Mirror Magazine

Mirror Magazine

Dancing the night away
They gathered to dance, and dance they did! It was performance, talent and a thrilling experience all put together. Marisa de Silva recalls a night of footwork

“Give ‘em the ole Razzle Dazzle, Razzle Dazzle ‘em...” and razzle dazzle us they did at the Second Footwork International DanceSport Championship, held last Sunday at the Colombo Plaza.

The night was a kaleidoscope of colour glitz and glamour, the atmosphere electric, with an ever-increasing sense of expectation in the air! DanceSport was not just a platform for the many talented up and coming local dancers, but also for contestants from around Asia. The dancers, both local and foreign, exhibited an abundance of confidence and were oozing with charisma. They seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves and managed to overcome little hiccups caused (at times) by the lack of space, with the utmost calm and composure. The competitors displayed a true spirit of sportsmanship in the face of both victory and defeat.

The competition began with a bang (literally), to the beat of a troupe of traditional drummers. They later accompanied Rishaad, a talented young singer, with his rendition of Lionel Richie’s “All Night Long”, fusing the sounds of the East with that of the West. His energetic performance set the mood for the night ahead!

The compere for the evening, Arun Dias Bandaranaike, kept the audience entertained throughout the night with his countless witticisms and anecdotes. He was also the perfect diplomat, when he was given the unpopular task of keeping a check on the audience, when they got a tad bit ‘over enthusiastic’ with their support of their fellow dancers competing. Overall, his professionalism as a result of years of experience, added that much more to the night’s proceedings and the championship, as a whole.

However, the highlight of the evening by far was the exhibition dance performance by seven (consecutive) time World Professional Latin American Champions Bryan Watson and Carmen Vincelj, who represent Germany. The grace, technique and semblance of ease displayed by this dynamic duo throughout their performance justified beyond a doubt, their multiple victories of the championship title.

South African born Watson studied Accounting in Johannes-burg and eventually took to professional dancing in 1992. He said that his favourite dance was the Samba, and that he liked to read and go to the theatre in his spare time, and that he collected videos as a hobby. Watson didn’t have one particular long-standing dance partner up until 1999, when he teamed up with Carmen.

Carmen is from Stockard, Germany, where she began dancing professionally in 1989. She later left for London to pursue her career in dance, in 1995. There she had another dance partner, until she joined Watson in 1999. She favours the Rumba. The couple’s, flashy costumes, slick yet intricate manoeuvres, precise timing and synchrony was a sight to behold!

Top