Throughout the week, a hundred of the best dancers from all over the world dance on the roof at Sportal den Oosthoek in De Panne. They were invited by Dimitri Covent of Cretans Diva Wevelgem. This gives them a taste of the 2023 world championships that Dimitri will set up under the international dance organization ITO.
Dimitri Covent (36) is no stranger to the dance world. Seventeen years ago, together with her sister Vanessa, she started the dance studio KreaDance DiVa, which now has almost a thousand students in the areas of Wevelgem, Zwalm and Oudenaarde.
Dancing and teaching are her thing, but she also sits as a judge in international dance competitions. “But I like to organize projects,” Dimitri says. “Bringing ITO World Jazz/Ballet – modern – Olympic sports dance – to our country has been on my bucket list for some time. So I’ve been working on it for two years. You certainly can’t do it, but I’m a member of BULDO, the union of Belgian teachers in dance and customs, You can compare it to the Belgian Football Association.”
“I won and can proudly announce the date: from November 27 to December 4, 2023, the Proximus Theater in Plopsaland will be the scene of 3000 to 4000 dancers giving their best. Wings of IDO. Representatives from twenty to thirty countries from all over the world are coming there. .Divisions from children to adults include soloists, duos, small groups & forms in jazz, ballet and modern dance. All hotels and Plopsahotel will be fully booked that week! We also receive support from the municipality of De Panne.
International company
An international company is already busy with dance training this week. There are a lot of ‘oldies’ from this annual dance practice started by Dimitri. Among them is Hope Maimane (30), who runs her Hope School of Arts in Johannesburg, South Africa. “Actually, I was a rugby player until my dancing girlfriend asked me to dance too if we wanted to be a couple,” laughs Hope.
“I discovered that dance is an amazing art form that once you start, never lets you go. With a passionate team, we ensure that people in our school not only develop their talent, but also learn how to make a living out of it. In other words: a painter to create the most beautiful paintings. Can, but that doesn’t mean he can’t sell them!
friendly relations
Hope has been creating dances for years, which have won her many prizes. “What’s special about this ‘Olympics of Dance’ is that it’s a ‘competition with love’, where you develop friendships, where you discover each other’s culture, but on the dance floor you respect each other. Competition. Meanwhile, Timi has become a good friend, and French fries are Belgian. , I learned here that french fries are not! How I loved that queen snack here! Plopsaland as a venue for the World Cup? Great! We already did video recordings there today!
That’s how I discovered that dance is a beautiful art form that once you start, never lets you go
Dan Bates (34) from London is coming to De Panne for an internship for the fourth time. In the United Kingdom, Dane becomes a big gentleman, but in De Bunn he’s a nice, sympathetic guy who likes to joke around with Timmy. With his company, Dane Bates Collective Choreography, he wowed the judges on Britain’s Got Talent. “I’m very happy that I won the National Reality TV Award for Best Choreography and Acting, but even though my schedule is fully booked, I don’t want to miss out on that internship at De Bunn”, Dane laughs.
“Of course I’m very proud of this achievement, it marks a milestone in my career. Yes, I’ve signed a contract in the US and UK, but can’t reveal anything about it yet. Enjoy dancing with great soul friends at De Panne this week!”
Participants dance for about six hours a day, and on Wednesday evenings, as icing on the cake, they get to dance with K3’s choreographer, Tommy Gryson. “But K3 songs are not involved,” concludes Dmitry with a joke.
