These finals were like no other in Guangzhou, featuring frothy gowns, dramatic showmanship and miles of false eyelashes. From the dreamy waltz to the smoldering paso doble, the nearly sellout crowd at Zengcheng Gymnasium chanted “Go China!” every time their competitors took the floor.
“The warm cheers from the spectators as well as the instructions from the coaches encouraged us. We didn’t want to let them down,” said Liang Yujie, who with partner Shen Hong took the top spot in waltz and tango. “We performed as well as we did in our daily practices.” Japan and South Korea finished second or third in each of the events. They included the waltz, quickstep, slow fox-trot, tango and Latin five dances — an event that combines samba, cha cha cha, rumba, paso doble and jive.
The Asian Games is the biggest stage yet for dance sport, which proponents hope will one day be included at the Olympics. Like its closest Olympic cousin, the Winter Games’ figure skating, the sport combines athleticism with technical skills and artistry.
Zhang Baiyu was a sparkplug in the Latin event, giving the crowd energetic shoulder shimmies, high-speed spins and playful interactions with her partner Shi Lei.
Lei Ying wore a dress covered in yellow and purple feathers for her jazzy fox-trot with Wu Zhian, while Yang Chao and Tang Yiling showed off sharp footwork in their lively quickstep.
Though she missed out on a medal in the Latin five dances, Kazakhstan’s Khristina Ivolgina perfectly embodied the sultry style, swiveling her hips and gyrating suggestively in a ruffled hot pink dress with side cutouts.
The evening was all about dance but at these Asian Games in China politics still made an appearance — the Chinese men all competed wearing red-and-gold Communist Party pins prominently on their chests.
