Cours de danse Danser la Vie - Toulouse

Grand Prix de Paris 2002
par Werner J. BRAUN
danceplaza.com (21-01-2002)

Werner J. Braun WROTE:

Grand Prix de Paris 2002
Palais Omnisport Bercy
16.01.02

Claude German, the traditional organiser of the big and reputiated Bercy Competitions with his "Club Rouennaise de Danse Sportive", again had invited for the Grand Prix de Paris 2002 to be performed in the Palais Omnisport in Paris/Bercy. And again the Lord Mayor of the City of Paris had taken the umbrella.

Claude had four big International competitions to be handled on one single day: IDSF International Open Standard, IDSF International Open Latin, IDSF International Seniors Standard and International Juniors Latin. So he started at noon with the first rounds up to the Œ finals of the IDSF International Open events and up to the œ finals of the International Senior and international Junior comps.

A competition in the huge events hall of Palais Omnisport in Paris Bercy guarantees always a grand spectacle. Up to 12 thousand seats may be occupied in the luckiest case. I think six thousand were present. Claude Germain from Rouen was traditionally the organizer, and he knows the trick of the trade, knows how to attract spectators for big DanceSport competitions.

For the evening spectacle he composed a very attractive Gala with the two finals of the Juniors and the Seniors and the semi-finals of the two IDSF International Opens Standard and Latin competitions. Around this hard competition sport he gave the public an international show-program, which was also dedicated to dancing but so different in the eyes of the spectators that they could not but enthusiast themselves in never ending applause.

What was offered to the public was of highest international standard: The European Standard Formation Vice Champions Jantar/Elblag of Poland, the World Latin Formation Vice Champions Zuvedra/Klaipeda, Duo Iuvilov, the snake people with their breathtaking international show number enthused the audience: Samantha coming from the family of the Fratellinis and Ernest the young Russian from the Bolchoj Theater. The Slovenian Professionals Sergey Milicija/Katja Klep performed their sequae. Highlights were without any doubt the Professional World Champions in Latin, Bryan Watson and Carmen and the European and World Vice-Champions in Standard, Massimo Giorgianni and Alessia Manfredini. Either couple celebrated a great and unforgettable performance in their shows.

The most modern technical standard of the spotlights and the searchlight beams underlined the performances on the giant 800 sqms floor and turned the hall in a chapter of "Thousand and one nights". On two big screens high up on the sidewalls of the arena the performances were triplicated in their effects.

In the evening performances we had the pleasure to listen to the melting sounds of the grand orchestra Gérard Hever, well known from many big television events. They played a wonderful sound and when they intonated the Russian folksong "Kalinka" as Passodoble we were completely enchanted. Only the Russian participants had a little smile on their faces. Their musical brilliancy showed the fact, that when they played dancing music for the audience; the800 sqm floor was crowded in no time.

Television Bercy, the big television company installed directly in the Palais Omnisport, took the whole event. Different French television channels such as Eurosport and France Premier will televise the evening gala „Grand Prix de Paris 2002". As we know the excellent work of TV Réalisateur Jean-Louis Machu and Regisseur Michel Chevalier, we are sure that this broadcasting again will be a great public relation for DanceSport as a whole.

With as well a splendid show program of DanceSport and Cabaret on the following day Claude Germain presented the Parisians a Great Afternoon Gala composed of DanceSport and Cabaret . A nearly crowded hall again favoured him.

Compere of both days was Eric Sourdeau, former French DanceSport Champion. He did it marvellously and television correctly in French and in English. He knew of what he spoke -he did it out of his own experience. The scrutineers Claudine Lepesqueur and Jean-Yves Elleouet who dominated their computer assisted him.

The following day Claude Germain presented the Parisians a Great Afternoon Gala with as well a splendid program composed of DanceSport and Cabaret . A nearly crowded hall again favoured him.
IDSF International Open Standard

1. Arunas Bizokas/Edita Daniute - Lithuania
2. Roberto Regnoli/Tania Berto - Italy
3. Warren Boyce/Kristi Boyce - England
4. Luca Leoni/Francesca Ceccarini - Italy
5. Alessio Potenziani/Giola Potenziani - Italy
6. Fabrizio Cravero/Lorena Cravero - Italy
7. Christophe Rioult/Sonia Rioult - France
In this comp competed 51 couples coming from the 15 countries Austria, Belgium, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, and France. An internationally very well accepted competition of high class couples.

Arunas Bizokas and Edita Daniute dominated the Standard competition and clearly won all dances. The Italians Roberto Regnoli/Tania Berto and the English Warren and Kristi Boyce fought very well for the place of the runners up. The Italians had the good luck on their side
IDSF International Open Latin

1. Franco Formica/Oksana Nikiforova - Germany
2. Matej Krajcer/Janja Lesar - Slovenia
3. Martino Zanibellato/Michelle Abildtrup - Denmark
4. Andrej Moseychuk/Leila Akcelik - Belgium
5. Kevin Clifton/Lisa Dabby - England
6. Jan Cerny/Lucia Skopalikova - Czech
7. Cédric Meyer/Angelique Meyer - France
Here we saw 57 couples competing coming from the 14 countries Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech, Denmark, England, Finland, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and France.

With the World Champions Franco Formica and Oksana Nikiforova from Germany there was a clear favourite. This couple convinced with its performance and gave the Slovenians Matej Krajcer and Janja Lesar no chance at all, despite the fact, that this couple as well gave a great performance..
IDSF International Open Seniors Standard

1. René Ewals/Ymke Lemmens - Netherlands
2. J. Claude Moktari/Geneviéve Bouvard - Villeurbanne/France
3. Philippe Valade/Sylvie Van Mullem - St. Maur/France
4. J. Yves Murzin/Christine Murzin - St.Maur/France
5. Pascal Crozat/Annie Crozat - Evry/France
6. Marcvan Tilborgh/Marianne van Tilborgh - Belgium
In this competition we saw 47 couples competing. With the exception of two couples from Belgium they all came from France. A competition of very high Senior DanceSport.
International Junior Open

1. Gamez de la Torre/Atance Rovira - Spain
2. Alexander Didy/Katarina Stumpfova - Slovenia
3. Thomas Iraeta/Jade Geropp - St.Maur/France
4. Marco Rosso/Srika Gaschili - Italy
5. Linas Lukosiunas/Nataija Maidiuk - Lithuania
6. Guillaume Schmitt/Louise Guggenbuhl - Colmar/France
In this competition 31 couples from the six countries Italy, Lithuania, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and France were competing. It was a very big success for Spain to have the winners of this very strong international Juniors field.

Under Chairman Hubert de Maesshalck from Belgium there worked the following panel of judges coming from 11 countries:

Pierre Allaire Canada; Barbara Ambroz, Slovenia; Werner J. Braun, Germany; Luis Delgado, Spain; Jerry Abrate, Italy; Linda Venables, England; Juris Baumanis, Latvia; Jan Harm Schadenberg, Netherlands; Paul Harris, England; Dennis Clopeix, Tshechien and from France Josette Barsi, Michelle Ribas, Roger Dolleans, Jean Sebastian Godet, and Simone Germain.

It goes without saying that the hearty French hospitality was presented in this competition to the judges and officials as well. A marvellous welcome dinner in the nearby Novotel -were we had also our accommodation - showed the excellency of the French cuisine. The winning couples received a considerable amount of prize money - for the first time in Euro and the ladies a wonderful bouquet of beautiful flowers. I do want to mention the representative flower decoration of stage and tables in the hall. It was the work of the "Groupe Interflora du Val de Marne" and the Paris school of florists. And for plenty of green plants in the Grand Prix de Paris 2002 decoration the plant gardeners of the City of Paris were responsible.

Congratulations to Claude Germain for a DanceSport weekend with only highlights.

Werner J. Braun