Belly Dance Performed in Mariupol en Masse
Mariupol played host to the Crystal Crown International Dance Festival, organized by the Public Corporation Markokhim and the Ukrainian Dance Council (UDC). The event took place at the Sadko Sports Complex. The audience was packed and the performers were supported by cheerleading teams from twenty cities in Ukraine, Russia, Italy, Canada, Poland, and Slovenia. It was a contest of amateurs ranging from five to forty years of age, marked by a versatility of genres, from standard/Latin ballroom dances to break dance to show dance. The jury was made up of experts from the United States, Ukraine, and Russia, including International Dance Council members. The festival’s guests and dance show experts were impressed by the organizing committee’s performance, lighting, and acoustic and other characteristics of the premises. Given such favorable conditions, the contestants could show their best and did just that. Oleksandr Shekara and Olha Zhuk, both of Zaporizhzhia, won the youth nomination; in the adult standings, the Crystal Crown went to Yevhen Solodky and Svitlana Ryzhkova (Kharkiv). Odesa’s Carmen Club was the best in the dance show bracket with their Pharaoh composition. The festival was, of course, highlighted by the professional duets’ Latin dance Grand Prix. Five pairs from Ukraine, Russia, Poland, and Slovenia vied in the finals, among them finalists of the world European show and 10 dance championships, and finalists of the world Latin American show championships. In addition, the winners of the Mariupol tournament were thus qualified to vie in the 2004 world championships. The Ukrainian duet of Dmytro Bondarenko and Anastasia Muraviova (Kharkiv) placed third; Marcian Brzezinski and Anna Glogowska (Poland) placed second. Catherine Barulina and Lucca Tonnelle, Italy, won the Grand Prix.
The festival’s special attraction was Ukraine’s open championships and European and world qualifiers in the belly dance standing. UDC President Iryna Bus’, opening the professional championships, stressed that it was a historic occasion, as the event was being held for the first time in Ukraine. Bewitching Oriental tunes, the dancer’s captivating sense of rhythm, physical attractiveness, and professional skill combined to win every heart in the audience. The latter had a rare opportunity to discover the Orient for themselves. However, the jury named seven finalists among the eleven contestants. After a series of sparkling performances, each proving a miniature show, Olena Zharkova (Donetsk) was placed third, Iryna Hutla (Odessa) came second, and Nataliya Hrunicheva (Donetsk) won the Crystal Crown.
