The danceComp began on this Thursday for the first time in it’s history, though the start was slightly delayed due to minor technical issues. The international tournaments kicked off with the WDSF Open Senior III Latin and Solo Youth Standard.
WDSF Open Senior III Latin
Thirty couples created a great atmosphere in the Mendelssohn Hall of the Historische Stadthalle in Wuppertal during the first tournament of the day. “Mendelssohn Hall?”—the discerning reader and danceComp visitor might be thinking. And no, that’s not a typo on the reporter’s part. Since the main hall was not yet available due to ongoing setup work, the WDSF tournaments on Thursday took place in the Mendelssohn Hall, which offered an atmosphere that was no less beautiful. Over three rounds, six couples danced their way to the final and delivered very strong performances, which did not exactly make it easy for the judges—especially in the battle for second and third place, which was ultimately decided by a margin of just one point. With a score of 13, Jairo Wladimir Coello and Sabrina Orsini from Italy took third place, falling short by a single point to René and Martina Klatt of Schwarz-Silber, Frankfurt, who took the silver medal back to Hesse. Winning every dance by a clear margin, Marc Becker and Nicole Giersbeck of TTC Fortis Nova Maintal secured the tournament victory with a very confident and athletic performance.
Final results:
- Marc Becker and Nicole Giersbeck, TTC Fortis Nova Maintal
- René and Martina Klatt, Schwarz-Silber, Frankfurt
- Jairo Wladimir Coello / Sabrina Orsini, Italy
- Thomas Schlehufer / Tatjana Lusin, Boston-Club Düsseldorf
- Aurelio Grassi / Aurora Rizzi, Italy
- Fung Yuen Kwan Roger / Tse Nga Chi Catherine, Hong Kong, China
WDSF Open Solo Youth Standard
The 2026 edition of danceComp is all about premieres. Not only is it a first that tournaments are being held as early as Thursday, but some of the tournaments on offer are also new. Among the newly introduced categories is the WDSF Open Solo Youth Standard tournament. Ten competitors gathered for this premiere and showcased their skills in the preliminary round. It is gratifying to report that, in addition to five competitors from Germany, five women also traveled from countries that are, in some cases, quite far away.
After the preliminary round, which featured a mix of performances, six dancers clearly advanced to the final. The top German competitor, Friederike Rieck of TSC Rot-Gold-Casino Nürnberg, secured third place in all five dances and thus finished third overall. The top two spots were also decided just as clearly: Kateryna Punda of Ukraine took second place, behind Ulrikke Trondal of Norway, who had already made her claim to the tournament victory clear in the preliminary round.
Final results:
- Ulrikke Trondal, Norway
- Kateryna Punda, Ukraine
- Friederike Rieck, TSC Rot-Gold-Casino Nürnberg
- Lee Wing Kiu Winki, Hong Kong, China
- Korina Erseg, Croatia
- Annemarie Freysoldt, Boston-Club Düsseldorf
