30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Jadran Ž ivkovic / Ljubljana - Slovenia 53 Dancer | Teacher | Choreographer | IDO Licensed Judge, Chairperson and Supervisor | Team Captain | Organizer | IDO Scrutineer | Professional Tap dancer . In his youth Jadran has visited the Yugoslavian Military School to become a military officer. In this capacity he has been sent to Ljubljana which at this time was a city in Yugoslavia where he knew nobody Today Ljubljana is the Capital of Slovenia and a dance-hotspot and Jadran knows “everybody”. Therefore Jadran wanted to do some sport and attended social dance classes and later proceeded to Performing
Photo 1760 - Photo TIJA AZMAN
Arts. In 1980 the famous US-Choreographer and teacher, Mrs. Judy Ann Bassing (Please see Who-is- Who) has been invited to teach and choreograph performing arts dance routines because these were used for paid shows in the tourist spots at the Yugoslavian coastline. Some people from that group are IDO judges today, Mr. Miha Lampic, Mrs. Zuzana Bartha and Mrs. Diana Drobnic. Judy Ann came through the American Cultural Center, which had the office in Ljubljana in that time. Judy Ann saw the big potential for Tap in Jadran and convinced him to concentrate in Tap / Tap dance, which was not at all popular in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In 1987 the dance studio / club URSKA in Ljubljana opened two classes in Tap for “everybody” with Jadran. These classes filled up very fast, the first tap dance classes in Ljubljana. Due to this success in 1989 another Dance studio / club KAZINA engaged Jadran to teach tap where he was working as tap dance teacher and choreographer for the next 5 years. In 1995 and many following years he was also invited to teach in Zagreb, Croatia and among his many students were Wendy and Tamy Zajec and Linda Valjalo; great names in Tap nowadays. In 1991 Jadran attended the IDO Show dance World Championships in Hamburg with a Tap dance Formation. They placed last because it was a Show dance Championship and tap was a wrong discipline. 3 years too early because the IDO inaugurated Tap dance Formations in 1994 in Dresden, Germany as a test and 1995 officially. In 1997 Jadran organized the famous IDO Dance Championships in the open air “Avditorij Portorož” at the Slovenian Coast as a European Championship. This event concentrated on dancers under 14 years of age. After this success of “competitions and beach - life” “Portoroz” developed to a competition for younger ones from all over the world in 1998 - 2000. In that time there were (only) two age groups: adults and “UNDER 1 4” in Portoroz and the “under 14” was perfectly done in the “Avditorij Portorož (and on the beaches). Everybody who was there will remember these unforgettable summer events - especially when in 1998 the US-Junior Tap dance Formation choreographed by Mrs. Sharon da Costa “rocked the boat”. I will never forget their show at the marina on a concrete floor when the audience went mad for enthusiasm. Later he organized the European Tap dance-, Dance show- and Argentine Tango Championship in the Congress Center »Cankarjev dom« in Ljubljana in the year 1995 - for the adults age group. In 2001 Jadran organized the IDO Junior Championships in Maribor, Slovenia and 2003 in Ljubljana, Slovenia because the IDO had divided the “non - adults” to children and junior age gr oups - fairer for young differently fast developing bodies. Jadran has been with us in Hamburg since 1991 and later in Dresden, Riesa, Berlin and all the following years in Riesa. Truly a wonderful long-time friendship and journey to go as friends. Today Jadran is the President of “Plesna zveza Slovenije”, the National Dancesport Federation of Slovenia and still has a special open eye for his favourite dance, Tap dance.
53 Michael Wendt has spoken with Jadran by Zoom and put the context together as follows, confirmed by Jadran Ž ivkovic
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