The international tournament "Vitebsk Snowflake 2018" was held in Vitebsk.
The "Vitebsk Snowflake" sports dancing competition, held in Vitebsk for the 33rd time, has gained significant prestige among the ballroom elite. This can be judged by the representation and number of participants in the international competitions of the World DanceSport Federation (WDSF), which took place as part of the Vitebsk tournament.
As explained by Natalia Tovstashova, Chairperson of the Competition Organizing Committee, many couples, who follow the calendar of international competitions held throughout the year in different countries, choose the "Vitebsk Snowflake" specifically.
– All participants say they feel good here, noting the objective judging and the warmth they are surrounded by in Vitebsk, – said Natalia Tovstashova. – The number of foreign couples has increased thanks to the opportunity to visit Belarus without a visa. The hassle of obtaining one was previously a deterrent. Today, some dancers are visiting for the first time, for example, a charming couple from the Philippines. At the current tournament, they took second place in the adult category among Latin dance performers. Russians took first place.
For over 30 years, Lyudmila Bankauskiene, a judge from Lithuania, has been attending the "Vitebsk Snowflake" competition. She considers this event one of the most prestigious not only in Belarus but also in Europe. The support from local authorities is also significant. The judging panel includes leaders of the dance movement in their respective countries, such as Valeriy Gulay, president of the Moscow DanceSport Federation, and Yevgeny Gavrilov from St. Petersburg, a member of the International Dance Council, who called the Vitebsk tournament one of the top in the world.
– Tournaments with at least 13 participating countries are considered top-tier, and the "Vitebsk Snowflake" gathers representatives from over 20 states. This is a very high level, – emphasized Yevgeny Gavrilov.
Pairs from different regions of Belarus, as well as from Russia, Lithuania, and Latvia, participated in the open regional tournament held concurrently with the international competitions. The age range was from 4 to 70.
It is pleasing that pupils from Vitebsk clubs reached the podium in almost all categories. According to Natalya Tovstashova, this indicates that a strong generation is growing up, which will be able to represent our city with dignity in international rating competitions in the future. For now, unfortunately, Belarusian couples either lose or do not participate at all in such on-the-floor duels.
Despite ballroom dancing being recognized as an Olympic sport, debates continue about whether it falls under physical culture or art. When you meet dancers backstage after their performance, you agree that it is a sport. But sitting in the audience, you acknowledge that it is a high art that captivates with its spectacle.
Energetic cha-cha-cha, emotional mambo and jive, romantic rumba, charming tango – a total of ten dances that have become classics. It seems that nothing has changed for many years, the same rhythms, movements, but the number of fans of this type of sports art does not decrease. This was once again proven by the Vitebsk competition, which presented the city's residents and guests with encounters with timeless beauty.
