It was a pleasure to watch this event and witness such remarkable talent in couples as young as 12 or 13, with all dancers impeccably presented and every detail thoughtfully considered. Overall, it is evident that the more competitive aspects of ballroom dancing, such as in the frame and movement, are typically prioritised, though some more subtle qualities were starting to emerge among the couples in the final.
Leading the way in this regard and this year’s champions were
ZAKHAR POSTUPAILO AND YEVA DROZHZHYNA (1,1,1,1,1)
This couple were clear winners for the adjudicators, winning all five dances and achieving a
majority of 1st places in all but Tango. After securing second place in the main Under 14 Ballroom competition the day before, this couple stood out for me from the first round for a clarity of body position and powerful movement that was superior to other competitors. In the semi-final and final I particularly enjoyed the fullness of their swing action and release of body weight, which allowed them to create natural power and shaping, demonstrating a maturity of dancing beyond their years. Congratulations on an impressive all-round performance and victory!
2nd and 3rd place was a close-run race between two couples: Mark & Maya and Yehor & Valeriia. Interestingly, this result reversed their order from the previous day, as both were also finalists in the Under 14 Ballroom competition.
2nd - MARK ROZDOROZHNYI AND MAYA PAVLENKO (2,3,2,4,2)
This couple have a significant height difference, with the young man being shorter than his
partner, but together do exceptionally well to keep a very clean and consistent topline. This was combined with a great use of leg action, making them a very strong couple in this final. I also appreciated their smoothness of weight transfer which gave them a musicality, which for me was the best in this competition. It can always be difficult when partners grow at different ages, but this couple show that it doesn’t need to be an issue, with their talent and hard-work shining through.
3rd - YEHOR BANOV AND VALERIIA ZAPOROZHCHENKO (3,2,4,3,3)
Another couple with a competitive frame and upper body structure, although in this case I found the arm position to look overly fixed. In particular Yehor’s left arm appeared too wide and high, resulting in Valeriia’s right arm being too straight. If these issues can be addressed they stand to be a formidable couple for the future as they have a maturity of action in the lower body that is developing nicely.
The next two places proved to be another dual, ultimately being separated by Rule 10.
4th - CADEN MEILAK AND GEORGIA JENKINS (4,6,5,2,6)
This couple shows great potential, and I noticed them early in the competition for their strong and powerful movement across the floor. Caden's competitive energy is very positive, though at times it leads to actions being overdone, affecting his vertical alignment with Georgia and creating a back-weighted appearance. If they can harmonise their leg usage and shaping, it will lead to a more consistent body line and better position them to challenge for top placements in future competitions. They started each dance in this final strongly, with their opening piece of Tango being particularly eye-catching.
5th - NIKITA CHERNENKO AND ANNA ISYANOVA (5,5,3,5,5)
Finishing 5th on Rule 10, Nikita and Anna were the only other couple to reach both this final and the Under 14 Ballroom final from the previous day. I again noticed them in the first round for their solid all-round performance, supported by their compact frame and body position which was especially suited to Tango. However, this compactness also leaves them at a disadvantage compared to couples who can produce a fuller body shape and a more mature action, especially in the swing dances.
Completing this final were
6th - JOANNE SUN AND ZONA SUN (6,4,6,6,4)
This all-girl twin duo had their grooming and costumes styled to reflect a boy/girl partnership,
standing out for me in the semi-final for a quality of movement and cleanliness of action that was superior to many of their competitors, where other attributes are often prioritised at this age. Perhaps as a result, their choreography and changes in speed were not as competitive as others in the final, but for me challenged for a much higher placing. Interestingly, they received the highest number of marks of any couple in the semi-final, though this was judged by a different panel than the one for the final.
Overall, I would like to congratulate all couples on a wonderful competition, with a little note to encourage dancers not lose sight on footwork and fundamentals in search of volume and power.
Image: Gilbert Wu
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