The Road to the Top: Strategic Patience and the Price of Gold
This victory is not a stroke of luck, but the culmination of a focused multi-year strategy. Danė has steadily climbed international rankings: following bronze in Belgrade in 2024 and success in Spain and Portugal in 2025 (including silver at the World Championship), on April 3 the team firmly established its dominance in Europe by defeating 23 of the continent’s strongest teams.
“This gold is a testament to our patience, discipline, and unbreakable unity. The international judging panel ultimately confirmed that our chosen artistic and technical direction was the right one,” said team leader Tadas Romeika.
“We are proud of our dancers, who once again proved that hard work, self-belief, and team spirit can lead to the very top. This victory is not just a medal—it is a story about people who never give up, even in the most difficult moments. Klaipeda University is proud to provide students with opportunities to pursue top-level athletic achievements alongside academic studies. The triumph of ‘Danė’ is clear proof that our university is a place where European champions are made,” said KU Rector Prof. Dr. Artūras Razbadauskas.
Revival of the Legendary “Žuvėdra”: Continuity of Tradition
The winning performance, “James Bond,” carries special historical significance. It is a new version—adapted for solo dancers—of a legendary dance created by Klaipėda’s renowned Žuvėdra ensemble. Symbolically, the team’s preparation was supported by iconic figures of the Klaipėda dance school—Skaistutė Ona Idzelevičienė and Romualdas Idzelevičius. Their expertise helped Danė embody the champion’s spirit that has represented Klaipėda worldwide for decades.
The gold medalists representing Lithuania are: Roberta Drungilė, Guoda Endriušaitytė, Valdonė Mažeikytė, Viktorija Kiminiūtė, Airida Kmitaitė, Nikita Vasiljev, Arina Razumovskaja, Ksenija Tiurubajeva, Ūla Aksenavičiūtė, and Anita Ingrid Szocs.
“James Bond” Elegance and the Battle with Oneself
To reach the final, Klaipeda University dancers demonstrated remarkable endurance—performing three times in a single day. Nikita Vasiljev, who performed the role of Agent 007, emphasized the immense psychological focus required to maintain composure at the limits of physical exhaustion.
Dancer Anita Ingrid Szocs noted that the three-round marathon revealed the team’s true character:
“Intense work and full dedication bring results. Nothing is achieved easily—technical precision can only be maintained through thousands of hours of training. Every step must be synchronized, as every moment of the performance is critically important.”
Numbers That Confirm Leadership: A Decisive Advantage in the Final
The final results officially confirmed Klaipeda University’s technical and artistic superiority. Danė scored an impressive 35.94 points, surpassing their closest competitors: “Naron Kids” (34.85) in second place and “Global D” (34.75) in third. Fourth place went to “Small Team Gold” (34.75), fifth to “Gála Te 'a'” (33.44), and sixth to “The Queens” (33.31).
Particularly notable was Danė’s score for choreography and presentation—judges awarded an outstanding 9.25, the highest score in this category in the entire final, once again proving that the “James Bond” concept has no equal in Europe.
KU Sports Center Coordinator Banga Balnaitė-Stonienė highlighted the unseen side of professionalism: “Watching dancers analyze performance videos and correct mistakes after each round is a true lesson in mastery.”
The team’s success was confirmed by an esteemed international judging panel from Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Cyprus, Turkey, and Greece, who awarded first place to Klaipeda University.
Responsibility Beyond Physical Limits and Team Synergy
In elite dance sport, physical preparation is inseparable from psychological strength. Dancer Guoda Endriušaitytė revealed that the greatest victory was maintaining maximum energy until the very end despite the demanding pace and complex choreography.
However, her biggest challenge came before the competition: “The day before the flight, I fell ill with a virus and had to seek urgent medical care. But I knew one thing—I could not let my team down; I had to go to the championship. People often think illness excuses you from performing, but here it’s different. The responsibility is so great that you simply cannot give up. You must be in top form—not only physically but mentally.”
Roberta Drungilė emphasized the importance of visual unity: “Our goal is to appear not as ten individuals, but as one indivisible whole. This requires meticulous attention to detail—from identical hairstyles to perfectly matched makeup. Even the slightest difference would break the visual harmony we worked so hard to achieve. We must move, breathe, and look as one—only then can judges fully appreciate the synchronization of the choreography.”
Professional Support: The Role of the Physiotherapist
Preparation took place under extremely intense conditions, with rehearsals twice daily. A key role was played by physiotherapist Antanas Motuzas.
“The training intensity was at its peak, so Antanas’ support was invaluable. He treated dancers at his clinic Kūno Tikslas, helped them recover, and ensured the team arrived in Greece in optimal physical condition. Without such professional support, maintaining this pace would have been impossible,” noted T. Romeika.
Invitation to Future Champions
All dancers dreaming of joining this successful team are invited to connect their future with Klaipeda University. Students are welcome in the Leisure Sport study programme with a specialization in Dance sport. It is a unique opportunity to combine high-level academic education with a professional sports career in Europe’s strongest dance team—Danė.
