• Artur Tarnavsky & Anastasia Danilova Artur Tarnavsky & Anastasia Danilova
• Edgars Brivks & Anastasia Edgars Brivks & Anastasia
• Hayk Balasanyan & Emilia Pogosyan Hayk Balasanyan & Emilia Pogosyan
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Three scores make up the final result in the Star Tours – freestyle, solo and audience and last night a different couple won each section. Artur Tarnavskyy & Anastasia Danilova won the freestyle 5-dance, Hayk Balasanyan & Emilia Pogosyan won the showdance and Edgars Brivks & Anastasia won the audience vote.

The overall winners were Artur Tarnavskyy & Anastasia Danilova who swept to victory in the 5-dance, winning all dances earning them 30 points. They were 2nd in the Solo with a total score from the judges of 89.29. Their weakest division was the audience vote where they only picked up 3 points. (Don’t forget to let your friends know you’re competing, professionals!). Their total score was 122.29 and this was enough to make them the 1st official leg winners.

• Dmitry Nikishkin & Olena Shvets-Nikishkin Dmitry Nikishkin & Olena Shvets-Nikishkin
• Alon Gillin & Maria Shalvarova Alon Gillin & Maria Shalvarova
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2nd spot overall went to Dmitry & Olena Nikishkin. They placed 2nd in the 5-dance section 2,3,2,2,2 and 3rd in the Solo with 88.57. They also had a weakness with the audience vote scoring only 3 points there.

Very unusually there was a tie for the overall 3rd spot with both couples scoring a total of 107.36. This was between Alon Gilin & Maria Shalvarova and Hayk Balasanyan & Emilia Pogosyan, but they arrived at their totals in different ways. Alon & Maria were stronger in the 5-dance where they placed 3rd 3,2,3,3,3 earning them 21 points. Hayk & Emila were 6th 6,6,6,6,6 and this scored them only 5 points. However, Hayk & Emila were the winners of the Solo scoring 89.86 and they also did quite well with the audience, getting 12.5 points. Alon & Maria did not do well in the solo and received 7.5 points from the audience.

• Alexey & Vlada Karaulov Alexey & Vlada Karaulov
• Nikita Malakov & Nadezda Vlasova Nikita Malakov & Nadezda Vlasova
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5th spot overall went to Nikita Malakhov & Nadezda Vlasova. Their grand total was 101.79. They were 5th in freestyle and 4th in the solo, but received only 3.5 points from the audience. The audience’s wildcard couple, Edgars Brivks & Anastasia, did not of course participate in the final of the freestyle and they placed 6th in the Solo with 74.86. However, they received the most votes from the audience in the ballroom and watching at home on live stream for their solo and received 20.5 points.

Alexey & Vlada Karaulov placed 4th in the Freestyle 4,4,4,5,4 and so qualified for the solos, but had to withdraw due to an injury. They collected 14 points.  

Last month couples received points for just the freestyle at Wisconsin State and last night’s points will be added to those in the series. This means that Hayk & Emila are currently the tour leaders as they earned 30 points in Wisconsin.  The cumulative scores will soon be available on the Star Tours website.

• Alexander Voskalchuk & Veronica Egorova Alexander Voskalchuk & Veronica Egorova
• World Masters Pro Ballroom World Masters Pro Ballroom
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There was a full program of championship competitions. Alexander Voskalchuk & Veronika Egorova won the World Masters Ballroom and lost a total of only 2 first place marks. In fact all couples finished in the same position in all dances. Andrey Begunov & Anna Demidova were 2nd, Oscar Pedrinelli & Lenka Kovalcikova were 3rd, Nazar Batih & Mariko Cantley were 4th, Radu Sterban & Xenia Cletova were 5th and Lukas Chockuba & Angelina Oh were 6th.

• Open Pro Smooth Open Pro Smooth
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It was a similar situation in the Open Pro Smooth. Mazen Hamza & Izabella received every 1st place available and the other couples finished in the same position in all dances. 2nd John Campbell & Jaki Brockman; 3rd David Hannigan & Maggie Toth; 4th Ilya Abdulin & Tara Barakov; 5th Dmitry Savchenko & Tanie Nunez; 6th Evgenii Rozenfeld & Samantha Jeanne; 7th Ryan & Laura Kenner.

• Open Pro Rhythm Open Pro Rhythm
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Shane & Shannon Jensen won both the Open Rhythm & Cabaret. In the Rhythm they won all dances with large majorities of 1st places. Ilya Abdulin & Sara Barakov scored a good result taking the runners-up position 2,3,2,2,2. Their fellow FADS couple, Andrei Abrashon & Mariia Gavrylova were 3rd 3,2,3,4,3. Andrei Svirydzenka & Yuliya Zubova were 4th 4,4,4,3,4, Joe Hasson & Natalie Honkonen were 5th 5,5,6,5,5 and Kristian Sese & Mae Lozado were 6th 6,6,5,6,6.

• World Masters Amateur Latin World Masters Amateur Latin
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In the World Masters Amateur Latin, Pasha Stepanchuk & Gabriella Sabler were the easy winners. They won the cha with a perfect 15 first places and lost only a few 1st places in the remaining 4 dances. Ron Garber & Liza were 2nd in all 5 dances and Stanislav Olarescu & Zhaniya Zharmenova from Italy were 3rd 3,3,3,3,4. Alan Rudman & Svetlana Lesnaya placed 4th 5,4,4,4,3. Yevgenii Orlov & Yerina Maryna were 5th 4,5,5,5,5. Marco Tremblay Brosseau & Alice Muraru were 6th 6,6,7,6,6 and Malachi Osai & Annabella Waszkiewicz were 7th. 7,7,6,7,7.

Today the ballroom is filled with junior and pre-teen competitors as is traditional at Yankee Classic.

It’s a Close One at Yankee!

Last night at Yankee Classic here in Cambridge, MA, we saw all the Pro RS divisions and they were close – as you often see in RS events.

• Alon Gillin & Maria Shalvarova Alon Gillin & Maria Shalvarova
• Pro RS Latin Pro RS Latin
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For us the most interesting event was the first one – the Latin. This started with a semifinal with the judges asked to return 7 couples. We did not think it was possible to find a permanent 7 couples. For us there were 3 clear couples at the top and the win ultimately went to the newest partnership of the 3, Alon Gilin & Maria Shalvarova from Candada, 1,1,3,1,1. For us and for the majority of the judges, cha cha was their best dance and they did have the majority of 1st places in that dance. They did not in the other 3 dances they won. However, this is a very impressive couple and this was, we believe, their first showing in the USA. With 2,2,1,2,3, Alexey & Vlada Karaulov were 2nd and did have the majority of 1st places in rumba, always their best dance. We felt they had a good night. Nikita Malakov & Nadezda Vlasova were the 3rd of the trio and placed 3,3,2,3,2 so were obviously always in this mix. We were also impressed with Riccardo Pacini & Sonia Spadoni 4,4,4,4,4 who also picked up random scores in the top 3. 5th were Edgars Brivks & Anastasia 5,5,5,5,5; 6th Vlad Astafiev & Annie He Xiao; 7th Artur Shvetsov & Carolina Avila.

• Pro RS Ballroom Pro RS Ballroom
• Radu Steban & Xenia Cletova Radu Steban & Xenia Cletova
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The RS Ballroom was even more spread in the judges’ scoring. Radu Sterban & Xenia Cletova were the winners 2,1,2,1,1. They had the majority of 1st places in T, F, Q but had scores up and down the final even in those dances. 2nd spot went to Lukas Chockuba & Angelina Oh and their scores were even more mixed 1,4,1,4,3. Anatolii Repliuk & Ruslana Mamaysur were 3rd 4,2,4,2,2. Perhaps the most unlucky couple was Serhiy Averko & Olena Barna who placed 3rd in 4 dances and 4th in quickstep but still placed 4th. Manuel Trillo & Anna Belyavtseva were 5th 5,6,5,5,5; Alex & Alina Spencer were 6th 6,5,6,6,6 and Sasha & Hanna Boroukin were 7th.

• John Campbell & Jaki Brockman John Campbell & Jaki Brockman
• Pro RS Smooth Pro RS Smooth
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The RS Smooth had clearer winners, John Campbell & Jaki Brockman won all dances and had the majority of 1st places in all but tango. Tango was a tight call between them and runners-up, David Hannigan & Maggie Toth who placed 2nd in all dances. 9-dancers, Ilya Abdullin & Tara Barakov were 3rd in all dances. From here on down this final was much more disputed. Dmitry Savchenko & Tania Nunez were 4th 6,4,4,4; 5th Anton Talbert & Angela Maughan 4,6,5,5; 6th Serhiy Averkov & Olena Barna 5,7,6T,6; 7th Evgenii Rozenfeld & Samantha Jeanne 7,5,6T,7.

• Ilya Abdullin & Tara Barakov Ilya Abdullin & Tara Barakov
• Pro RS Rhythm Pro RS Rhythm
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But definitely the easiest win of the night came in the RS Rhythm. Ilya Abdullin & Tara Barakov swept the field losing a total of only one 1st place. They were clearly ahead of the rest of this field. 2nd went to Joe Hasson & Natalie Honkonen 2,2,3,2,2; 3rd Kristian Sese & Mae Lozado 3,3,2,3,5; 4th Grey Masko & Elizabeth Hayner 4T,5,4,4,4; 5th Romney & Brooke Reyes 4T,4,5,5,3; 6th Grzegorz Kasprzak & Kristen Prall 6,6,6,6,6.

• World Masters Amateur Ballroom World Masters Amateur Ballroom
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The Yankee Classic offers “World Masters” titles in several events and one of those in the Open Amateur Ballroom and this too was danced last night. The win went to England, Jack Beale & Nataliia Slianko 1,1,1,1,2. Runners-up were Samuel Hacke & Katarina Hermanov 2,2,2,2,1 (they also won the U/21 Latin). 3rd TJ Stanton & Samanta Filip 3,3,3,3,3; 4th Paul Frietas & Kelly Glasheen 4,4,4,4,4.

Tonight the Yankee Classic will host the first official leg of the Star Latin Tour, so be sure to follow along on the livestream (found on the Dance Beat and Star Tour websites and cast your votes for your favorites).