SEEING the world’s best dancers taking part live at the 2019 WDC World Professional Ballroom Championship at SETIA Spice Convention Centre in Penang must be a mesmerising experience for many spectators.
While it was a serious competition at the highest level, the professional dancers made it a lively evening for the crowd as they swirled around the ballroom with smiles on their faces and fire in their bellies.
Local ballroom dancing enthusiasts could not have asked for more as the 26th Penang International Ballroom Dancing Championship also took place on the same day and at the same venue.
Many attendees stayed on even though the night’s programmes starting at 7pm on Nov 30 for both championships ran over to the next day, finishing about an hour past midnight.
Competitors from 25 countries put on their best dancing shoes to compete in the various categories. The World Professional Ballroom Championship, which was the highlight and held for the first time in Southeast Asia, attracted 47 pairs with six pairs eventually qualifying for the final.
British couple – Andrea Ghigiarelli and Sara Andracchio – emerged as the champions, followed by Victor Fung-Anastasia Muravyeva of the United States in second place and Valero Colantoni-Monica Nigro of Italy in third spot.
The Russian pair of Stanislav Zelianin-Irina Cherepanova finished fourth, while Sergiu Rusu-Dorota Rusu of Poland and Stas Portanenko-Nataliya Koliada of Ukraine were placed fifth and sixth respectively.
The six pairs made it to the final after going through two preliminary rounds, quarter-finals and semi-finals.
All the finalists impressed as they danced the waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, foxtrot and quickstep with confidence, control and passion.
Their dance patterns, including tossing their heads at certain moments, perfectly matched to the music playing in the background.
It was not easy for the esteemed panel of 12 adjudicators, including Frances Teoh of host Malaysia, to decide the winning pair but Ghigiarelli and Andracchio became the king and queen of ballroom dancing probably due to their telepathic understanding and exquisite skills honed over three decades of partnership.
The British pair are actually on a hot streak this year, having won three earlier championships in the UK Open in January, Blackpool Dance Festival in May and the 61st International Championship in October.
“We have participated in the world championship eight times and finished four times as runners-up. We felt good as runners-up but now as champions, we feel even better,” said Ghigiarelli, who married Andracchio 10 years ago.
“The audience was with us today. We love Penang and this is our third visit here.”
His wife, Andracchio, chipped in: “It’s an amazing journey for us. We never gave up hope. We are very happy and satisfied.”
In the other categories, like the Professional Latin Open, the dancers also delighted with their skills when performing the cha-cha, samba, rhumba, pasadoble and jive.
Dr Pitchet Rodchareon, a plastic surgeon in Bangkok, was one of the participants who flew in to Penang together with his wife, Pochanee, and his tutor Sutatip Bunwilai, for the event.
He and Sutatip took part in the Latin Pro-Am, and although they finished fifth behind four Hong Kong pairs, Dr Pitchet was very happy to get a piece of action.
“The people here are very lucky to see so many world class dancers. They practise very hard for this great competition,” he said.
State Tourism Development, Arts, Culture and Heritage Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said Penang was very proud to host the highly prestigious World Professional Ballroom Championship and to see the top dancers vying for honours.
“Many of us are still left awestruck by the exceptional quality performances in the 2017 World Latin Championship which Penang hosted two years ago,” Yeoh, who was representing Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, said in his speech.
“The state government commends the highly committed organising team for their tireless dedication in bringing the world-class event to George Town.”
Yeoh added that December would be another busy month for Penang with the Penang International Dragon Boat Festival, Butterworth Fringe Festival, Penang Pesta Chingay Parade, Seberang Perai Chingay Parade and many more leading up to Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Organising chairman Datuk Henry Ooi, who is also the vice-president of WDC and president of both Asian Dance Council and Malaysian Ballroom Dance Association, said they tried to stage a memorable championship for everyone to remember.
“All this is made possible by the strong support of the state government, generous sponsors, most esteemed panel of adjudicators, the best dancers in the world, officials and members of the organising committee, and supporters from many other countries,” said Ooi.
WDC president Donnie Burns and WDC honorary president Karl Breuer, who is also the German Professional Federation president, praised the state government and the people for making the event possible.
Burns said the Penang people are so friendly that made him feel at home while Breuer complimented the state for having a wonderful building (SETIA Spice Convention Centre) to host the dance competition and many more to come.
RESULTS:
Latin Open Professional: 1. Aurimas Bartkus-Ashley Nicole Lune (Phi), 2. Liu Liang-Wan Xi Yue (China), 3. Cedric Chan-Jennifer Tin (HK).
Latin Asia Pacific Professional: 1. Liu Liang-Wan Xi Yue (China), 2. Aurimas Bartkus-Ashley Nicole Luna (Phi), 3. Evan Kim-Melissa Kim (S.Korea).
Latin Open Amateur: 1. Ryder Yang-Anastaiia Zhigulina (Chinese Taipei), 2. Denis Kaliuzhnyi-Irina Kovalchuk (NZ), William Yap-Isabelle Liew (Malaysia).
Latin Asia Pacific Amateur: 1. Ryder Yang-Anastasiia Zhigulina (Chinese Taipei), 2. Jerome Wu-Elena Huang (Chinese Taipei), 3. Yi Jia Wen-Shi Shuo Luan (China).
Latin Amateur Rising Star: 1. Denis Kaliuzhnyi-Irina Kovalchuk (NZ), 2. Yang Shi Yao-Xu Zi Yao (China), 3. Li Lin Jun-Peng Yi Fan (China).
Latin Malaysia Amateur Closed: 1. William Yap-Isabelle Liew, 2. Elyas Jasmi-Allisa Umaairah Jasmi, 3. Bryan Woo-Kelly Lee.
Standard Open Amateur: 1. Jovan Tan-Yang Jia Min (S’pore), 2. Daniel Guthrie-Georgia Kerton (Australia), 3. Christopher Low-Catrina (Malaysia).
Latin Pro-Am: 1. Salvo Sinardi-Pak Ling (HK), 2. Jason Jiesi Li-Alice Chow (HK), 3. Terry Lei Tian-Iris Ho (HK).
World Professional Ballroom Dancing: 1. Andrea Ghigirelli-Sara Andracchio (Britain), 2. Victor Fung-Anastasia Muravyeva (USA), 3. Valerio Colantoni-Monica Nigro (Italy).
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Alvie Cheng
