Vjatšeslav Mõlkin (left) and Julia Steschenko of the Revalia Dance School, compete at Tallinn International Open Cup 2008 and eventually won the second place. Photo used courtesy of the Revalia Dance School.
TALLINN — Who are those beauties wearing these shiny dresses and suits twirling around the dance floor?
They are amateur dancers who practice eight hours a day for dancing in order to win competitions around the world for the Estonian Dance Sport Association.
For those who love to tango and for those who would just like to spend a few hours in a warm place watching these people dance their booties off to win the highest prize, go to Saku Suurhall in Tallinn on Nov. 28 and 29 for the Tallinn International Open Cup 2009. The event runs all day from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the all-Latin dance will bring some colorful pizazz to the soup of gray Tallinn sinks in this time of year.
Held annually since 1997, last year it had 7,140 visitors during the two days who came to watch 624 couples dance. This year over 850 couples from 10 different countries have signed up to take part of the competition.
But the event is not cheap! This year’s budget is 1.3 million krooni (€83,000) said Merle Klandorf, head of Revalia Dance School. The amount for prize money is €2,600.
According to Klandorf, this event has a very good reputation worldwide.
“There’s been many occasions that a couple, who won our competition, a few months later has come first at a world or European Championship,” Klandorf told Baltic Reports. “Six couples from world top 50 have signed up for the competition this year, and two of the couples are in top 12. Three couples in standard dance group and three couples in Latin American dance group.”
Tickets costs anywhere from 60 to 800 krooni (€3.80 to €51). In addition to paying viewers, it’s an inspiring event for up to 400 orphans and handicapped children, who are invited to watch the event each year.
For more information you could go to www.tkrevalia.ee for English or Estonian and www.sakusuurhall.ee for more in-depth in Estonian. Despite the English option on the site, there’s no English version of this event’s information.
