Kinsley Lin & Michelle Liu in Semi-Finals
Elena Anashina
Wayne: I received an invitation to judge the WDSF 2013 World Cup 10 Dance and the World Junior II Standard Championships in Moscow, from the WDSF home office in Spain. These events were to be held October 19 and October 26 respectively. After I accepted both invitations, the Russian Dance Sport Union asked me to judge several events in the Russian Open DanceSport Championships held during that same week.
order to finish all the events within a week’s time frame. To give you another example, I judged the Open Russian Junior I Standard Championships. The first round consisted of 264 couples. The judges were given the task of recalling 182 couples from 18 heats. We started at 10:00 AM and finished the first round by 12:45 PM. The final round finished at 11:45 PM that night. And I must say, the quality of dancing was quite superb! Q: Did we have any American couples represented? Wayne: Yes, in the WDSF World Junior II Standard Championships Kinsley Lin and Michelle Yiu, and Mike Monokandilos and Cara Yun Loo represented the USA.
Q: You must have felt honored to be asked to judge these events? Naina Monokandilos Mike Monokandilos & Cara Yun Loo Wayne: Yes, of course. These WDSF World Championships Q: Did you do any sightseeing while bring in couples from all over the world visiting Moscow? to compete, with each country sending Wayne: This was a special treat for my their best athletes. Per WDSF rules World wife Marie and me. After judging the World Championships require the judging panel to Cup 10 Dance Saturday October 19th, I had all be from different countries. The panel for several days off. We saw as much as we could the Junior II Standard was from: Germany, of Moscow and loved every minute. France, Sweden, Armenia, Lithuanian, Singapore, Holland, Croatia, Russia, and the Q: Overall, it sounds like a great USA. These are very elaborate events with experience? opening ceremonies, which consist of the Wayne: The WDSF is the IOC-recognized parade of athletes behind their country’s flag International Federation of DanceSport of or banner, and that end with the playing of which USA Dance is a Member Body. It is the national anthem of the winning couple. extremely important, both as an athlete and an official, for USA Dance to be represented Q: Tell us about the venue? in these world events. The WDSF is gaining Wayne: The venue was rather large, momentum throughout the world. From with two floors back to back, divided by a Asia to Europe, as well as the World Games curtain. Sometimes, two completely different and World DanceSport Games that USA competitions were running on both floors Dance was involved with this summer, the using the same music. For instance, you WDSF has established itself as the governing would have a Youth Latin event running on body of dance in the world of sports. It is floor A, with an Adult Latin event running on imperative that USA Dance position itself in floor B at the same time. The sheer number this new world order. of competitors required this arrangement in
WDSF WORLD CUP 10-DANCE CHAMPIONSHIP JUNIOR I STANDARD RUSSIAN OPEN JUNIOR II STANDARD JUNIOR II STANDARD RUSSIAN OPEN OCT. 25-27, 2013 – MOSCOW, RUSSIA
A USA JUDGE’S PERSPECTIVE— WAYNE CROWDER Just returned from Moscow where I judged the WDSF World Cup Ten-Dance competition, which had 18 couples, one from each of the countries represented. Oct. 25 began the Junior I Standard Russian Open with 268 couples. During the first round the judges were to recall 184 from 18 heats. What fun! Some very fine dancers made up every heat. Oct. 26 was the day of the WDSF World DanceSport Championship Junior II Standard. There were 78 couples. Kinsley Lin and Michelle Yiu and Mike Monokandilos and Cara Loo represented the USA. Both Mike and I were honored by being asked to read the Competitor’s Oath and the Official’s Oath during the opening ceremonies. Oct. 27, our two USA couples competed in the Junior II Standard Russian Open, of which I saw very little for having to judge the Russian Open Championships. I was very impressed with the competition and the organizers, the Russian Dance Sport Union. The venue was very large with two floors, often running two separate competitions back to back using the same music. The main venue was beautifully done and made a perfect backdrop for the two televised Grand Slam events. WDSF Adjudicator Wayne Crowder
WDSF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS JUNIOR II STANDARD
Kinsley Lin & Michelle Liu (Moscow – Russian Federation)
30 out of 58
Mike Monokandilos & Cara Yun Loo 33 out of 58 JUNIOR II 10-DANCE
Kinsley Lin & Michelle Liu (Riga, Latvia)
12 out of 31
January-February 2014
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