Living Line Dance 4/2009

World Out Games in Copenhagen I was excited after finding out that there will be Country & Western Dance Compe- titions at the World Out Games in summer this year in Copenhagen. I registerd myself on the spot for the Individual Intermediate Line Dance competitions. The 3 step sheets for the dances that I needed to compete I could download easaly from the homepage of the International Association of Gay and Lesbian Country and Western Dance Clubs (IAGLCWDC) and started to train them. With the help from Nicky and Josy from “The Wanderers” I was working on my styling and was collecting infos how to compete at a professional competition. Than the adventure started. On Saturday the Opening Ceremony were held with competitors from 96 countries at the city hall-place in Copenhagen! The major wel- comed us and the spectacular show program provided the appropriate setting for this event. Next to all the free offered activeties in different sports and cultural things there were also daily line dance workshops from Monday till Friday held by Niels Poulsen (Danmark), Benny Ray (european champion 2009 from Danmark), Kirsi-Marja Vinberg (Finland) and by a local line dance trainer. I visited them all and learned a lot of nice new dances. For all Country & Western Dance competitors the local line dance club organized a BBQ for free at a big market garden were we had the chance to get in contact with the other competitors. We became good friends with the club from Paris. A realy funny group who are organizing line dance parties on a boat at the river Seine. Finally thursday, my competition day. Getting more and more excited! Afer the beginners finished there competitions, we, the intermediate dancers had to start with the waltz. Cause of the slippery floor my foot slipped away a bit and near the end of the dance I also had a black-out. I wrote of the medal... The other two dances I performed to my satisfaction. At this category I had to dance against 4, once 5, other dancers. After the advanced dancer from the US all the spectators were invited to join a workshop of the “Barn Dance” and after that the presentaton ceremony started. At the beginner-category all the dancers from the US won the prizes, at my inter- mediate-category 2 gold medals for the US and one for me, silver medal once for the US and 2 times for me, bronce medal 2 times for Danmark and one for England. The dancer at the advanced level became the All-over-prize. The Out Games were a fantastic event where all spectators also had a great time too. I plan already to visit the next World Out Games, which will be in 4 years in Antwerp to start at the competitions for Germany! Kurt Fluger