Dear friends of the IDO World Show- and
Tap dance Championships in Riesa!

The outcome of the meeting between the Mayor of Riesa, the FVG Riesa, TAF-Germany and Michael Wendt was a common decision:
Unfortunately and to our deepest regret we will not be able again to run these wonderful events in November this year.

Although it looked more promising during the past weeks there are now two basic “killers” - and one of them alone would have prevent running the event.

The events are now approximately 9/10 weeks ahead. We have to make a decision this week because people must have a chance to organize, buy flight tickets, book accommodation, book the busses, get free time from school, university or their jobs.

And here are the “killing arguments”:

1. Natural Gas Supply to heat

• Due to Russia’s war against the Ukraine there is a severe shortage created by the Russian side to supply natural gas to Germany. Since years Germany was depending on Russia’s delivery of natural gas. This is rapidly changed now and Germany buys gas in many other countries.
• BUT this has affected the cost of gas. A ton of gas was about 20 - 30 € before - now it is 200 - 300 €. The international market is like a roller coaster these days.
• Although everybody in Germany helps to save gas in the houses, public buildings and business companies the German government expects a shortage of gas in winter and the possibility may arise that the German National Net-agency has to decide who will get gas - like private houses and system relevant entities, like hospitals and important companies. We all doubt that the Net agency will take sport or concert halls as “system relevant”. In other words “no gas no warm SACHSENarena at the end of November”.

2. COVID19 - Corona and the expected rules to prevent the further outspread by people at indoor sport and other events in Germany

• The new law says everybody who enters the venue must have a valid negative RAT (time frame within 24 hrs) or a valid vaccination proof or being cured (time frame 3 months) - for every day.

We see it as our responsibility towards our dancers, officials, judges, supporters, our dear guests, not to bring them into a situation when they have planned to come to Riesa, having bought tickets, accommodation etc. and then the event has to be cancelled without prior notice. This may happen even during the event. We see it as our duty to care for you and to avoid losses of money and big frustration on losing much money.

The IDO has thankfully found an organizer in Poland that can run the IDO-World Show dance Championships 2022 preferably in the same dates of “Riesa 2022”. From the bottom of our heart we do wish the colleagues and the competitors, judges and officials as well as chaperones the best of success and fun!

We are personally terribly sorry about this decision (and could cry tears). Now we all know that the times of the past IDO World Show- and Tap dance Championships in Riesa Germany from 1997 to 2019 have been like “paradise” with long time planning and organisation. Now the word is “flexibility” on all sides.

On behalf of the Mayor of Riesa, the FVG Riesa and TAF-Germany

Michael Wendt
IDO Lifetime Honorary President and
IDO Ambassador for Asia & Asia - Pacific

 

IDO-World Show dance Championships 2022 - Poland