To twirl into south China, an area that was pounded by Typhoon Haima for much of the last week. The devastating storm inundated several cities in the area, including Shenzhen, but that would not stop the show from going on, at the latest stop of this year's China DanceSport Open.

2,500 competitors overcame a number of difficulties as they made their way to Shenzhen, with the goal of putting on their best performances as the China DanceSport Open rolled into the city. They were lucky, however, as many entrants had to pull out of event, due to the damaging conditions wrought by Typhoon Haima. Some participants like fourth place finishers Lin Zixuan and Gu Qingwu, already exhausted by the effort it took just to reach the venue, would push their limits even further once they stepped on the floor. Yan Bangbang and Zhu Jing fared even better, as they took top honors when the results were announced the Group A Latin category, leaving the duo in very good shape ahead of the season finale in Wenzhou.

"We've had a lot of competitions including the National Dancesport Championship and other world-class competitions plus national team training. We are looking forward to the final contest where we hope to get a good result," said Yan Bangbang.

In the professional standard division, Shen Hong and Liang Yujie took first place, and although only one pair could claim the biggest prize, the organizers said everyone in attendance showed championship spirit.
 
"The competitors faced challenges from nature and each other. Despite typhoon Haima, most dancers still made it to the competition which is already a success for the participants and shows their tenacious spirit," said dancesport promoter Jiang Chao.

The battle in the ballroom will continue through Sunday evening, with the Professional Latin and Group A Standard titles on the line.