On 16 April, the "Światowid" European Meetings Centre in Elbląg hosted the National "Jantar" Sports Dance Tournament. Dancers from all over Poland, from 8-year-olds to seniors, took part in the competition and fought for higher dance classifications. See photos at PortEL.pl.
The event and the competition took place in three stages. Beginner dancers performed in the morning, and intermediate dancers in the afternoon. The evening belonged to veterans from the highest dance classes B and A. As we read in the announcement of the tournament, the inspiration for this cyclical event was to create conditions for competition for dancers from the Elbląg Dance Club "Jantar".
Photo: Anna Dembińska - portEl.pl
- I liked the tournament very much, admittedly it did not go as well as we would have liked, but it was positive - laughs Natalia Kulik, who came from Giżycko. - It was our first tournament in category C, we danced the choreography well, but we lacked a few points to move on.
- I also liked it, the atmosphere was very nice - adds Natalia's partner, Maciej Iwanicki.
Why dance?
- Dancing is a combination of art and sport, you can do something beautiful at the same time, after all, each dance is a different story, and at the same time you can get tired and emotionally out of it, it's very cleansing - says Natalia.
- But I dance more for sport, I enjoy watching others dance and I am happy that I can perform sometimes myself - emphasises Maciek.
What is the recipe for a successful dance according to the couple from Giżycko? "You have to get along and have fun, but also remember the technique, which is extremely important."
- We have good feelings about the tournament, everything was well rehearsed - comments Kacper Kleist about today's performance. - The goal was to dance to the max and give it 200 per cent. The most important thing is to be systematic, training makes perfect - says the dancer.
- Yes, training is the most important - admits Kacper's partner, Emilia Gardzińska. They both came from Gdańsk. - We train at least four times a week, but also " full-on", a few hours each day.
As Kacper says, what is attractive in dancing is the opportunity to feel the music, emotions and competition. Tournament stress? It passes during the performance. Emilia, on the other hand, really enjoys performing at such competitions.
- I feel that dancing is something for me. I enjoy dancing for the audience and it makes me happy - says the dancer.
What do you have to take into account to be successful at a dance tournament?
- It depends on the age category and dance class because they all have their attributes and limitations - answers Antoni Czyżyk, director of the "Światowid" European Meetings Centre, a judge and dance coach. - If we were to sum it up, in each age category and dance class the most important thing would be the combination of dance technique and music, that is the essence of the matter - he adds. At the same time, he stresses that each dance will involve a different technique and a different musical touch and that is where the challenge lies. What characterises the most experienced dancers? - Stability of posture. If we say that the dance is the image that the dancers present, then this image must be a nice body line combined with the so-called frame, the positioning of the partner to the partner. Everything contained in this positioning has to be soft, easy on the eye and in line with the dance technique presented - explains Antoni Czyżyk. He adds that interpretation is also extremely important, showing something that will catch the eye of the audience but not disturb certain rules.
The results of the tournament can be found here.
