The IDO World Show and Tap Dance Championships are the only officially recognised championship in the world of dance. They are also the largest. At the 2016 World Championships, which were held in Riesa, Germany, the Swiss delegation brought home seven medals in the Elite category. HSG student Shyrleen Müller received four of them. Three were silver medals – one as a member of the National Team's "Production" squad, one in the Elite Trios class, and one in the Elite Solo, Women's category. She capped off the event with a gold medal for Switzerland in the improvisational category "Battle of the Feet".
"Step by step" – both in
competition and in her studies
A great result for the HSG student now focused on completing her Master's in Marketing, Services and Communication Management.
The Fribourg native started off as a young gymnast. After seeing a performance of Riverdance, the professional Irish tap dance troupe, she knew she found her calling. "I loved the way they moved and the way the music flowed through them. Tap is unique because it combines the aesthetics of dance, a high-level of athleticism, and it allows the performer to use her own movements to accentuate the music. With the visuals of the performance and the uniqueness of its sound, tap has a multi-sensory component to it."
Shyrleen has been involved in tap dancing for as long as she can remember and has won 53 medals in numerous competitions. While continuing as an active competitor, she now teaches and coaches young tap dancers who compete in the Junior and Elite classes. Her students thus benefit from her technical abilities and her performance experience.
Her passion for tap dancing continues to grow as she discovers new ways of cooperating with other musicians and artists. Also, she loves performing at a wide variety of venues with competition teams, tap companies and with jazz bands (where she also plays the banjo).
Shyrleen is starting to look around for professional challenges, for which she uses her experience in dance as a foundation. She plans to combine her academic studies with her passion for artistry in event management. "Having worked on a few large sporting events in Switzerland and abroad, this dynamic sector fascinates me. My dream is to organise cultural events such as jazz festivals, shows or even musicals."