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America's Foremost Dancesports News Source Dance News! The Cards Turn! Yesterday was day two of the Desert Classic and it was the turn of the Professional Latin division and unlike Manhattan where Nikolai Voronovitch & Maria Nikolishina  were ahead of  Daniele Gozzi & Cecilia Giavacchini this time the cards turned and Daniele & Cecilia were ahead of Nikolai & Maria by winning all dances. So was this as we saw it or were Maria & Nikolai left dry in the desert? Well we will tell you in the coming issues of Dance Beat. The IDSF Open Standard was a hit with many nations participating, Rumania’s Rares Cojoc & Katarzyna Kapra took the trophy home with the majority of firsts in all dances and for us they were a dream, light and powerful like good standard dancing should be. However, some judges did not see it this way Alan Tornsberg from the USA awarded them a 7 in the Tango, and a 4 in the waltz. Barbara Ambroz from Slovenia was more consistent she gave then a 4 in VW, two thirds in the W,T, and a second in the quickstep. The only dance they seamed to please her was the foxtrot where she awarded them a first. Anton Belyayev & Antoaneta Popova from Canada took second overall, but from this point on their scores were not clear. Second went to Belarus’ Sergei Kiselev & Ekaterina Popova, third was Israel’s Francesco Paris & Natalia Driker, fifth place went to Szymon Kulis & Margarita Zvonova from Estonia, sixth went to Vadim Garbuzov & Kathrin Menzinger from Austria and seventh position was awarded to the USA, Lenoid Burlo & Sasha Alekseyeva. It was a terrific comp with different choices for the judges we will explain in future issues. The Professional Smooth was taken by Slawek Sochacki & Marzena Stachura, second was awarded to Kris Suakjian & Melaina Larson and third went to Youriy Pavlov & Anna Shahbazyan. The show was terrific and the talk of the after party, Luca & Loraine Bariki performed three numbers.  Click here for a sneak peak. ISTD Syllabus  Rumba Bronze: Basic Movement Fan Alemana Hockey Stick Progressive Walks Forward and Backward Natural Top Natural Opening Out Movement Side Step Closed Hip Twist Cucarachas Hand to Hand Spot Turns Silver: Reverse Top Opening Out from Reverse Top Aida Spiral Open Hip Twist Gold: Alternative Basic Movement Kiki Walks Sliding Doors Fencing Rope Spinning Three Threes Advanced Hip Twists Samba Bronze: Basic Movements (Natural, Reverse and Alternative) Progressive Basic Movement Outside Basic Movement Whisks to R. and L. Samba Walks in P.P. Travelling Bota Fogos Bota Fogos to P.P. and C.P.P. Reverse Turn Corta Jaca Silver: Closed Rocks Side Samba Walks Volta Movements. Criss-Cross, Maypole, Solo Spot Volta Shadow Bota Fogos Argentine Crosses Gold: Stationary Samba Walks Open Rocks Back Rocks Plait Foot Changes Contra Bota Fogos Rolling Off the Arms Natural Roll Volta Movements (Closed Volta, Travelling and Circular Voltas in R Shadow Position, Roundabout)   Cha Cha Bronze: Basic Movement Fan Alemana Hockey Stick Three Cha Cha Chas Natural Top Natural Opening Out Movement Closed Hip Twist Hand to Hand Spot Turns Time Steps New York Silver: Shoulder to Shoulder Reverse Top Opening Out from Reverse Step Aida Spiral Open Hip Twist Gold: Rope Spinning Advanced Hip Twists Cross Basic Cuban Breaks Turkish Towel Sweetheart Follow My Leader   Paso Doble Bronze: Sur Place Basic Movement Appel Chasses to R. and L. Promenade Link Deplacement Separation Fallaway Ending to Separation The Huit (Cape) Sixteen Silver: Promenades Grand Circle (Advanced Ending to Promenades) Open Telemark Ecart (Fallaway Link) La Passe Gold: Fallaway Reverse Synchopated Separation Banderillas The Twists Coup de Pique Left Foot Variation Fregolina (Incorporating the Farol) The Chasse Cape Travelling Spins from P.P. Travelling Spins from C.P.P.