IDSF Adjudicator Congress Moscow
To put it straight at the beginning: This Congress turned out to be very successful.
Surely there were some problems beforehand with invitations and with visa. But to
be fair, the Russian Dance Sport Association RDSA headed by President Pavel Dorokhov can not be made responsible for this. The Russian Government suddenly made the visits to their country much more difficult. It is no more enough to present an official invitation from an association, no - the invitation has to be registered at the Russian Ministry and be numbered. And this number is only to be received against cash in hard dollars. Only this was the reason for the delays. But at least and finally everything came in order. I would like to extend my appreciation and thankfulness on behalf of the IDSF to Pavel Dorokhov and the members of his staff, Executive Director Mikhail Fratkin and Association Manager Evgueni S. Melnikov. Both persons did a very good job and are to participate in the success of the event.
There were also voices: Why must it be in Moscow with all the difficulties? Here my clear answer: Russia is a big dance sport nation with a big future. In Russia there are 12.000 licensed dance sport couples and many of them since bear the enormous costs and troubles to participate in our competitions. May it be the German Open, the Copenhagen Open, the Italian and French Open or even Blackpool. We owe it to those idealists to realise our events as well in their country and IDSF has set a sign.
Despite all discussions about 100 participants gathered in the Moscow 5-star hotel Aerostar to receive tips and impulses which could enrich the way of their expert judging. I am sure you are interested to know which countries the IDSF judges has come: They were from Austria, Bulgaria, Beylorussia, Czech, China, Cinese Taipei, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Moldavia, Russia, Sweden, Slovakia, Ukraine and from USA. You see: from 24 countries of 3 continents.
The lectures for this congress had been chosen very well end encountered appreciation. For the Latin part Kenneth Pedersen could be engaged, who came with one of his Denish top couples: Charlotte Egstrand and Holger Nitsche. The lecture in Standard took over the Coach of the German Dance Sport Association
Wolfgang Opitz who was accompanied by the German Champions Pia David and Stefan Ossenkop.
Both, lectures and couples, gave their best. They knew that with this Public" they cannot cheat. They were well prepared and the common opinion at the end of the congress: It was the best lecture IDSF offered her officials up to now. IDSF Sports Director Heinz Spaeker is due appreciation for the selection of the referees and for the given topics. Thanks as well to Wolfgang Opitz and Kenneth Pedersen for making understood and transferring the ideas and facts to the audience. Thanks to both of the demonstrating couples who did their part very well. It is not easy for a top couple to just dance on command out of time and of music and with a lot of mistakes and then immediately turn back to the best dancing.
The participators will have their licence as IDSF adjudicators prolonged. For all those who could not come to Moscow there will be given a further chance by Sports Director Heinz Spaeker. A further congress in 1998 is planed. But in spite that they missed something important: The highly interesting IDSF International Moscow Open with 2300 entries and the wonderful sightseeing in the Russian Metropolis Moscow.
On the topics of the IDSF adjudicators Congress and on the Moscow Open I will report within short.
