Paul Richardson Olga Rodionova ruling the Team Match in Blackpool
Well, we've all heard how England won the Professional Invitational team Match during the Blackpool Dance Festival. Second place went to Italy.
There were four teams: Italy, Russia, UK, and US. British team prepared one heck of a show which caused a major ovation when all of us in the audience realized that the couples on the floor were: Sammy and Barbara Stopford, Kenny and Marion Welsh, Markus and Karen Hilton, and Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather. It was a phenomanal show! It was definately one of the highlights of my Blackpool experience.
After the show, two latin and standard couples nominated from each country took the floor to dance 5 dances from their category. I believe that there was a tie in the standard round between Italy and England. But then the Latin couples took the floor, and my jaw absolutely dropped when I saw England's Paul Richardson and Olga Rodionova dance. I've heard that they were good, but not this good! My god! I never thought that kind of dancing was possible! INCREDIBLE! I think that the British team owed the victory to them, and not to them AND Darren Bennet and Lilia Kopylova. I couldn't help but to give them a standing ovation after their dancing. They danced with such a sophistication unlike I've ever seen.
I came for the Wednesday's Latin championships just to see them. My friends were bragging to me about Max Kozhevnikov and Yulia Zagoruochenko, and Slavik & Elena Khvorova, but I was rather disappointed in their dancing. I wasn't disappointed in Richardson and Rodionova's dancing. Infact, I think they were even better on Wednesday! I was shocked when I saw that they didn't make it to the finals. Where in England are they based, by the way? Does anybody know? I'd love to take some coaching with my partner from them. I was gonna come up to them at Blackpool and ask, but they looked SOOOOO intimidating! This Studio 101, where in England is it?
