The HKBDFI Cup was for the first time fixed in Easter Sunday (1st April 18) due to venue fully booked (similar situations as last year) ! I had had the mental preparations of less participants at 7th HKBDFI Cup on April Fool’s Day 2018 as a lot of HK people went out for Easter Holidays! Eventually, the comparison statistics shown below was not that bad :

The top four events were more spectacular than last year : – Open Professional Standard & Open Amateur Standard were taken by two highly skillful Italian couples Gaetano & Emanuela, Daniele & Nicole ; Open Professional Latin Champions were from South Africa Ryno & Mira. They showed their appreciations to HKBDI (who helped them enter this year’s Blackpool Dance Festival) by dancing at 7th HKBDFI Cup , their first competition after over one year’s break. The audience enjoyed their passions & total dedications in their first time competition in HK；a partnership of HK/China youngster Power & Mimi was crowned Open Amateur Latin Champions . They were blessed with talent & chance – they won two consecutive HKBDI Ranking events on 10/12/17 & 1/4/18, coincidently the favourite winners Denys & Yuliya (England) and Federica & Federico (Italy) both withdrew from both events at the last moment.

When “Hong Kong Permanent Resident Amateur Standard” (“HKPRAS”) event was first introduced by HKBDI at 1st HKBDFI Cup six years ago, all participating couples were Senior couples. This year HKPRAS was won by a brand new vibrant partnership Dovano, aged 18 & Victoria, aged 15. Actually Dovano with ex-partner Tracy was 2017 All Year Round Champions of HKPRAS. I am happy this event has become the landmark of HKBDI, the only HK Dance Council which has maintained this event in their Ranking Event Entry Form .

Lawrence Chan President , HKBDI

Photos :

(a) Open Amateur Standard Champions Daniele Ruscito & Nicole Cartigiano (Italy)

(b) prize presentations of Pro-Am 5-Dance Standard

(c) prize presentations of Open Professional Latin ;

(d) Open Professional Standard Champions Gaetano Iavarone & Emanuela Napolitano (Italy)

(e) Open Professional Latin Champions Ryno Van Den Berg & Mira Tokarenko (South Africa)