Letter from Wendy Johnson, USA Judge (as posted on DanceSportComps.com newsflash)
I was lucky to be asked to go to Argentina to judge the WDC World Pro Am Championships. I was doubly excited as I had never been to Buenos Aires and never judged a World Championship.
The competition was run in an excellent fashion making the couples and judges feel very special. They welcomed the competitors with a flag ceremony , had the Ambassadors, of Russia, China, Ukraine, Japan and Hungary in attendance and couples from Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Hong Kong, Japan, Italy and of course America.
H>Stern, famous jewelers sponsored with jewelry for the winners, a leading shoe company specially made shoes for the winners in their choice of style color leather etc...along with prize money.
I realize their is a lot of political turmoil with regard to this event but I must say I have never seen a better audience, television and press media than was there and surely a well run event with this kind of media coverage broadcasts our dancing to the world. We need this sort of high profile attention to become as famous as the sports are in the U.S.A. Argentina is indeed a dance country with many tango dance companies, some sponsored by the government, dance shows and tango halls on a scale we do not have here in the U.S.A. They are anxious to learn more about American style, having a knowledge of the International styles. We should embrace the world with our Pro Am dancing and not keep it just for us!!! Although I am not an American by birth I have always been a fan and promoter of Pro Am and am very happy to see so many countries interested and participating.
Buenos Aires is truly a beautiful old city with boulevards lined with trees, grand old buildings, great shopping and a wonderful spirit...the people were friendly and an enthusiastic audience not only for their own couples but they picked out the couples they liked and supported them.
Their was an invitational competition in which Slavik and Elena, Paul and Olga, Michael and Christina, Andre and Valery....were just some of the fabulous professional couples who enthralled the audience and I am sure they were delighted to dance for such applause.
The event was televised by Japanese television, news stations and a movie director filmed it to make a documentary movie.
It was all good and I had a fabulous time!!!!!!
Wendy Johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment