Golden weekend on the dance floor: Romania ranks first in the world's biggest dancesport competition
Romania swept the awards podium at the world's biggest dancesport competition, the 34th edition of the German Dance Championships in Stuttgart.
For the first time in history, the Romanian dancers were at the top of the ranking, winning a total of 10 gold, 8 silver, and 7 bronze medals.
Additionally, all three of the 3 podium positions in the Youth - Standard category were occupied by Romanian dancers.
Romania was followed on the podium by Italy with 9 gold, 3 silver, and 4 bronze medals, and Germany with 6 gold, 5 silver, and 11 bronze medals.
Three of the 10 gold medals won by the Romanian representatives were brought by the athletes of the Pas in Doi and Palatul National al Copiilor dance clubs, who were intensively trained by Tina and Virgil Grigore.
Mircea Andrei Dumitru and Alexandra Vasile won 2 gold medals, in the Juvenile 2 category - Standard section, and in the 8 Dances section. The pair formed by the two athletes ranked 1st place out of 34 pairs from 12 countries in the Standard section and 1st out of 38 pairs from 13 countries in the 8 Dances section. They also won a bronze medal at the competition in the Juvenile 2 category - Latin section.
Luca Teodor Butnaru and Julia Denisa Bidica, from the same dance club, went home with 2 medals; a gold medal in the Youth category - Team Match section, and a silver medal in the Youth category - Standard section, their performance being all the more remarkable as they were competing with 90 pairs from 27 countries.
Luca-Bogdan Grigore and Alessia-Maria Militaru, the youngest representatives of the Pas in Doi club, also achieved high performances, obtaining two bronze medals - one of them in the Juvenile 1 category - 6 Dances, where they competed with 17 pairs from six other countries, and the other in the Juvenile 1 category - Standard section, where 13 pairs from four countries participated.
Marius Ilciukas and Daria Grigore managed to qualify for the semi-finals of the biggest GrandSlam in the world, obtaining 11th place in the Adult category - Standard section, where 158 couples from 35 countries participated.
"It was a really special weekend. David Popovici became the fastest swimmer in the world, and our gymnasts became European champions at the junior level, not to mention the exceptional results of the rowing team led by Elisabeta Lipa or the success of Simona Halep in Toronto! Once again, sports put Romania on the world map," said Prof. Virgil Grigore, coach and founder of the Pas in Doi Dancesport Club. "We too are proud of an extraordinary performance - gold for Romania at the most prestigious dancesport competition in the world, excellent results achieved by our club's athletes."
Founded in 1995, the Pas in Doi dance studio has consistently contributed to the development of dance in Romania, by offering several courses specially designed for both beginners and performance athletes.
In its almost 30 years of existence, Pas in Doi has raised numerous performance athletes who have become multiple national champions and who have successfully represented Romania in competitions all around the world.
"I have learned in my 33 years of experience that dancing is not just a sport, it is a way of life," says Prof. Virgil Grigore. "It is the best way to revitalize yourself, no matter the moment, no matter the age."
(Photo source: Pas in Doi)
