Au revoir, Paris! It was a sensational day at the 2019 WDSF Latin European Championships Saturday as Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno of Russia secured their fourth European title. 

The energy was electrifying and the competition between the couples was top notch. This energy made its way from the very first round all the way through the final, where we were able to watch the true nature of skill, dedication, and passion exude from the couples through their solo performances of the cha-cha and the jive. The crowd was thundering!

The Victorious Season for Russia Continues

All the way from 61 couples, it came down to one champion duo. Tsaturyan and Gudyno have done it once again; however, this victory was not awarded so easily. It was clear that silver medalists Marius-Andrei Balan and Khrystyna Moshenska of Germany gave the Russians a run for their money. 

After the first solo performance of the cha-cha, which Tsaturyan and Gudyno danced first, followed by Balan and Moshenska, those in attendance watched the results appear on the screen one by one for technical quality, movement to music, partnering skills, and choreography and presentation—during this process, we were all holding our breath. Germany only lost the dance by a quarter of a point—0.25!

The same agony was experienced after Balan and Moshenska danced their last dance of the final, their solo jive, and ended up scoring a 38.750 out of 40.000. It was then time for Tsaturyan and Gudyno, dancing the very last dance of the 2019 European Championship, the last solo jive. What a relief it was to them when they saw their final score of 39.000 on the big screen, indicating their triumph in all five dances. Their hug said it all—they had done it once again.

It was truly a heated match between these two couples and the crowd went wild. The results were so tight. Moshenska was one of the brightest stars on the floor last night, her charisma enchanting each and every spectator, from her dress changes to her facial mimics and subtle gestures, she was truly a queen. But Tsaturyan proved that he was the king of the night and a master of the dance floor. From his cool, calm, and collected character, to his unsurpassable speed and control, the title was his.

France vs. Hungary

For French representatives Charles-Guillaume Schmitt and Elena Salikhova, the hall went wild each and every time the couple made their way onto the floor. The love for home country representatives was probably heard the loudest, especially when the duo initiated their solo cha-cha with their signature move: the famous turns of Salikhova low on one ball of the foot as Schmitt spins her.

It was a tight race between the French couple and Hungary’s Andrea Silvestri and Martina Varadi. The two couples tied in the sambas, but Schmitt and Salikhova nonetheless won each of the other four dances.

Success for Italy and Poland

Another victory resulted for Vito Coppola and Oona Oinas of Italy, who finally made their first semifinal of a WDSF European Championship. 

Also, we can point out that Edgar Marcos Borjas and Alina Nowak of Poland took the last place in the final. Last year, they lost this spot by only 0.002 of a point to Spain ’s Guillem Pascual and Rosa Carne, who now switched places and were left behind in seventh position just outside the cutoff for the final. 

This year, Borjas and Nowak transitioned into the final from the semi by a 1.416 lead. However, Pascual and Carne still conquered in the cha-cha by 0.034 points.

Gear Up For Another GrandSlam

It was a very loud and intense European Championship, with each couple appearing with a strong support team behind the scenes. However, the time of lively action has now come to a close as yet another major event of the WDSF calendar year has concluded—but not for long! 

In Taipei City this very next weekend we will see a lot of the same couples that we have seen here in Paris. Another GrandSlam is rolling in and the heat will soon rise again. Will Armen Tsaturyan and Svetlana Gudyno secure another GrandSlam title, becoming two-time conquerors in Taipei City, or will we receive some unique surprise in this weekend to come? Stay tuned for the excitement coming our way, with all the action live streaming here on FloDance!