ruth901
The TSG Künzell dancers returned from the European Championships in Belgium at the beginning of May with a lot of butterflies in their stomachs, a good portion of pride and two silver medals. Everything had been carefully planned and organized weeks before.
Malmedy/Künzell – With 62 active participants as well as trainers and supervisors, the Künzellers made their way to Malmedy. Included in the luggage were backdrops, food for three days and a lot of anticipation. The European Championships of the European Federation of Dance Organizations, or EFDO for short, are divided into age groups that compete on different days.
The students started the tournament on Friday as the youngest group. With start number two, the eight to twelve year olds presented their dance “Wonder – A face that opens hearts” on the big stage. A total of 15 dances from different countries competed in this discipline. “As the reigning German champion our goal was clear. We wanted a place on the podium again,” says Nele Büchl, who trains the team together with Katharina Grösch. And they achieved this with a rating of 2, 1, 4, 1, 2, 2 and 6. They can now call themselves vice-European champions and at the same time successfully defend their title from last year.
TSG Künzell wins silver twice at the European Championships in Belgium
The next day it was the youth’s turn. Arriving in fourth place from Team Germany, they exceeded expectations: with a strong performance, they achieved fifth place, making them one of the five best show dances in Europe. “We were even more pleased that two judges saw us in third place,” says trainer Theresa Pircher.
On Sunday, Hannah Rützel finally competed in the show solo category. Despite slight health problems, the 18-year-old showed great fighting spirit on stage. Giving up was not an option for her – her goal was to get the best out of herself. “The fact is that the competition in this discipline doesn't sleep. Everyone is close to each other,” says trainer Franziska Meder. With a strong performance, she achieved a respectable sixth place – a result that Rützel can take home with pride. It follows on from her success at the 2025 IDO World Championship, where she also achieved this rank.
The conclusion was the newly formed small group. With the dance “Voices of the deep” the five girls earned their rating (2, 2, 2, 3, 2, 2, 2) and thus the first European vice championship title for TSG Künzell in this discipline. First place comes from Zonhoven, Belgium, which means that the small group dancers beat the reigning German champions. “Everything is possible at a European Championship and the cards are reshuffled,” says coach André Meder.
New admission day on Monday
The successes were duly celebrated on all three days. It is impressive to see the commitment and success with which the Künzellers represented Team Germany at the European Championships.
After the European Championships is before the new season. Anyone who would like to become part of this dance community and perhaps soon celebrate their own successes is cordially invited to the new admission day next Monday, May 11th.
