Interview with the Organizer of the IDO World Tap Dance Competition!

We had the incredible opportunity to talk with Michael Wendt, the mastermind behind the numerous IDO World Tap Dance Competitions in Riesa. Get ready to tap your feet and dive into the world of rhythm and dance!

Can you provide some background information on the IDO World Tap Dance Competition? Last year due to COVID-19 it was held in Croatia, and now we are coming back to Riesa. Can you tell when was the first time it was held in Riesa and a bit of the history?

I brought the idea for an IDO World Tap Dance Championship to the “old” IDO in 1991. This was the year of the first IDO Tap Dance Championships in the Congress Center in Hamburg with 90 minutes of regional TV coverage.
1992 was also in Hamburg
1994-1996 was is Dresden
Since 1997 the IDO World Tap Dance Championships have run in Riesa, Germany – with the exception of 1999 in the Estrell Hotel in Berlin.

What inspired you to organize a tap dance competition on a global scale?
In my opinion tap dance needed a competitive form to develop the skills of the dancers and make everybody better.
Many former tap dance winners or finalists became professional dancers afterwards, opened their own studios or worked as choreographers worldwide.


Will there be any workshops, masterclasses, or educational components at the competition?
Yes, following the sigh of the IDO Tap Dance Chairperson, Mrs. Nancy Chippendale we give former IDO world tap dance champions the possibility to give masterclasses during the week. This year it will be Dani Borak (Switzerland), Jillian McNamara (USA) and Alex Ostanin (Ukraine/USA) – two additional masters will be announced soon.


Your message to all the IDO community..
Use the IDO World Championships to become better and better, develop your skills, technique, dances and – most importantly - make friends all over the wonderful world of IDO.


Thank you so much for your time Michael. It's clear that the IDO World Tap Dance Competitions are full of talent and unity in the dance world. We can't wait to witness the magic of tap at the upcoming event!

Get ready to tap your way into a world of rhythm and joy at the IDO World Tap Dance Competition in Riesa from the 25th to the 29th of September. Stay tuned for more updates.

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