October marked a historic milestone for DanceSport Europe (DSE) with the launch of an exciting new competitive format: the DSE Team Challenge Cup. Held across two vibrant cities – Rome, Italy, and Sibiu, Romania – the events showcased not just individual technical brilliance, but the power of national cohesion. In a display of versatility and artistic flair, Team Romania swept the board, claiming victory in both the inaugural event in Rome and the subsequent competition in Sibiu. A New Era of Team Competition While DanceSport is traditionally focused on individual couples, the DSE Team Challenge Cup shifts the spotlight to national pride. The format was strictly defined to test the depth of the competing nations, with each country represented by four couples. The competition challenged these teams across a grueling multi-stage format: The Single Dances: Couples competed in three Ballroom (Standard) dances and three Latin American dances. The “Syllabus” Challenge: In a unique twist designed to test fundamental technique, one Standard dance and one Latin dance had to be performed using only syllabus figures. This stripped away open choreography, forcing judges to evaluate the pure technical foundation of the athletes. The Group Show: Following the individual heats, the four couples returned to the floor together to perform a choreographed group formation show. The final evaluation was a test of balance: 50% of the score was derived from the single dances, and 50% from the group show performance.

The Rome Debut (October 3rd) The series kicked off in the Eternal City on October 3rd. The atmosphere in Rome was electric as European nations gathered to test this new format for the first time. Team Romania set the standard immediately, balancing high scores in the restricted syllabus dances with an engaging group show to become the first-ever champions. However, the fight for the podium was intense. Team Spain delivered a passionate performance to secure 2nd place* while Team Poland showcased strong technical skills to take 3rd place and the bronze medals.

The Sibiu Showdown (October 31st) Fast forward to the end of the month, and the action moved to Sibiu, Romania. With the home crowd behind them, the pressure was on Team Romania to defend their title against a shaken-up field of competitors. The unique 50/50 scoring split once again proved to be the deciding factor. Team Romania rose to the occasion, repeating their success to secure their second gold medal of the month. The silver medal went to Team Italy, who traveled to Sibiu determined to improve on their result from the Rome leg. Meanwhile, Team Bulgaria impressed the judges with their consistency, rounding out the podium in 3rd place.

A Winning Formula The success of the Team Challenge Cup highlights a growing appetite for team-based events in the DanceSport world. By weighing the artistic group show equally with the technical individual heats, DSE has created a format that rewards well-rounded dancers and national teamwork. Congratulations to Team Romania for an undefeated run in October, and to Spain, Poland, Italy, and Bulgaria for their podium finishes