Fact is that on 20 June the world's finest Latin dancers should again be taking to the floor at the Queen Elizabeth II Stadium. It is definitely one of the world's best venues for DanceSport as it affords optimal views of the action even to those whose seat is located in a row high up.

You, too, can enjoy an excellent angle on the 2015 GrandSlam Latin Hong Kong by watching the full-length semi-final and final through the Vimeo on Demand programme.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The 84-minute programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary), interviews with the finalists (2), the full-length final (3 · no commentary), the interviews with the medallist couples (4).

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster TVB and the Hong Kong DanceSport Association

Music by Casa musica

Download the Music Cue Sheet with all titles included in the programme.

WDSF GrandSlam Partner SWAROVSKI

Last year's European Champions will not defend their title.

Martino Zanibellato and Michelle Abildtrup, DEN, announced their retirement the very day they won the PD World Latin for the second consecutive time in Horsens, DEN.

Among the more than 40 couples that will be dancing in Olomouc, CZE, are Andrey Zaytsev and Elizaveta Cherevichnaya, RUS, the runners-up in 2014.

Will Andrey win another European title after the one in Krasnodar, RUS, when he danced as Amateur with his former partner Anna Kuzminskaya? Vitaly Panteleev - Angelina Nechkhaeva, RUS, and Saverio Loria - Zeudi Zanetti, ITA, should probably have their say in this too.

And then there are couples that have only recently turned professional: Pavel Pasechnik - Marta Arendt, GER, announced the change in their career in April and recorded a second-place finish in the Professional Division already.

An 8-camera production with full graphics and without commentary.

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with CESKA TELEVIZE, the OK Open Organisers and the Czech DanceSport Federation.

The two top finishers in the first GrandSlam Standard leg of the year in Helsinki, FIN, were - in this order - Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, and Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS. Third place went to Lithuanians Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite.

The recent European Championship in Cambrils, ESP, saw the same three couples place in the exact same order. But even if the roles of victors and runners-up seem somewhat permanently assigned by now, it could take as little as a moment of great inspiration on the part of some – or of exhaustion on the part of others – and change could happen.

Just like in any other sport, the form of the day will need to be factored in too!

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2015 GrandSlam Latin Wuhan. With full graphics but without commentary.

The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster Hubei Sports TV and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa musica. Download the Music Cue Sheet with all titles included in the programme.

Nino Langella - Vera Bondareva, ITA, won the first GrandSlam leg of the year in Helsinki, FIN, but they only prevailed with a narrow margin over Moldovans Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus and Russians Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno.

The European Championship at the end of March was contested without the Italians. In Aarhus, DEN, Tsaturyan - Gudyno finally got their revenge over Goffredo - Matus, reversing the order of the 2014 GrandSlam Final in Shanghai, CHN, and winning by more than four points.

And there is another couple that everyone is eager to see go up against the Latin powers above: Marius-Andrei Balan - Khrystyna Moshenska, GER.

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2015 GrandSlam Latin Wuhan. With full graphics but without commentary.

The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster Hubei Sports TV and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa musica. Download the Music Cue Sheet with all titles included in the programme.

There are no defending champions in Cambrils, ESP. The winners of the title in 2014, Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet, DEN, turned professionals right after the European in Moscow, RUS. But the World Champions are here: Simone Segatori and Annette Sudol, GER.

Their foremost opponents come from Russia, Dmitry Zharkov and Olga Kulikova, as well as from Lithuania, Evaldas Sodeika and Ieva Zukauskaite. These three couples made it to the podium in the most recent GrandSlam Standard in Helsinki, FIN, exactly one month ago.

A 6-camera production in High Definition covering the decisive stages of the 2015 European Standard. With full graphics but without commentary.

The programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final, interviews with the finalists, the full-length final and interviews with the medallists.

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster High TV and the organiser Publiolimpia.
Music: Casa musica

In the recent past, there hardly was another Latin competition as eagerly awaited as the inaugural leg of the 2015 GrandSlam Series in Helsinki, FIN.

After two high-profile partnerships were dissolved in the wake of last year’s World Championship in Ostrava, CZE, the international Latin community had started to wonder: “Will they be back? Who with whom, when and where …?"
Aniello Langella and Khrystyna Moshenska – the perennial dominators who won three World and two European titles, plus 14 GrandSlams altogether – decided to go their separate ways.
Marius-Andrei Balan and Nina Bezzubova, finalists in all major competitions since 2012, ended their partnership at precisely the same time.

What followed were two months of speculation and two more legs of the 2014 Series: Moscow plus the final showdown in Shanghai.
Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, who were second in Ostrava, won Moscow but lost the “finalissima” to Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA, just before Christmas.

It was also then that facts started to replace rumours and that three new partnerships were officially announced: Nino Langella with Vera Bondareva for Italy, Khrystyna Moshenska with Marius-Andrei Balan for Germany, and Nina Bezzubova with Timur Imametdinov, also for Germany.

The GrandSlam Latin Helsinki was the first big international outing for two of the new couples. Watch them as they go up against those who held the powers while they were realigning their careers! “For sure, it will be interesting to see the new couples,” said Gabriele Goffredo. “But nothing changes in the end: we need to focus on us.”

No surprise that the competition was tighter than ever before! A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists!

The 90-minute programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary), interviews with the finalists (2), the full-length final (3 · no commentary), the interviews with two of the medallist couples (4).

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Videpe Oy and the Finnish DanceSport Federation Music: Dave Benton and his Perfect Band

WDSF GrandSlam Partner SWAROVSKI

The GrandSlam Standard Helsinki held everything that it had promised. It turned into the year’s first gathering of all the best couples.

Only four in the top 20 of the World Ranking didn’t make it. It saw pretty much the same semi-finalists and finalists as the last two major competitions of 2014 – the World Standard in Vienna and the GrandSlam Final in Shanghai – and it produced results that were in line with those of the World Championship.

The two top finishers, Simone Segatori – Annette Sudol, GER, and Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, came within a few decimal points of outright duplicating their total scores.

Only one ten made it to the scoreboard during the final: it was awarded to Segatori – Sudol for Movement to Music in the Quickstep. That was the dance that could have gone either way as Zharkov – Kulikova were only seven hundredths behind the Germans in the finally tally of points awarded for the four component. “

It’s time to show our emotions and our feelings inside,” said Olga Kulikova just prior to the final. “Everything is already rehearsed before,” said Annette Sudol, "we’re just enjoying the final now.”

Are these different words conveying an identical message? We let you be the judge. Watch the two couples as well as the ten others in the semi-final and final of the 2015 GrandSlam Standard Helsinki.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists! The 90-minute programme is made up of four parts: the full-length semi-final (1 · no commentary), interviews with the finalists (2) the full-length final (3 · no commentary), the interviews with the three medallists (4).

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF

Communications team in collaboration with Videpe Oy and the Finnish DanceSport Federation Music: Dave Benton and his Perfect Band

WDSF GrandSlam Partner SWAROVSKI

Only just over two months after they last met in Magdeburg, GER, to contest the same title, the Professionals danced in Copenhagen, DEN, to determine the European Champions.

27 couples entered in Denmark and the rivalry was the same that was seen in Germany and in many top-level Standard championships over the past five years.

Between the Germans and the Danes: between Benedetto Ferruggia - Claudia Koehler and Emanuel Valeri - Tania Kehlet.

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the PD World Standard. With full graphics but without commentary. The 87-minute programme is made up of two (2) parts: the full-length semi-finall (1) and the full-length final (2).

© 2015 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with host broadcaster dk4 and the Danish DanceSport Federation.

The top 12 couples in the 2014 GrandSlam Ranking Standard have qualified on the basis of their best three results in the regular legs of the Series to take part in the Standard Showdown in Shanghai.

They have received a formal invitation to compete in the Series-ending Final for the highest purse of the year and all 12 have accepted. One wildcard couple from China joins them.

Vasiliy Kirin - Ekaterina Prozorova, AUT
Zhao Peng - Wang Qi, CHN
Bjoern Bitsch - Ashli Williamson, DEN
Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER
Anton Skuratov - Alena Uehlin , GER
Francesco Galuppo - Debora Pacini, ITA
Evaldas Sodeika - Ieva Zukauskaite, LTU
Vaidotas Lacitis - Veronika Golodneva, LTU
Giuseppe Longarini - Katazyna Kapral, POL
Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS
Alexey Glukhov - Anastasia Glazunova, RUS
Vadim Shurin - Anastasia Mashkova, RUS
Daniil Ulanov - Kateryna Isakovych, UKR

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the 2014 GrandSlam Standard Final. With full graphics and an English commentary over the final.
The 91-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length final (1 - narrated by Alex Warner), the interviews with the medallists (2), the full-length semi-final (3 - no commentary) and the interviews after the semi-final (4).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Russia 2, the Shanghai organisers and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

The GrandSlam Final brings together the 12 best couples in the 2014 GrandSlam Latin Ranking for the Series-ending "SHOWDOWN in SHANGHAI."

But two of the couples in the ranking have recently dissolved their partnerships.

With four GrandSlam wins and 3600 points to their credit, Aniello Langella and Khrystyna Moshenska are still in the # 1 position. Marius-Andrei Balan and Nina Bezzubova are in # 4, with four top finishes and the third place in the Stuttgart leg as their best.

After their places among the 12 qualifiers for Shanghai have been taken up by the numbers 13 and 14 in the ranking, one can truly say that the factual top 12 couples are ready to dance in the Latin Final.

Hau Yao - Zhuang Ting, CHN
Umberto Gaudino - Louise Heise, DEN
Edgar Marcos - Alina Nowak, ESP
Charles Guillaume-Schnitt - Elena Salikhova, FRA
Pavel Pasechnik - Marta Arndt, GER
Vincenzo Mariniello - Sara Casini, ITA
Marts Smolko - Viktorija Puhovika, LAT
Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA
Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS
Yury Simachev - Anastasia Klokotova, RUS
Andrey Kiselev - Anastasia Kiseleva, RUS
Stanislav Nikolaev - Elena Ziuziukina, RUS
Miha Vodicar - Nadiya Bychkova, SLO

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the 2014 GrandSlam Latin Final. With full graphics and an English commentary over the final.

The 96-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length final (1 - narrated by Alex Warner), the interviews with the medallists (2), the full-length semi-final (3 - no commentary) and the interviews after the semi-final (4).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Russia 2, the Shanghai organisers and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

83 couples representing 46 National Member Bodies entered the 2014 World Standard thatwas held at the Multiversum in Vienna-Schwechat on Saturday 15 November.

The championship was eagerly anticipated by all as a "brand new" World Champion was to be declared.

The 2013 Champions Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet, DEN, had turned professional earlier in the year. Who were the favourites to become their successors?

Two couples were mentioned most often by experts: Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, and Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS.

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the 2014 World Standard. With full graphics but without commentary. The 83-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length semi-final (1), the interviews prior to the final (2), the full-length final (3) and the interviews with the medallists (4).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Austrian public broadcaster ORF, the Austrian Open organisers and the Austrian DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

34 couples had travelled to the Latvian capital Riga to contest the world title in DanceSport's decathlon.

The 2014 World Ten Dance determined the successors to Bjoern Bitsch and Ashli Williamson, DEN, the couple that dominated the discipline over the past three years but focuses exclusively on Standard these days.

Last year in Vienna, AUT, Bjoern and Ashli prevailed only very narrowly over the runners-up Miha Vodičar – Nadiya Bychkova, SLO, after Rule 11 was invoked. Earlier this year - at the European Ten Dance in Cambrils, ESP - the Slovenians were edged out by Jaak Vainomaa – Taina Savikurki, FIN, in a tight fight for first.

This World Ten Dance was the first one adjudicated with the Judging System 2.1. Rule 11 was no longer be needed to determine the champions.

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the World Ten Dance. With full graphics but without commentary. The 104-minute programme is made up of two (2) parts: the full-length semi-finall (1) and the full-length final (2). Unfortunately, the interviews that were recorded in Riga were accidentally deleted.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Latvian Television LTV, the Riga organisers and the Latvian DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 WDSF PD World DanceSport Championship Standard danced on 1 November at the Nanjing University Gymnasium in Nanjing, CHN.

The defending Professional World Champions Mirko Gozzoli and Edita Daniute entered this year's championship with the clear intent to pick up from where they left off in Bassano del Grappa, ITA, in 2013 and to bring their highly successful active career to a befitting conclusion.

The first Professional Division World Championship ever held in Asia brought the three contenders for the 2014 title to the floor for a final face-off between them.

Benedetto Ferrugia and Claudia Koehler as well as Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet stood poised to take over from Gozzoli and Daniute... Why wait until next year?

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the PD World Standard. With full graphics but without commentary. The 87-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length semi-finall (1), flash interviews after the semi-final (2), the full-length final (3) and the interviews with the medallists (4).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with the Nanjing organisers and the Chinese DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

The fifth and final regular leg of the 2014 GrandSlam Series Standard took place in Moscow, RUS.

250 couples entered the event that was scheduled over two days. With some of the perpetual finalists ominously absent, the race for a top-six finish was more open than ever ...

Watch the top12 couples slugging it out.

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the 2014 GrandSlam Standard Moscow. With full graphics and an English commentary over the final. The 87-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length final (1 - narrated by Alex Warner), the interviews with the medallists (2), the full-length semi-final (3 - no commentary) and the interviews after the semi-final (4).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Russia 2, the Dance Accord organisers and the Russian DanceSport Union.

Live Music by Semen Milstein and his Orchestra

It is the first GrandSlam Latin after the couple that had dominated this and last year's Series at will announced that they would no longer dance together.

After Nino Langella - Khrystyna Moshenska, ITA, had cleared the path to the highest echelon of the podium, the war for succession was declared.

A 6-camera production covering the decisive stages of the 2014 GrandSlam Latin Moscow. With full graphics and an English commentary over the final. The 87-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length final (1 - narrated by Alex Warner), the interviews with the medallists (2), the full-length semi-final (3 - no commentary) and the interviews after the semi-final (4).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Russia 2, the Dance Accord organisers and the Russian DanceSport Union.

Live Music by Semen Milstein and his Orchestra

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 WDSF PD Super GrandPrix Moscow danced on 25 October at the Crocus Expo.

Andrey Zaytsev and Elizaveta Cherevichnaya, RUS, danced their first competition in the WDSF Professional Division a little less than one year ago. Andrey, the 2013 European Champion Latin, had taken a few months sabbatical, looked for a new partner, turned pro, and started training in time for the PD Super GrandPrix Latin in December. They came in second behind Martino Zanibellato and Michelle Abildtrup, DEN, in Magdeburg, GER.

In the first PD Super GrandPrix Latin of 2014 in Stuttgart, GER, they were again second to the Danes. But will the powers start to shift in Moscow?

A 6-camera production with full graphics, without commentary - but enhanced with interviews and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF

Communications team in collaboration with the host broadcaster Russia 2 and the organisers of Dance Accord, the Russian Open Championships.

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 World DanceSport Championship Latin danced on 5 October at the ČEZ Aréna in Ostrava, CZE.

An exceptional crowd at the fabulous venue makes all the difference and creates the appropriate atmosphere for one of the best World Championships Latin ever!

Italians Nino Langella and Khrystyna Moshenska set out to equal the feat of Franco Formica and Oksana Nikiforova, the Germans who are the only couple in WDSF history to win three consecutive World Latin Championships. That was over ten years ago!

Judging System 2.1 gets used for the first time in a World Championship - with a formula that is slightly different from the one in GrandSlam competition: only two solo dances are performed in the final!

An 8-camera production with full graphics and without commentary. Interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with CESKA TELEVIZE, the Czech Dance Open Organisers and the Czech DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

The decisive stages of the 2014 GrandSlam Latin in Wuhan, CHN, danced on 13 September at the Sports Centre Arena.

It was GrandSlam win number 14 for the Italian couple Aniello Langella - Khrystyna Moshenska in Wuhan. In front of a huge crowd at the Sports Centre arena, they had again the highest scores in all five dances and literally cruised to victory.

What was different from one month ago in Stuttgart, GER, was how the panel of judges awarded their points. While in the two German GrandSlams there were quite a few 10s for "outstanding" appearing in the graphics inserted over the "kiss & cry" shots, there were none shown in Latin here.

Maybe the advice dispensed by experts at the Stuttgart Ajudicators' Congress has sunk in after all. Or maybe Nino and Khrystyna were indeed a little "rusty" after their summer vacation? You judge for yourself!

An 8-camera production with full graphics, an English commentary - plus interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone. The 90-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length final (1 · 56 minutes, narrated by Alex Warner), the interviews with the three medallists (2 · 3 minutes), the full-length semi-final (3 · 27 minutes, no commentary) and the interviews after the semi-final (4 · 2 minutes).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Hubei Sports TV, the Wuhan GrandSlam Organising Committee and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. This production would not have been possible without the generous support of BD Dance, the makers of fine dance shoes.

Music: Casa Musica

The decisive stages of the 2014 GrandSlam Standard in Wuhan, CHN, danced on 14 September at the Sports Centre Arena.

The 2014 GrandSlam Standard Wuhan final lived up to the highest expectations of all those who appreciate DanceSport performed as close to perfection as is achievable, those who rally for their favourite couple, and those who generally appreciate a tight fight on the floor.

Maybe the scores weren't as high as one month ago in Stuttgart, but the winners saw three 10s going up after three different dances.

Cheering was very liberally dispensed by spectators who seemed to support all finalists in a fairly equitable ratio. And when the smoke of the battle had dispersed after the fifth dance, a Quickstep, the margin of victory was a mere 1.27 points!

An 8-camera production with full graphics, an English commentary - plus interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone. The 90-minute programme is made up of four (4) parts: the full-length final (1 · 56 minutes, narrated by Alex Warner), the interviews with the three medallists (2 · 3 minutes), the full-length semi-final (3 · 27 minutes, no commentary) and the interviews after the semi-final (4 · 3 minutes).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Hubei Sports TV, the Wuhan GrandSlam Organising Committee and the Chinese DanceSport Federation. This production would not have been possible without the generous support of BD Dance, the makers of fine dance shoes.

Music: Casa Musica

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 GrandSlam Standard in Stuttgart, GER, danced on 16 August at the Beethoven Hall.

The programme starts with the final, the semi-final follows it - without commentary.

The rivalry is served in the third leg of the 2014 GrandSlam Standard Series too. One win each went to the account of Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, and Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, so far.

Here in Stuttgart, the German couple gets to dance in front of a hometown crowd. But Dmitry and Olga know perfectly well that the Stuttgart public is not only one of the most knowledgeable, it is also the fairest in all of DanceSport.

A 5-camera production with full graphics, an English commentary - plus interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Southwest Broadcasting SWR and the organisers of the German Open DanceSport Championships

Music: Boris Myagkov Big Band

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 GrandSlam Latin in Stuttgart, GER, danced on 15 August at the Beethoven Hall.

The programme starts with the final, the semi-final follows it - without commentary.

The outcome was as predictable as always. But the expert public at the Beethoven Hall enjoyed every second of the semi-final and final in the 2014 GrandSlam Latin Stuttgart.

A very inspired Aniello Langella and Khrystyna Moshenska, ITA, were again awarded 10s by the panel of adjudicators and made it their victory number 13. But perfection was found elsewhere too! With their final Paso Doble, Charles-Guillaume Schmitt and Elena Salikhova, FRA, swept the 4,000 spectators off their seats - for a standing ovation of more than a minute!

A 5-camera production with full graphics, an English commentary - plus interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Southwest Broadcasting SWR and the organisers of the German Open DanceSport Championships

Music: Boris Myagkov Big Band

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 WDSF PD Super GrandPrix Latin in Stuttgart, GER, that was danced on 14 August at the Beethoven Hall.

Two years ago, Andrey Zaytsev won the GrandSlam in Stuttgart together with former partner Anna Kuzminskaya. In 2014 he returns to the floor at the Beethoven Hall with his new partner Elizaveta Cherevichnaya – and as a rookie professional.
In the WDSF PD Super GrandPrix Latin he goes up against 59 couples. Among them are Martino Zanibellato and Michelle Abildtrup, the current PD World Champions.

Even though the two had never beaten Andrey prior to turning professional last year, they are the favourites here and now. A 4-camera production with full graphics, an English commentary - plus interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Schawa TV and the organisers of the German Open DanceSport Championships

Music: Boris Myagkov Big Band

The full-length semi-final and final of the 2014 WDSF PD Super GrandPrix Standard in Stuttgart, GER, that was danced on 12 August at the Beethoven Hall.

Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet, DEN, are the two rookie professionals who go up against strong competition at this year's PD Super GrandPrix Standard in Stuttgart, GER. It's one couple in particular whom they know to perfection from doing battle with in the past: second-year pros Benedetto Ferruggia and Claudia Koehler, GER.

And then there is another: Mirko Gozzoli and Edita Daniute, LTU, the winners in 2013. What the three couples have in common is that at one point in their careers they were the WDSF World Champions. What separates them are their distinctively different styles of dancing Standard.

A 4-camera production with full graphics, an English commentary - plus interviews with the protagonists and all the drama that played out in the "kiss & cry" zone.

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with Schawa TV and the organisers of the German Open DanceSport Championships

Music: Boris Myagkov Big Band

The second day of the GrandSlam Hong Kong brought five rounds of top-level Standard dancing to the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. 62 couples entered.

Dmitry Zharkov - Olga Kulikova, RUS, had won the first GrandSlam leg of the year in Tallinn, EST. But their long-time opponents Simone Segatori - Annette Sudol, GER, were not there.

So Hong Kong was the first encounter between two couples seeking to become the successors of Emanuel Valeri and Tania Kehlet, DEN, who turned professional immediately after the European Championship in Aarhus, DEN.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists. The 82-minute programme is made up of three (3) parts: the full-length final (1 · 52 minutes, no commentary), the interviews with the three medallists (2 · 3 minutes), the full-length semi-final (3 · 27 minutes, no commentary).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with TVB Hong Kong and the Hong Kong DanceSport Federation

Music: Casa Musica

As in every competition for over a year, Aniello Langella - Khrystyna Moshenska, ITA, are the favourites for first in Hong Kong too. Their last defeat dates back to April 2013, when they came in second to Andrey Zaytsev – Anna Kuminskaya, RUS, at the European Championship in Krasnodar, RUS.

Nevertheless, several couples stand poised to stage the upset: Gabriele Goffredo - Anna Matus, MDA, seem to have overcome the inconsistency that had marred their results at some points in their career.

Armen Tsaturyan - Svetlana Gudyno, RUS, Andrey Kiselev - Anastasia Kiseleva, RUS, Yury Simachev - Anastasia Klokotova, RUS, Stanislav Nikolaev - Elena Ziuziukina, RUS, have taken over from their fellow countrymen Imametdinov - Nikolaeva and Voronov - Imrekova to uphold Russia’s aspirations in the race for first.

A 6-camera production with full graphics plus interviews with the protagonists. The 82-minute programme is made up of three (3) parts: the full-length final (1 · 52 minutes, no commentary), the interviews with the three medallists (2 · 3 minutes), the full-length semi-final (3 · 27 minutes, no commentary).

© 2014 World DanceSport Federation - WDSF | All Rights Reserved

Produced by the WDSF Communications team in collaboration with TVB Hong Kong and the Hong Kong DanceSport Federation.

Music: Casa Musica

Winner of the Gold Award at the II Baku International Sports Film Festival in 2014

Official Selection of the Sport Movies & TV - 32nd Milano International FICTS Fest 2014

For millions of dancers around the world, moving to the rhythms that are closest to their heart has turned into a sporting pursuit. Matching up against their peers in formal contests, they combine prescribed technique and musical interpretation with athleticism and artistry in a stunning performance.

It is on rare occasions that the international elites in all the different forms and styles of dance as sport unite on a single stage. They do so in the WDSF World DanceSport Games! "Do your dance" is the official film of these games that were held in their inaugural edition in Kaohsiung, TPE, from 16 to 20 September 2013. 736 athletes representing 49 nations, the world's best in over a dozen DanceSport disciplines, gathered in the Taiwanese port city to fight for medals at the splendid 13,000-capacity K-Arena.

Just as the Games did in Kaohsiung, "Do your dance" brings out the common traits between the most different disciplines falling under the label DanceSport. Take the couple dancing Boogie Woogie, compare it to another performing the Viennese Waltz, and you conclude that the attires and the moves may differ greatly – but the spirits and the attitudes remain the same. “Do your dance” has its magic powers. It’s not only the sights of it all. It’s also the power of music, the draw of rhythmic expression; it is the unique blend of those ingredients that make dance an integral part of the fabric of every society.

Above all, “Do your dance” brings the audience very close to a group of extraordinary sportsmen and women on a quest for excellence.

Produced by the World DanceSport Federation
WDSF Director: Pedro Toro Editor: Pedro Toro
Photography: Pedro Toro, Marçal Escobedo
Production Support: WDSF Communications Team
Host Broadcaster: Formosa TV
Event Organiser: Kaohsiung City Government

69 Minutes | English