Five members of the «Santé Gym» club in Ungheni climbed to the top of the podium at the «Summer Dance Rhythm» international dance contest, held on 20 June in Iași. On the podium marked with the number “1”, the girls unfurled the flag of the Republic of Moldova — beside them, on stage, a Romanian tricolour flew too.
The winners are Daria Corduneanu, Ilinca Silvinschi, Anastasia Răilean, Sofia Bujor and Alexandra Jitaru, coached by Maria-Emilia Sîrbu, according to Ungheni City Hall, which announced the result. The girls performed the «Zânele Pădurii» (Forest Fairies) routine — a number that, local officials say, impressed both the jury and the audience.
On the winners’ podium in Iași, the girls unfurled the flag of the Republic of Moldova beside a Romanian tricolour. Photo: Ungheni City Hall.
What «Summer Dance Rhythm» actually is
Behind the name is an international dance contest hosted annually in Iași. This year’s edition took place on 20 June at the Students’ House of Culture and is organised by the Reflex Dance Academy dance school, in partnership with Iași City Hall, the Military Club and the Children’s Palace.
The contest is not limited to a single style: it has seven sections — from classical, modern and urban dance to folklore and show dance — and categories ranging from solo to large ensembles, split by age group. «Zânele Pădurii», performed by a group of five girls, fits naturally into the show dance strand, where choreography and stage presence count as much as technique.
Ungheni City Hall stated that 300 teams reportedly took part in the contest. That figure, however, does not appear in the organiser’s public materials, so we present it as information from the local administration rather than an independently confirmed fact. What is certain is that «Summer Dance Rhythm» is an international competition that draws dance troupes from beyond Romania’s borders — including, this year, the group from Ungheni.
From gymnastics to the stage
«Santé Gym» is not, at its core, a dance club but a network of gymnastics clubs in the Republic of Moldova, with several branches — including one in Ungheni and one in Iași itself. On its own channels, the club presents itself under the motto «Health, grace, performance» and sets out to raise gymnasts who can represent the country at national and international competitions.
That is where the strength of a routine like «Zânele Pădurii» comes from: gymnastics training — flexibility, balance, body control — shows in every figure, and on a show dance stage it turns into a spectacle. For children in Ungheni, the arrival of such a club meant access to high-level gymnastics without leaving the district — and now, the chance to compete across the Prut as well.
Across the Prut, in the twin town
That the girls competed in Iași of all places is no accident. Iași is the city with which Ungheni has been officially twinned since October 2016 — 2026 marks ten years since that agreement. Since then, the ties between the two banks of the Prut have run from infrastructure and health projects to cultural and sporting exchanges.
Against that backdrop, a team of children crossing the Prut to dance in Iași and returning home with first place is one of the simplest and most genuine forms of that friendship. And the image of the Republic of Moldova’s flag spread across the podium in Iași, beside the hosts’ tricolour, says more about the relationship between Ungheni and Iași than any official ceremony.
For the five girls themselves, though, the stakes were far simpler: a well-rehearsed dance, a big stage, and a trophy brought back home to Ungheni.
The winners’ names, the routine’s title and the club come from the official announcement by Ungheni City Hall. The details about the contest — organiser, date, venue and sections — were verified on the official page of the «Summer Dance Rhythm» contest in Iași. The figure of “300 teams” of participants was given by City Hall and could not be confirmed in the organiser’s public materials. The «Santé Gym» club profile comes from the network’s own channels.