Saturday night, September 12, the USA Dance Excelsior Cup was the place to be. This USA Dance Challenge competition lived up to all its promises: 1. An unforgettable evening of dance, elegance, and celebration; 2. A spectacular dinner gala featuring world-class dancers; 3. Eleven World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) events; 4. A competition for everyone; and …Oh Yes … 4. The 2025 WDSF Latin Show Dance World Championships!
But let’s back up a little.
Who, What, When, and Where?
The 2025 Excelsior Cup was the inspiration of organizer Vladimir Karpov, a USA Dance and world-renowned professional dancer, coach, and adjudicator. This year, he assembled a dream team of organizers to create a truly memorable event. His team included Renata Shvarts, Daphna Locker, the competition magician — Lisa Spencer, and Carla Villacourt.
The competition took place September 12-13 at the Newark Liberty International Airport Marriott in Newark, New Jersey, a proven competition site conveniently located near the Newark Liberty International Airport. This hotel, also the site of The MAC, had all the amenities, lots of room, and the most important feature…a gorgeous ballroom.
On point for the dream team were Emcees Egor Shall and Ilya Barmotin, World DanceSport Federation (WDSF) DJs Ladislav Fejes and Madeline Mravkarov, Scrutineer Daniel Boman, and Deck Captains Rosemary O’Connell and Matt DeLockery. Behind the scenes were Daniel O’Connell and Myra Coffield, who were in charge of video content and made sure that everything computerized continued to run smoothly.
This team created a welcoming atmosphere, a gorgeous setting, some crazy good music, and an air of excitement like no other competition.
Dancers from around the World
The competition events began on Friday evening. It hosted over 350 talented and enthusiastic dancers in 168 exciting events. Dancers of different levels and all four styles from across the United States came to compete and were not disappointed.
The 11 WDSF events drew additional championship-level dancers from around the world to compete in all categories and age groups. These were the first WDSF events held in the United States since the 2025 USA Dance Nationals, and dancers were excited to compete alongside the international guests.
Although the events ranged from Solo Teddy Bear to Senior V Standard, no one can dispute that the excitement level was highest during the Under 21 and Adult International Standard and Latin events. The music was grooving, the skirts were flying, hearts were pounding, toes were jiving, and hands were clapping.
Winning the WDSF events were:
- WDSF International Open Latin – Artur Balandin & Anna Salita (Germany)
- WDSF International Open Standard – Olegs Berzins & Amanda Meinarte (Latvia)
- WDSF Open Under 21 Latin – Philipp Bogdanov & Seraphina Bogdanov (Germany)
- WDSF Open Under 21 Standard – Philipp Bogdanov & Seraphina Bogdanov (Germany)
- WDSF Open Youth Latin – Philipp Bogdanov & Seraphina Bogdanov (Germany)
- WDSF Open Youth Standard – Raiens Dusa & Anna Osminin (Latvia)
- WDSF Open Senior II Latin – Anatoliy Shvarts & Tatiana Keegan (United States)
- WDSF Open Senior II Standard – Robrecht Krikilion & Nadia Schepens (Belgium)
- WDSF Open Senior III Latin – Anatoliy Shvarts & Tatiana Keegan (United States)
- WDSF Open Senior III Standard – Mike and Rose-Ann Lynch (United States)
These events were only topped by the event that everyone came to see — the WDSF Latin Show Dance World Championships.
World Championships
A total of 16 distinguished officials from eight countries were assembled for the 2025 Excelsior Cup. On Saturday night, nine of them sat attentively in a row of chairs at floor level. Among them was Ekaterina Wilder from the United States. This panel had been carefully chosen by the WDSF to judge the event and was tasked with crowning the 2025 World Champions.
Earlier that day, 14 qualified couples from around the world, including India, Vietnam, Czechia, Italy, Ukraine (2), Hungary, Austria (2), Germany, Slovakia, Albania, and the United States (2) had come together to compete in this one ever-important event of the year. They competed in three rounds in one day, starting with quarterfinals (14) and into semifinals with 12 couples.
On Saturday night, at the gala, six couples remained, and it was time for the final. One by one, each couple in elaborate costumes took to the dance floor to perform their unique routines of intricate dance steps, challenging lifts, and raw emotion. Each left the audience with a new feeling: happy, stunned, shocked, angry, or sad. The couples danced for scores from the distinguished panel of judges, but their performances were for the audience members who filled every seat in the house.
United States’ Kairat Algadaev & Julia Seleznyov took to the floor dressed in black and danced an intense composition while chained together. Their emotions penetrated through the audience as they each struggled for their personal freedoms. It was both fantastic and severe at the same time. What would happen? How would it end? The chains left no room for error; the couple had to be perfect. Then, it was over, and she was left motionless on the floor. A perfect performance! The audience paused to absorb all that had happened and then erupted from their seats.
However, the audience did not hold the clipboards. The fate of the World Championships was now in the hands of the adjudicators.
The six couples stood in a line and waited for the scores to be tallied and places to be announced. Each couple had worked hard to qualify for this competition. Each had again competed hard to get through to the final.
One by one, the couples were called to the podium to take their spots, until three couples remained – Vietnam, Germany, and the United States. Kai and Julia had been here before. In 2024, they were finalists and came in second. Was this their year?
Then came the announcement. Third place went to Nguyen Doan Minh Truong & Dang Thu Huong from Vietnam. The couple rolled out, bowed, and took the Bronze position on the podium.
There was a long pause, and the audience held its breath. The two remaining couples stood frozen in line, each hopeful and unwilling to take the next step to the podium. The German couple was dressed in elaborate red and gold Paso Doble garb, while Kai and Julia stood in all-black costumes with chains dangling by their sides. They had danced their best, but was it enough?
“And now,” came the voice of Egor Shall, “Ladies and Gentlemen, in second place and the winners of the silver medal…(very long pause)…from Germany, Razvan Dumitrescu & Jacqueline Joos.” And the rest was history. The room erupted in screams of joy as our United States team of Kairat Algadaev & Julia Seleznyov collapsed to the floor in smiles and tears of joy. The gold was theirs. They had won it for the United States home crowd.
The rest of the evening was filled with congratulations, hugs, tears, photos, and celebration.
The Excelsior Cup was over, but it would not soon be forgotten. Certainly not by our new World Champions, nor anyone else who had the privilege to be there that night.
Congratulations to all!
Look for an American Dancer article about our World Champions, Kairat Algadaev & Julia Seleznyov, coming soon.
Are you reading American Dancer? You should!
