Robert Wota on Strategic Growth, Innovation and Unity at DanceSport Europe’s Annual General Assembly 2025
Bucharest, Romania – 15 June 2025
Following the DanceSport Europe Annual General Assembly (AGA), held on Saturday 14 June 2025 in Bucharest, President Robert Wota shared his vision and reflections on recent progress, new initiatives, and the evolving role of DanceSport across Europe. Speaking to the WDSF during a break between the 2025 WDSF AGM on Sunday 15th, Wota detailed ongoing projects such as the DSE Team Challenge Cup, upcoming developments for National Member Bodies, and his expectations for the WDSF Annual General Meeting (AGM) that followed.
1. Progress and Inclusive Support Across Europe
At last year’s AGM, you emphasized DanceSport Europe’s commitment to expanding the community—especially by supporting national development. In 2025, what progress have you seen in this area, and how is DSE adapting its support to meet the different needs of both emerging and established member countries?
Robert Wota:
Among the various initiatives DanceSport Europe is currently developing to strengthen participation across the continent, one that stands out is the launch of the DSE Team Challenge Cup. This new format brings a fresh and inclusive approach to our calendar. It’s a team-based event that goes beyond Standard and Latin—countries can also include disciplines such as Breaking, Caribbean dances, or a show performance. This ensures that even federations without top-level couples in traditional categories can participate in a meaningful way. We don’t want to repeat what’s already being done—we’re looking for something new that brings added value and reflects the diversity of our community.
We piloted the concept this year with Romania and Italy, and while it is still in its early phase, expectations are very high. The goal is to create a high-energy, entertaining experience that brings added value to both athletes and organizers. We're supporting key elements such as accommodation for couples, and we plan to open participation to more NMBs next year. It’s a flexible and joyful format that promotes creativity, inclusion, and international collaboration, and we’re excited to see how it evolves.
2. Key Takeaways from the 2025 DSE AGA
What were the main outcomes of this year’s Annual General Assembly? Who has been elected as the new General Secretary? Were there any particularly relevant motions, discussions or initiatives that you believe mark a turning point for DanceSport Europe?
Robert Wota:
We’re very pleased to welcome Violeta Yaneva from Bulgaria as our new General Secretary. She had shown strong interest in serving already in the last election cycle and has been actively engaged in various countries, including Bulgaria, Turkey and Italy. We’re confident she’ll bring fresh energy and strong connections to the role.
Another key development is the creation of working commissions within DSE. These groups—made up of representatives from multiple countries—will help us maintain closer and more regular communication with our NMBs. The idea is to make our decision-making process more participatory and transparent, with bottom-up input from those actively involved on the ground.
We’ve also begun exploring new action plans around external collaboration, including a potential link to the EU ecosystem and marketing strategies. It’s early stages, but the direction is exciting.
3. Expectations for the WDSF AGM 2025
Today, the WDSF Annual General Meeting will bring key elections and discussions for the future of the Federation. What are your expectations for the meeting, and how do you hope to see Europe’s voice reflected?
Robert Wota:
Europe has always been strongly represented within the WDSF, and I believe that voice will remain influential. Of course, DanceSport is a global community, and we fully respect the diversity of perspectives from other continents.
What I personally hope for is stability, harmony, and continuity. I believe the Federation is on the right path, and I value the cooperation we’ve built with the current leadership. We don’t need revolutions—we need smart, steady evolution.
4. DanceSport Europe’s Strategic Priorities Ahead
Following this weekend’s events, what are DanceSport Europe’s strategic priorities as we head into the second half of 2025 and beyond?
Robert Wota:
We’ll continue focusing on inclusive development and meaningful event experiences. One major priority is the Children European Grand Prix, which builds up to a final in December. It’s a project that’s grown significantly—this year we’ll have around 14 qualifying events, and the winners in each category receive meaningful prizes like training vouchers.
Seeing the joy on young dancer’s faces when receiving one of those awards—it reminds us why we do this. It’s emotional, it’s inspiring, and it motivates us to keep growing.
“The emotions are unbelievable. When I gave a 150-euro voucher to a 10-year-old Turkish boy, he jumped on the podium like it was the world championship.”
Alongside that, the new Team Challenge Cup—which I’ve already highlighted earlier—is something we’re particularly excited about. We’ll assess the outcomes of the first editions this year and look to expand it in 2026, always maintaining the flexibility to include diverse dance styles and adapt to the strengths of each participating country.
Closing reflections
“The atmosphere at this year’s AGA was highly productive and collaborative,” Wota concluded. “We felt strong unity across our member bodies and a shared commitment to growing DanceSport through innovation and openness. That gives me great optimism for the road ahead.”
DanceSport Europe also extended its gratitude to the Romanian DanceSport Federation for their hospitality and efforts in hosting the Assembly and surrounding events, which created an inspiring environment for exchange and progress.
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