Salaspils, Latvia – The world’s top U21 sports dance couples will compete in Salaspils this Saturday as the “Salaspils Open 2025” hosts the only World Championship sports dance event to be held in Latvia this year. The competition, organized by the Škutānas dance school with Valdi Škutānas and Daci Pērkoni, marks its thirteenth year and includes both World Sports Dance Federation (WDSF) ranking tournaments in Standard (ST) and Latin American (LA) dances, alongside events for youth, junior, and children’s groups.
This year’s championship will focus on the U21 ST dance competition. Recent champions expected to contend include Rīcars Krīviņš/Aleksandra Šamova, newly crowned world champions (16-18 age group) in ST dances, and Anna Bērziņa (representing Lithuania with Pija Palski), this year’s European U21 vice-champions who recently reached the quarter-finals at the adult world championship. Also competing are European U21 ST dance champions Batu Sandiraz/nehira Cama (Turkey), “german Open” winners Dmitrijs Forostianov/Helene Novali Tilgerte, and world youth vice-champions Timon Olejarz/Viktoria Kurda (Poland).
Several Latvian couples are also poised for strong performances, including Roberts Meikšāns/Viktorija smoļina, Oļegs Bērziņš/Amanda Meinarte, Ivans Ignatenko/Estere Anna Sileniece, and Klāvs Kokins with his new Lithuanian partner, Sauli Endriukaititi. The event also features a WDSF ranking competition for adult ST and LA dancers.
The “Salaspils Open” receives notable support from the municipality of Salaspils and the Ministry of Education and Science. In 2023, Salaspils hosted the U21 ST championship, and last year, the same age group competed in the world championship for LA dances.
