Top 10 Dancesport Competitions To Watch Out For in 2019
Dancesport competitions – art, sport, and glamour
Both WDC and WDSF have some great competitions that have managed to put themselves in dancesport history. This happened as a result of the exquisite organization, great music & atmosphere, renowned judge panels, and world-class competitors.
In this article, I will discuss why are these some of the most famous comps.
Note: I will leave out the World and European Championships for both federations as it is clear that they are a must for every dancer
WDC Competitions
1. Crystal Ball
The first top-notch competition of the year will be on 19-20 January in the beautiful city of St. Petersburg. The organizers are Evgeny Smagin & Polina Kazachenko and Andrei Golovin & Alenda Vaganova.
Crystal Ball is coated in a veil of pure elegance and luxury with an aura of mystery – it really lives up to its name.
The judging panel is not less incredible. Here are some of the names: Gaynor Fairweather MBE, Maurizio Vescovo, Karina Smirnoff, or Sergey Ryupin.
Hurry-up! The online registration closes 14th of January! Register here.
2. British Open Championship (a.k.a. Blackpool Dance Festival)
Blackpool Dance Festival is, without any doubt, one of the most famous dancesport competitions. It has a huge history behind it, being one of the oldest competitions – the first edition took place in 1920 during Easter week.
Besides the live, classy music that the Empress Orchestra prepares for the competitors every year, the crowd is always fabulous. The spectators are putting on their best clothes and are expecting to see great performances on the stunning Winter Gardens floor.
Oh, and not to mention that you see all your idols roaming around…
This year the Festival will take place starting with 19th of May until 31st of May.
If you want to hear about our experience at the previous Blackpool Dance Festival, click here – it was life-changing.
3. Blackpool Festival China
The dancesport industry in Asia is booming: great teachers, amazing dance studios and fierce competitors. Asian dancers have always proudly represented their countries at European competitions, but always traveling to Europe is not very easy. This lead to an increased number of competitions that are taking place in China or Japan for example.
It was just about time for Blackpool Dance Festival to pack its bags and go overseas to Shanghai. The first edition of Blackpool Festival China was in 2015 and it was a success. This dancesport competition is perfect for you if you are living in Asia and you don’t get the chance to travel to Blackpool. Don’t miss the opportunity experience great quality from world class dancers right there, next to you!
This year’s the event is scheduled for August 15-20.
4. Embassy Ballroom Championships
The Embassy Ball is one of the coolest dancesport competitions in America. It has a rich history of over 30 years. Founded in 1980 by former Ballroom Champions Brian and Christine McDonald, The Embassy has grown to become one of the top dance competitions in the United States.
If you want to experience the American style of ballroom and latin competitions this is a perfect choice. Dance next to the World Champions at the Hotel Irvine Jamboree Center between August 28th – September 1st.
Official website: http://www.embassyball.com/
5. Fred Astaire – Disneyland Dance Festival
Donnie Burns MBE and Sammy Stopford are one of the biggest legends in the industry of ballroom and latin. They are known for their unique styles of dancing, approach to teaching aaaand for organizing the glamorous dancesport competition Fred Astaire – Disneyland Dance Festival. This year, the event is scheduled for December 6-8.
The competition is truly inspiring as the dancing is always at its highest level. What I find the most appealing at this competition are the shows. Top professional couples are putting on their best routines to create emotional moments. My personal favorite is Yulia and Riccardo’s paso doble:
WDSF Competitions
1. DanceMasters – Bucharest GrandSlam
This year, DanceMasters is proudly going to represent the first GrandSlam of the year. It is also a first for Romania, as it has never hosted a GrandSlam before. Congratulations to the Romanian Dancesport Federation and to the organizers! We are looking forward to seeing how the event will turn out.
If you want to find out more about the previous edition of DanceMasters check out our other article.
Make sure you are present on the 16th and 17th of March in Bucharest and be part of dancesport history.
2. GrandSlam Rimini
Rimini is the third stop on the GrandSlam Series tour and it will take place on July 13-14 in Rimini, Italy. As all GrandSlam competitions, Rimini represents a must for top couples. The dancers are letting themselves inspired by the Italian vibe and show amazing passion on the dance floor.
3. German Open Championship
When you think about spectacular dancing with show-stopping moves, GOC is one of the first names that come into your mind. For all WDSF athletes is a dream come true to participate at this amazing competition. The energy is at its highest peak thanks to the cheering audience from the three competition halls: Alte Reithalle, Hegelsaal, and Beethovensaal.
The 1st German Open Championships took place in 1987 over the space of three days. Since then, it is one of the main events for dancers all over the world. This year the event is between August 13th and 17th.
4. Russian Open Championship
If you want to test your power, mindset, and technique there is no better dancesport competition to go to than the Russian Open Championship. The event is organized by the All Russian Federation of DanceSport, this year between October 25-26 in Moscow, Russia.
This GrandSlam will truly prepare you for the high standards of this beautiful sport. Have a look at this beautiful waltz and you will realize the level that this competition promotes:
5. Grand Slam Shanghai
The 2019 GrandSlam Series final stop is on December 7-8 in Shanghai, China.
There, you can witness the crème de la crème of the world of dancesport. Incredible athletes that worked so hard during the year just to arrive at this point now get to show the world what they can do.
And guess what? It’s your chance to feel like a true Hollywood movie star because they have a Walk of Fame laid out for you:
Write by by Bianca Tohăneanu