Imperial
Open Latin American Championships
The
Imperial Championships organized by Michael Stylianos &
Lorna Lee was once again held at the Lakeside Country Club
in Frimley Green.
This venue lends itself to ballroom dancing having the atmosphere
similar to the old Hammersmith Palais, The warmth of its decor
creating the right feeling for our dance profession. The day
was an enormous success with around 1000 people in attendance.
The Imperial Open to the World Amateur Latin American Championship
entry was a battle from the first round, with couples competing
from all over the globe. The World Amateur Latin Championship
was staged on the same weekend so it was the perfect opportunity
for couples not representing their country to show off their
dancing to the very prestigious and famous names adjudicating.
Results
1. Matej Krajcer & Iwona Golczak (Slovenia)
Matej must have been the most experienced male dancer on the
floor, and it showed from the beginning to the end of the
competition with a very comfortable performance. He is a very
flexible dancer, but I feel he lacks the resistance in his
body, which would create a stronger image and a more commanding
and dominant look on the floor. Iwona is a tiny lady, who
works very hard to get her appearance to come across on the
floor. Her footwork is of the highest order, and she has got
a fine sense of musicality. I feel though, that she often
loses the strength in her body and she therefore can look
collapsed and weak. Matej’s leading gave Iwona the ability
to dance freely within the lead. As a partnership I think
these two suit each other very well.
2.
Stanislav Nikolaev & Kristina Kozlova (Russia)
A very strong partnership with some interesting choreography.
They are both very natural movers, and especially Stanislav
works every muscle in his body in the most coordinated way
without ever looking under strain. They are both able to pick
up speed from nowhere and use this to the best effect. Every
dance is performed with good technique, and Cha Cha Cha and
Samba were the dances that impressed me most today. To create
a stronger challenge, I feel they need to find
the latin soul and put it into their performance.
3.
Martino Zanibellato & Michelle Abildtrup (Denmark)
A strong male and female image from this couple. Michelle
as always looking immaculate with attention to detail:
dress, hair, make up, shoes, tan. Very delicate and
classy. She really shows the joy of dancing and has
great feet and legs, but I think she sometimes loses
the centering of her body and can appear rather square.
Martino has opened up his personality and comes across
much more approachable now (well done). This dynamic
duo has the necessary flair to attract the judges marks,
and they produced a very fascinating Cha Cha Cha with
good rhythm and a nice cheeky attitude. The Rumba in
the final was excellent, but they seemed to struggle
in the Jive. I suspect lack of stamina might have been
the reason. I very much look forward to seeing their
progress in the future.
4.
Artem Okhrimenko & Alexandra Nelyubine (Russia)
A super boy with excellent body language. Alexandra
appeared to dance everything with too much roundness,
and often she seemed not to finish off her movements.
She opted for a new hairstyle, which I feel did not
complement her very well. I know the search for new
ideas is difficult, but try a more slick and tidy look
next
time. I feel this couple need to work on their partnering
skills, as sometimes it looks as though they are not
dancing together.
5.
Mark Ballas & Yulia Musikhina (England)
Since the last time I saw him, Mark has improved
tremendously. He now looks more mature and softer. He
has always been lucky in finding a good partner, and
Yulia is certainly the best foil for him. An absolute
super latin lady with hands that are ‘talking’
constantly in the most artistic and fantastic way. Even
her eyelashes are moving in a way that Betty Boop would
envy. I am sure that a girl can't look this good without
a good male partner. They produced a very smouldering
performance, and you always feel secure when you look
at them. Often the inner strength of Yulia is taken
over by too much softness (not enough resistance) when
producing an action. I am sure ‘the animal’
is there - let's see it. It is just a matter of priority.
6.
Denis Podolskiy & Yulia Kushnirenko (Russia)
I did not notice this couple a lot in the earlier rounds.
Denis is a powerful man with a very strong and consistent
performance. He has the ability to create a free and
fluid rhythm, which was pleasant to see. I would like
Yulia to search for more depth in all dances. Her legs
and feet need some attention, and there was a lack of
coordination in her body. This couple produced a very
polished performance.
Marie Christiansen
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