What do international dancing championships and a tropical island have in common? Strauss and Stravinsky, Salsa and sashay against a backdrop of swaying palm trees… this startling combination would not normally go hand-in-hand but, over the past five years, the island of Lombok has become an important destination in the world dancing arena.
On Saturday, 20 and Sunday, 21 July, Lombok was treated to a unique and spell-binding spectacle as champion dancers dressed in flowing gowns and glittering costumes took to the floor in the fifth annual Lombok International Dance Championships, sanctioned by the World Dance Council, the Indonesian Ballroom Dance Council and the Indonesian Sports Ministry.
This world-class event is the inspiration of Marcel De Rijk, owner of Puri Mas Boutique Resorts and Spa in Lombok and himself a past world dance champion. Marcel is also Vice President of the World Dance Council and spends part of the year travelling the world attending dance competitions.
Born into a professional ballroom dance family in Holland, Marcel has been single-handedly responsible for introducing ballroom dance to this beautiful tropical island just to the east of Bali. Living part of the year in Lombok, Marcel opened the Lombok International Dance Studio on the island around ten years ago and began teaching local and expat residents to dance.
Indonesians generally love music and love to dance, so the dance classes in Lombok generated a lot of local enthusiasm and have produced some very talented dancers. In fact, so great has been Marcel’s success that a number of his students have gone on to open their own dance studios and to compete in the Lombok International Dance Championships.
Ballroom dance, although well established in European countries, is still relatively new to Asians and they are embracing the world sport with a passion. As a result of this new dance trend, the classes grew larger and dance in Lombok attracted more attention. Each year, Marcel would host an annual party for his students and invite an international dance couple from Europe to perform at the event… and thus the idea for the Dance Championships was born.
In 2005, the first international dance competition took place in Lombok with couples from Hong Kong, Surabaya, Lombok and Jakarta competing in a low-key event. That small competition has now grown to include international dance champions and competitors from 15 different countries.
This year, for the first time, new Amateur World Champions Eldar and Anna Dzhafarov from Azerbaijan (Europe) competed in Lombok, dancing in the Ballroom and Latin sections. This spectacular couple won the World Title in Ballroom Dance and Ten Dance last year. Top professional couple, Evgeny Ryupin and Yana Prokovskaya from Russia, who competed in Lombok last year, once again were crowd-pleasers in the Professional Latin Competition. They are among the top dance couples in the world and are finalists in the European Championships. Hong Kong Professional champions, Aleksander and Irina Zhiratkov dazzled the crowds in the Ballroom section. The fabulous pair have just returned from England where they finished in second place at the world famous Blackpool Dance Festival.
Having witnessed some of these couples performing last year, crowds clamoured for tickets to this year’s event, held in the Ballroom at Santosa Villas and Resort in Senggigi. Even those not normally interested in ballroom dance can’t help but be enchanted by the couples in tuxedos and flowing gowns floating and twirling effortlessly across the floor. The sexy costumes and seductive moves in the Latin section tell saucy stories that bridge any language barriers and leave the spectators bewitched.
Dance performances of this calibre are what you would normally expect to see in the top ballrooms of Europe. Set against the backdrop of the impressive Santosa Villas and Resort with its fountains and palms, the Dance Championships juxtaposition a glamorous cultural experience with a magical tropical location.
Many visitors to Lombok are now planning their holidays around this annual dance event, combining the chance to see truly world class dance performances with a relaxing break on a uniquely beautiful island. For those living within Indonesia, if the Lombok International Dance Championships isn’t on your social calendar, it should be! Next year’s Championships will be held on 3 and 4 July, 2010.
Visit the website for more information:
www.purimas-lombok.com/dance.htm
