Interview with “Stand With Ukraine-Keep Russia Out of International Dancesport”
by Annie Lu
Keeping up with the Dancesport world online, one might have recently seen an Instagram account with the provocative handle @norussia_in_dance_sport . The account is run by the campaign group “Stand With Ukraine - Keep Russia Out of International Dancesport”. Stated on their social media, the group calls for a ban on the registration and participation of Russia, Russian citizens, Russian adjudicators and dancers in training camps, competitions and festivals. They have asked the World Dance Council and the organizers of Blackpool Dance Festival to make an official statement on this issue.
On April 15th, WTF Magazine reached out to Iryna Glushchenkova (pictured above), who launched the campaign, asking if she would be open to an interview. Glushchenkova agreed and sent us her responses to the following questions:
WTF Magazine: When and how did “Stand with Ukraine - Keep Russia Out Of International Dancesport” begin? Who is part of your group?
Iryna Glushchenkova: Our initiative started as the joined efforts of a small group of parents whose children are passionate and committed dancers. Before February 24th, our children’s thoughts, emotions, and physical efforts were focused on preparation for the WDC European Championships and the Blackpool Dance Festival. The war which Russia launched against Ukraine totally destroyed those plans along with other dreams and aspirations. Naturally, we were following what was going on in the dance world. Actually, we united as a small dynamic group within two days - it was triggered by the fact that a Russian adjudicator was announced on the WDC European Championships panel. At the same time, there was no WDC and Blackpool official statement on the participation of Russia and its representatives. To make matters worse, Ukrainian coaches who were expected to be in Blackpool and to be WDC adjudicators made no official statement on their position. They admitted they were unable to receive any transparent answer from WDC. So within one day our group aligned on our position, drafted our statement, and created social media accounts. The next day, we launched our “Stand with Ukraine - Keep Russia Out Of International Dancesport” campaign.
Why is it important to you that Russian dancers, judges, & adjudicators be banned from dance training camps, competitions, and festivals?
There are some people who say that banning Russian dancers from participation in competitions is unfair. They argue that Russian dancers are not responsible for their country’s political actions and that politics should be kept separate from sports. What is your response to people with these opinions?
Let’s start with the point about keeping politics separate from sport. It’s certainly not the case with Russia. I’d advise those who doubt that to watch the Kremlin Cup which was held just recently on April 23rd in Moscow. Stanislav Popov - the head of the Russian dance council, a famous coach, and dance events organizer - opened the Kremlin Cup by saying that they “do not advertise enemies”. By enemies, he meant Europe and the West. At the Kremlin Cup, dancers danced only to Soviet music and Russian romances. This is a very clear example of using sport to promote Putin’s regime. In fact, there are lots of other examples like that. That is the reason why Russia and Russians have been banned in so many kinds of sport. News about new bans for Russia arrive every day.
The Putin regime has shockingly strong support among Russian citizens, including dancers. Culture and sports have long been used in the manipulations of Russian propaganda to strengthen the Putin regime. A significant part of Russia’s sports and cultural community openly support the Putin regime. Others provide their tacit support for the regime. Even those Russian citizens who live abroad, in their comfortable conditions, refrain from openly condemning Russia’s actions and Putin’s regime.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has taken thousands of innocent lives, including the lives of hundreds of children. The number of casualties is growing every day. The scale of the war and the scale of Russian brutality is unprecedented - the Bucha massacre, the Mariupol genocide, the destruction of Kharkiv and Chernihiv, the numerous murders and rapes of women and children, the torture of civilians and looting. All these have been planned and committed by Russia and supported by Russian citizens.
We consider the boycott of Russia and its representatives at the international level to be a necessary step to push back the aggressor that launched a violent and unjustified invasion against Ukraine and the entire democratic system.
The boycott of Russia is limiting Russia’s global influence. We should not allow sport to be used to promote the Russian regime.
Images from one of “Stand with Ukraine - Keep Russia Out Of International Dancesport”’s posts (here)
Why do you call on the World Dance Council and the organizers of Blackpool Dance Festival to issue an official statement on the participation of Russian dancers?
Why do you think WDC has chosen not to issue an official statement on the participation of Russians at the European Amateur League Championships and Blackpool Dance Festival?
We believe that issuing an official statement is about integrity, transparency, and respect in relations & partnerships. It is a way for an organization to openly communicate its rules to participants and the general public. Moreover, that is the standard which was set by the UK Government from the very first day of the full-scale war. The UK called the war “the war”, without any euphemisms. Ukraine receives powerful support from the United Kingdom at the state level. On April 9, 2022, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv to meet the President of Ukraine. There is guidance set by the UK Government specifically in relation to sporting bodies & events which says that the Russian regime should not derive any benefits from the involvement of Russian representatives at events. Legendary British Wimbledon, for example, follows this UK Government guidance, expressing ongoing support for Ukraine and its people during these shocking and distressing times. Their support is demonstrated by consistent and principled actions such as banning Russian and Belarusian players regardless of their rating and previous achievements. The entries of Russian and Belarusian players to UK tennis events, including Wimbledon, will be declined.
WDC demonstrated another approach. They even called the war “a humanitarian crisis” in an official statement. Though they tend to clean unfavourable comments below their posts in the social media, they have not corrected this very wrong description of what is going on. We were very shocked when the World Dance Council and the organizers of Blackpool Dance Festival did not issue official statements on their position regarding the participation of Russia and Russian representatives. They just ignored all calls and requests to explain their silence.
We assume there are several reasons for this. First of all, they have long standing relations with Russia. Russia used to be licensed to hold WDC events. There is a Russian citizen on the WDC board. Donnie Burns and his former dancing partner visited Russia lots of times. A principled decision on Russia would mean no access to Russian money. WDC does not seem to be ready for that outcome. That is why they are playing manipulative games: With one hand they are collecting donations for Ukrainians suffering from the Russian invasion. They hide themselves behind a yellow-and-blue banner in case they are asked uncomfortable questions. With the other hand, they create a setting which will let them continue to benefit from relations with Russia. It looks like double standards and a hidden agenda.
There is one more reason why the WDC and the organizers of Blackpool Dance Festival have not issued official statements. It is a painful reason for me, indeed. It is the lack of principled, firm, and clear public statements from the Ukrainian coaches who headed the Ukrainian delegation at the events. They failed to openly, in public, ask WDC and the organizers of Blackpool Dance Festival to provide official statements. Maybe the coaches thought they were protecting the interests of a few Ukrainian dancers who managed to get to the events and were expressing their gratitude for the financial support they all together received. However, I believe they were protecting their personal status first and foremost.
What kind of efforts has your group been making to carry out your mission? What has your group accomplished so far?
We mostly focused on our social media campaign, as well as sending enquiries and requests to official bodies and individuals by email.
We were surprised how much support we received on social media and in direct communication. Within one week, our appeal was shared 1,392 times, our posts were shared 2,182 times. And please note: we used no advertising.
We found out that there were other coaches and parents trying to accomplish the same things: to get official statements and eventually, achieve a boycott of Russia and its representatives. As for the communication with WDC and the Blackpool Dance Festival organizers, the outcome of the communication was the same – They stonewalled all the requests and enquiries.
Though we have not received any official statement yet, we are happy to make our contribution to a powerful wave that broke out. A number of top couples issued their official statements and openly expressed their position on Russia’s and Russian representatives’ participation on the international dance floor. Apart from that, they also stopped cooperation with Ukrainian coaches who made no official statements on Russia’s participation.
We are also happy to be part of the bigger mission of boycotting Russia and its representatives at the international level in all areas of cultural life, sport, and business. Everybody needs to realize that this is not only for the sake of Ukraine’s victory - The scale of the war is by far larger than the war of two countries. This war is of a global scale. The whole world needs Ukraine’s victory. Russia’s ban will be a contribution to that.
The IWGA has decided to ban Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials following a communique by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the breach of the Olympic Truce and its requested actions. Due to this ban, The World Dancesport Federation (WDSF) has prohibited 13 Russian and/or Belarusian Standard and Latin couples from competing at The World Games. What are your thoughts on this?
We believe it is an example of prompt, open public communication and hope WDC will follow this trend.
Do you believe that the current Russian invasion of Ukraine will have long lasting impacts on the Dancesport world? If yes, what sort of impacts do you foresee?
The war is affecting the Ukrainian dancing community: There are separated couples living in different cities and countries as refugees or temporary displaced peoples, dance clubs whose coaches and dancers are scattered across Ukraine and Europe to protect their country in the army or supply the army as volunteers, the psychological pressure and mortal threats . . . These are but a few things which the Ukrainian dance community is going through. It cannot but affect the landscape of the whole Dancesport world. Living in Ukraine now and having a planning horizon of 1-2 days at the most, it’s really hard for me to make any sort of specific forecast at the global dance scale. I can only note that Ukrainians, including Ukrainian dancers, are very resilient and strong. I think the words of a New York Times journalist are very true: “I thought I knew what bravery was. And then I saw Ukraine”. Ukraine’s voice will be strong and will be heard on the international arena.
I also want to believe there will be changes at the personal level - there will be more value-based decisions in terms of choosing coaches, clubs, federations and events; and making conscious choices about who and what parents decide to sponsor with their money.
What would Ukraine dancers and the Ukrainian dance community like to say to the Dancesport world?
Our group and our supporters in the Ukrainian dance community are hopeful that, eventually, there will be a change of paradigm in the “coach-dancer-audience” relations: When there will be no financial dependence on those who bring war & chaos to this world and no corruption among adjudicators & related organizations. When the Dancesport world will live by fair play rules and use transparent approaches while organizing events.
WTF Magazine thanks Iryna Glushchenkova for speaking with us. If you would like to learn more about “Stand With Ukraine - Keep Russia Out Of International Dancesport”, please contact them through their social media (linked in beginning of article).
