The world dance legend Victor da Silva crowned the evening with an unforgettable performance — marking the grand finale of the International Festival of Professional and Amateur Dancers in Tbilisi.
With the support of Creative Georgia and Tbilisi City Hall, the Open World Festival of Professional and Amateur Dancers and the international tournament “Georgian Dance Queen Cup” concluded with a gala evening and awards ceremony at the Sheraton Grand Tbilisi Metechi Palace Hotel on October 19. The event opened with the Georgian national anthem.
The festival was attended and judged by: Rostom Aroshvili, Verka Jajanidze, Sopho Petriashvili, Tamaz Todua, Ekaterine Archaia, Ajiderski Clavik – Israel, Kudinov Oleg – (neutral), Lokvinenko Pavel – Israel, Mor Eli – Israel, Mamyan Mariana – Armenia, Dzhafarov Eldar – Azerbaijan, Abrate Jerry – Italy, Abrate Victoria – Italy, Baistert Dirk – Germany, Chief Judge: Sporikhyn Mikhail (neutral) – PRO-AM, Chief Judge: Jano Titirashvili.
The highlight of the festival was a dazzling exhibition performance by four-time world champion Victor da Silva and his partner Katerina Krisanova, winner of the UK OPEN in Blackpool and world champion in Latin-American dance. The evening also featured performances by singer Dodona Namoradze and the ensemble Khalibi, led by Goderdzi Manjaparishvili. The gala and awards ceremony were hosted by Tea Tsiklauri and Levan Mashava.
The founder and organizer of the festival is Lizi Mor, and the festival director is Ani Laghidze.
The aim of the festival is to attract the attention of the World Dance Council and to support the professional growth and international careers of Georgian dancers — inspiring the next generation to take their place on the world stage.
Both local and international dance couples took part in the event. Many visitors traveled to Georgia for the first time to experience “Diverse Georgia” — exploring the historic city of Mtskheta, the “city of love” Sighnaghi in Kakheti, sampling Georgian cuisine, and visiting the Simon Janashia National Museum of Georgia. Such international initiatives play a key role in promoting Georgia’s cultural tourism potential and accelerating the development of the country’s tourism industry.
“Tbilisi hosted the International Festival of Professional and Amateur Dancers for the first time,” said co-founder Lizi Mor. “International judges came to Tbilisi especially for this event. The festival united two major tournaments, where — on this special day — the best local and international dance couples gathered to compete for the Queen Cup of Georgian Dance.
The festival concluded with an award ceremony. I congratulate all the winners and participants on being part of this important new event and on their outstanding achievements.”
“After the announcement of the finalists, the charismatic dancer Victor da Silva, together with Katerina Krysanova, presented a spectacular show for the audience.”
Victor da Silva noted how happy he was with the Georgian audience.
“I am delighted with the Georgian audience. Their emotions exceeded all expectations. I am deeply grateful to everyone. I have truly fallen in love with this country and hope to return to Georgia many more times.”
Ekaterine Archaia noted that the festival and competition were held at the highest level.
“The participants were very well prepared and presented a wonderfully diverse program to both the judges and the audience,” she said. “This event is of great importance for promoting our country and supporting the career growth of young dancers within our federation. I wish Ms. Lizi continued success.”
Andro Enukidze – Director of the Event:
“This festival is a bold step toward promoting Georgian ballroom dance. Georgia is now set to appear on the world ballroom dance map as a country that hosts large-scale, glamorous, and glittering festivals — as this one truly was.
The evening was crowned by the legendary Victor da Silva, whose exclusive show will forever remain in the audience’s memory.”
Ani Laghidze – Festival Director:
“It was a great honor for the International Festival of Professional and Amateur Dancers, held for the first time in Georgia, to host Victor da Silva — a champion, mentor, choreographer, actor, and dancer. He gives his all to inspire the new generation who are choosing this beautiful profession for their artistic and professional growth.”
“Victor da Silva mesmerized the audience with his unforgettable aerial leaps, spins, and storytelling through movement. It’s safe to say that he holds a distinguished place among the greatest dancers of our time. We were thrilled to see his partner, world champion Ekaterina Krysanova, perform alongside him.
My gratitude goes to Ms. Lizi for bringing this joy to Georgia, and to all the wonderful local couples for their dedication and passion for dance. Dancing sets us free — so let’s all dance.”
The festival was organized by Yama 2025 LLC and led by Lizi Mor, a professional dancer, teacher, international category judge, and Georgia’s delegate to the World Dance Council (WDC) Annual General Meeting.
