July-Aug 2008 American Dancer

Transcription

July-Aug 2008 American Dancer
Dancer
A m e r i c a n
Opportunities
to Share
Dancing with the Stars
Junior Competition Champions:
Brandon Armstrong & Brittany Cherry
Smile When You Dance That
Louisiana Gumbo
Official Publication of USA Dance
Dancing Worlds: a Competitor’s Perspective
www.usadance.org
July - August 2008
Issue I3
DVDS
VIDEOS
MUSIC
MANUALS
FLOORING
CERTIFICATION
MASTERY CAMPS
DVIDA SYLLABUS
9081 W. SAHARA AVE., SUITE 100
LAS VEGAS, NV USA 89117-4803
CALL FOR A FREE CATALOG
1-800-851-2813
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEBSITE
DOWNLOAD
THE LATEST CATALOG AT
WWW.DANCEVISION.COM
On the Cover
22
16 Smile When You Dance That
Dancing is about the relationship.
21 Opportunities to Share
A candid interview with Dancing with the Stars couple,
Brandon Armstrong and Brittany Cherry.
33 Louisiana Gumbo
The 2008 USA Dance South Central Regional
Championships brought over 24 states together for a
full weekend of fabulous competition.
Participants of the Louisiana Gumbo Competition weekend.
Photo Courtesy of Gumbo Chapter 5031 of South Louisiana
Inside the Cover
Line of Dance
4
5
6
In Step
34
36
38
39
President’s Report
Editorial Information & Contributors
Announcements & Letter to the Editor
Dance Floor
8
10
12
14
15
18
Putting Ballroom on Your Resume
Michael and Sasha
AD Marketplace
DanceMart
Chapter News
Chapter Highlight: Orange County
Individual Spotlight: Vic Waki
Chapter of the Year
Volunteer of the Year
The “Two-Step” Way to Better Health
20
On Beat
20
22
The Public Eye
Your Mama Don’t Dance
DanceSport
24
25
27
28
Competition Calendar
Nationals Results Continued
The DanceSport Vision
Dancing Worlds
Erick and Carol Uphoff
Photo courtesy of Lifetime Telelvision
www.USADANCE.ORG
July - August 3
Presidents’
I
Report
n my last report I commented that all the
chapter presidents I had spoken with seemed to
have problems in finding volunteers. Since then
I have visited with the Louisiana Gumbo Chapter at
its Gumbo of Ballroom event in Baton Rouge. I saw
no shortage of volunteers and spent three days with a
great bunch of people. Thank you, Gumbo guys!
Ida and I will spend Independence Day in the air.
We’ll be on our way to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where
the first-ever Special Olympic ballroom competition
in the USA will be held. Some of our social dancers
from the chapter have volunteered to work with and
partner the Special Olympians, so we have some
brave individuals crossing over into DanceSport.
Thank you, Vivian Hans and the Fort Wayne Chapter.
By now many of you will have seen the Comcast
CN8 Channel coverage of some of the events at this
year’s Nationals in Baltimore. The media reaction
has produced some interesting articles, and we
are currently working with CNN in New York on
Olympic-related issues. This followed an article by
4 Line of Dance
Barry Newman in the Wall Street Journal. Of course,
this all takes a lot of time and hard work. I want to
again commend Angela Prince for her efforts in these
areas.
Last month I was invited to attend a two-day
seminar at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado
Springs. The subject was Member Development,
and the seminar was attended by representatives
from several National Governing Bodies (NGBs),
including Track & Field, Archery, Wrestling, Boxing,
Swimming, Curling, Bowling, Gymnastics and more.
The hectic and exhausting two days ended with a
ceremony in which the participants lined up on a
stairway outside the Visitor Center and passed an
Olympic torch from hand to hand up to the top of
the steps, where an Olympian climbed up to light
the flame. Later I was able to meet with Jim Scherr,
the CEO of the USOC, and with several other senior
staffers. They very graciously gave me time they
could probably ill-afford in an Olympic year. I came
away impressed with the dedication and enthusiasm
of our Olympic administrators.
After 10 years of retirement, it took me a couple
of hours to get into the tempo of working at the pace
of these NGB staffers, but we had a great time, and
I have several ideas inspired by some of the group
tasks we undertook.
In the fall, we will be conducting elections for
about half of our national volunteer positions. I have
not heard whether any of the positions are being
contested, but we will know very soon. Last year, the
total number of members voting was fewer than 300.
Let’s go for at least 3,000 this year!
Peter Pover
Dancer
Contributing Writers
A m e r i c a n
Andrew Calori, Jr.
National Officers
Andrew Calori, Jr., is a ballroom dance
PRESIDENT Peter Pover, 772.489.9190 email: [email protected]
SENIOR VP Lydia Scardina, 415.469.9815 email: [email protected]
SECRETARY Stan Andrews, 217.454.8879 email: [email protected]
TREASURER Lee Andrew, 401.467.7879 email: [email protected]
DANCESPORT VP Ken Richards, 302.290.2583 email: [email protected]
SOCIAL VP Jean Krupa 386.761.1625 email: [email protected]
YCN VP Andrew Pueschel, 412.656.3667 email: [email protected]
•
instructor at Showstoppers in Wickliffe,
Ohio, and a member and former vice
president of USA Dance, North Coast,
Ohio Chapter #2063.
Editorial Staff
Andrew Pueschal
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Shawn Fisher
MANAGING EDITOR Erica Colvin
COPY EDITOR Andrea Knight
WRITER Rachel Snow
WRITER Erica Colvin
DESIGNER Bonnie Olsen
DESIGNER Lindsey Hymas
•
Andrew Pueschal teaches as a professional
instructor at Carnegie Mellon University
and serves as the Assistant VP for Region
2, YCN Representative for Region 2, and
Coordinator of USA Dance Pittsburgh
Contributors
DanceSport Championships.
WRITERS • Andrew Calori, Jr. • Andrew Pueschal • Jack Lebo •
• Jean Krupa • Harold & Meredith Sears •
EDITORIAL ADVISOR Angela Prince, USA Dance Director of Public Relations
•
Jack Lebo
Rates & Prices
Jack has followed and written about the Big
American Dancer is published bimonthly as a service for
members and is included in membership annual dues.
•
Bands of America for years. His Big Band
Report appears in every issue of American
Subscription
Dancer. Jack is retired and lives in Levittown,
Individual Non-Member $25
Canadian Air Delivery $32
Overseas Air Delivery $36
Library Subscription $9
•
Pa. with his wife.
Jean Krupa
Advertising
AD REPRESENTATIVE Shawn Fisher 208.201.4339
email: [email protected]
•
Jean Krupa currently serves as the Social
Vice President for USA Dance. In 1999 she
served as the Regional Vice President for the
Submissions
Daytona Ballroom Dancers Club, which she
American Dancer welcomes submissions of letters, articles, and photos. All
submissions are considered the property of American Dancer. Submission does not
guarantee publication. Articles and letters may also be edited for length and content
without notice to the author. Photos and other materials are not returned.
•
helped organize in 1990.
Letters to the editor
Harold & Meredith Sears
Please include your name, city and state. Names will appear
in full unless specified otherwise.
•
Harold & Meredith are social dancers in
Boulder, Colorado. They primarily enjoy
Chapter News
Round Dancing, a choreographed and cued
Please include chapter name and number,
contact information and any photos with caption
information that you might have.
•
ballroom. [email protected], or
www.rounddancing.net/dance
Photos
Must be high resolution, print quality digital photos. 300 dpi.
Send to editorial office:
email: [email protected]
or mail to: American Dancer Magazine
PO Box 462
Rexburg, ID 83440-0462
•
Membership
If you need information concerning membership or missed issues, contact:
Mary at USA Dance central office
800.447.9047 • Fax: 239.573.0946
Email: [email protected]
Check our Web site - www.USAdance.org
www.USADANCE.ORG
Dancer
A m e r i c a n
Opportunities
to Share
Dancing with the Stars
Junior Competition Champions:
Brandon Armstrong & Brittany Cherry
Smile When You Dance That
Louisiana Gumbo
Official Publication of USA Dance
Dancing Worlds: a Competitor’s Perspective
July - August 2008
Cover Photo
© ABC/Kelsey McNeal
Dancing With The Stars
Junior Competition
Champions: Brandon
Armstrong and Brittany
Cherry.
July - August 5
Announcements
USA Dance National Cabaret Championship
to be held in Indy
The USA Dance National Cabaret
Championship is moving!
The next USA Dance National
Cabaret Championship will be held at
the Heartland Classic in Indianapolis,
the weekend of September 27and 28.
The winners are invited to
perform an exhibition number at the
USA Dance National Championships
in Baltimore in April, 2009. Their
transportation will be paid by the
Heartland Chapter, and the National
Steering Committee will provide one
night’s accommodation at the host
hotel.
You do not need to have competed in another qualifier before
competing for this title. All cabaret
rules from the 2008-2009 DanceSport
Rulebook will apply. As with all of our
other dance events, entries will be
limited to one per person.
For information about the
Heartland Classic, go to www.
IndyUsaDance.org.
Any questions about this event
can be directed to Rog Greenawalt at
[email protected].
Letter to the Editor
F
irst, I want
to thank you
for the behind the
scenes story about
the 2008 National
DanceSport
Championships.
It was an amazing event and I
would like to acknowledge a couple
of people who were missed in your
story. First, let me say, that without all
of the volunteers who gave hours of
their time during the competition, the
event would not have been as great a
success and I thank them sincerely.
However, a few people were
missed, and I would like to
acknowledge them. These were
individuals who worked the entire
6 Line of Dance
year behind the scenes to make sure
that this event was the success it was.
Without their tireless work, countless
hours on the phone and many, many
e-mails it would never have happened.
So, to Angela Prince who got us the
Mayor, Comcast and various other
news and TV shows and who showed
us all how publicity could be done,
thank you. To Doug Montanus, who
never took “no” for a final answer and
who developed the skills of a great
fundraiser, thank you. To Borbala
Bunnett, who worked endlessly to
accommodate the vendors and with
whom I had numerous 2 AM chats
and who spent most of the competition either being On-Deck Captain or
giving workshops, thank you. To Ava
Kaye who in addition to scrutineering
the entire event, spent many nights
before the event reassuring me that
the dancers will come, and then spent
hours upon hours making sure that all
events were scheduled and everyone
was entered in the proper event,
thank you. And last but certainly not
least, to Ken and Roseanna Richards
for traveling back and forth to
Baltimore, dealing with the hotel,
making sure that the ballroom looked
spectacular, and handling all the other
myriad of miscellaneous tasks that
arose before, during and after the
event an enormous thank you.
Yours,
Daphna Locker, Chair
2008 National Organizing Committee
Letter to the Editor
www.USADANCE.ORG
July - August 7
Chapter News
Carolina Heartland Chapter #6092
Hailed at Bicentennial Ball
By Trudy Atkins
We quickly made her the chair of the event. She
explained that a showcase was an opportunity to focus
on one dance and learn it really well. Then we’d perform
for family and fellow dance before our monthly chapter
dance. The thought of performing freaked most of us out,
but we were told it would be a lot of fun, and, she assured
us, “It will change your life.” That was 2007, and our first
showcase was a huge success, with 15 performances and
100 people in attendance.
Planning for the 2008 showcase required a leap of faith.
We’d outgrown last year’s venue, but how much could we
afford? Would we have the money to pay for the facility
of choice? With the support of local business sponsors,
we were able to rent the facility, just hoping we’d have
enough spectators to cover the remaining costs.
The Carolina Heartland Dancers of Chapter #6092.
Photo courtesy of Steve Raeford.
Twenty members of the Carolina Heartland Chapter in
Greensboro, North Carolina, literally “Danced through
the Decades” Apr. 11 at the Greensboro Bicentennial Ball
in the Greensboro Coliseum. Greensboro has been
observing its 200th anniversary with a month-long
celebration culminating
with
the Bicentennial Ball.
Our assignment was to
dance whenever the band
played, beginning with a
19th century waltz, played
by a string quartet, and
concluding with a Big Band
version of a 21st century
salsa. A highlight was a
Charleston danced by Sherri
Raeford who was later
featured on the front page in Steve and Sherrie Raeford.
the local newspaper in her red Photo courtesy of Bob Perry.
fringed dress. (The Charleston
lasted six minutes
and Sherri danced gamely to the end.)
Dancers worked hard developing and perfecting their
routines. One of our members arranged for Sunday
practices at a local elementary school. We all found
places to practice, even if that only meant the kitchen
floor. As the showcase date got closer, so did the stress
on our bodies and emotions. Tension built up in both our
sore muscles and in our partner relationships. There were
grumblings of, “Dancing is supposed to be FUN,” “I’m
never doing this again,” and, “Take more Ibuprofen.”
Well, the day came, and it was even better than the first
year. As each of us walked onto that dance floor and
took our turn, we could feel the camaraderie and support
of our fellow dancers. We understood the struggles
each had endured and the fear he or she was now
experiencing. It didn’t matter if a move was forgotten or
the toe not pointed. Everyone went out there and gave it
their all. We were all winners. We cheered, we laughed,
we cried, we hugged. And, most importantly — we had
fun!
“What’s a Showcase?”
Yakima, WA Chapter #1022
By Penny Park
“What’s a Showcase?”— That was the response of our
small (25-member) USA Dance Yakima, Wash., Chapter
1022 when Mary Egan first suggested the idea of a
showcase two years ago. Mary had recently moved to
our little city in eastern Washington from Omaha, Neb. A
student of John Berry of Kansas City, (considered the top
teacher in the country at the time), she had competed for
seven years in Pro-Am competitions across the country,
won several scholarship competitions, and danced in 30
showcases. Most importantly, Mary brought enthusiasm
and the love of ballroom dance.
8 Dance Floor
The Yakima, WA Chapter #1022. Photo courtesy of Penny Park.
Our 2008 showcase had 46 participants, including 9
professionals (two who currently compete), two couples
from out of town, and an Idahoan. Our dancers’ ages
ranged from the 20s to the 80s, with most of us tipping
the higher end of the scale. There were 31 performances
showcasing 17 dances: foxtrot, lindy hop, waltz, triple
time swing,rumba, polka, Texas two-step, Viennese
waltz, hustle, night club two-step, cha cha, west coast
swing, quickstep, samba, tango, 10-step and bolero.
Chapter News
The audience, at 200 attendees, more than doubled
from last year. We followed the showcase with a social
hour and a dinner dance, where we danced the night
away. Yes, Mary was right — it changed our lives.
Rhode Island Chapter #3010
By Josh Morgenstein
As part of its continuing commitment to develop and
support ballroom dancing
at the collegiate level,
the RI chapter of
USA Dance recently
organized a luncheon
meeting between the
ballroom clubs of many
of our local colleges
and universities. The
meeting was attended
by representatives from
the ballroom clubs of
Rhode Island College,
Johnson and Wales
University, Roger
Williams University,
Brown University, and the University of Rhode Island.
This luncheon was intended to create a forum for the
members of the various teams to meet and interact,
with the specific goal of sharing knowledge regarding
the development and promotion of a successful college
ballroom club.
The Rhode Island chapter of USA Dance is dedicated to
serving as a clearinghouse for communication with, and
among, our state’s collegiate ballroom organizations. It
hopes to aid these clubs in organizing the scheduling of
their events to avoid conflicts, as well as to help advertise
and support these events, and to encourage the various
clubs to work together and support each other whenever
possible.
The Youth Coordinator Network for our chapter of
USA Dance will be co-chaired over the coming year
by volunteers from two of our local college clubs:
Samantha (Sam) Laustsen from Roger Williams University
([email protected]) and Andrew Maurey from
Johnson & Wales University ([email protected]).
We would like to offer our thanks to both our new
co-chairs as well as all the students who attended our
luncheon meeting.
www.USAdance.ORG
Greater NY Chapter Dance Parade
By Yang Chen, President, Greater NY USA Dance
The Second Annual New York Dance Parade took place
on Saturday, May 17. Around noon, our dancers began
to congregate around our red Jeep, donning our snappy,
turquoise-blue NY USA Dance T-shirts, specially printed
up for the Dance Parade. Our group headed east on 28th
Street around 1 p.m., later ending at Tompkins Square
Park about two hours later.
We made our way down the parade route with ballroom
music blasting from the speakers that hung from the back
of our Jeep; we danced next to, behind and sometimes in
front of the Jeep. Many New Yorkers were treated to all
manner of dance styles and disciplines. Included in the
parade, dancers performed ballroom, salsa, swing, hiphop, belly dancing, and modern. Other highlighs were
the Knicks City Dancers and dancers on stilts.
NY Chapter Participants at the Dance Parade.
Photo courtesy of R. Pungin.
The festivities continued in Tompkins Square Park with
dance performances put on by various groups represented
at the Dance Parade. Free dance lessons were also
offered, and NY USA Dance contributed a lesson in
rumba. Elena Weinstein and Michael Fenton taught a
large crowd eager to learn some basic rumba steps.
Thank you to our NY USA Dance members, the NYU
Ballroom Team, and the Rutgers Ballroom Team who
came out to represent ballroom and USA Dance at the
Dance Parade. You were all terrific. Thanks also to Naomi
Geller, Joey Pasaoa and Elena Weinstein, Stefany Coulter,
and Ronnie Pruitt. And thanks to everyone who came out
to the fundraiser social for the Dance Parade.
www.YouTube.com: USA Dance at the 2nd Annual Dance
Parade.
July - August 9
Chapter
Highlight
By: Andrea Knight
OrangeChapter
County
#4018
Always juicy, the Orange County Chapter
Photos of Orange County Fair taken by Sheldon Liss
puts the tang in tango, despite the array of obstacles
blocking its development.
“We, the Orange County Chapter, have been
putting on social dances from the very beginning,”
said O.C. Chapter board member Vic Waki. “It’s just
a matter of time, volunteers and money that keeps us
from reaching the full potential.”
After 11 years with the Orange County Chapter
Board, Waki is intimately acquainted with both the
chapter’s strengths and its weaknesses.
“One problem we run into is that, to the outside
world, we are known as a ballroom group, but we need
to reach out to other dancers to help make money and
advertise,” Waki explained.
To counter this difficulty, the O.C. Chapter
has expanded its repertoire to include events that
will appeal to more than just ballroom dancers. For
example, the chapter has held themed events, such as
costume contests and an Indy 500 night, not to mention
the country/Hawaiian dance scheduled for the end of
August.
“This … dance party will reach out to the local
10 Dance Floor
country dancers and to a local Asian singles group
who do some partner dancing but are mostly freestyle
dancers,” Waki said.
Other mini-events held during the chapter’s dances
have included dance performances, a magic act, and
a talented display by a dancing dog. Chapter Vice
President and Membership Chairman Aydin Aksoy
explained that these acts are intended to entertain and
unite dancers of all genres and even ages.
“One of our biggest challenges is that the older and
younger generations don’t like to dance in the same
area,” Aksoy commented.
In addition to attracting a wide range of dancers,
this event diversity helps set the Orange County
Chapter apart from the 15 other dance studios located
nearby.
“We have to differentiate ourselves from other
ballrooms,” Aksoy said. “We are a very short distance
from some very busy clubs, so we have to set ourselves
apart.”
Despite these hefty challenges, the O.C. Chapter
has managed to grow 20 percent in recent months,
increasing its membership by around 50 people, ac-
National Ballroom Dance Week
National
The Soc
ial Scene:
Ballroom
Photo of Club One Party taken by Bill Rose
Dance
week
Dance
www.USAdance.ORG
For more ideas
on
the
www.usadance.org
and information see
Or call
1-800-332-NBDW
The tradition of
celebrating and
promoting USA
Dance and
ballroom dancing
since 1989.
The week-long
extravaganza
of social dancing,
shows, exhibitions
and lessons is an
opportunity to do
something special
for your chapter.
You could sponsor a raffle,
free passes to future dances
or free admission for anyone
who brings a first-time guest.
Or go “all out” to celebrate
with a dance every night,
often with each offering
a different theme.
Hold mall dances,
advertise or arrange to
have articles written in the
activity ideas
cording to Aksoy. Even better, the O.C. chapter has also
made itself a force for good in the dancing community.
Aksoy said that the O.C. Chapter makes a special effort
to give local dance instructors some exposure to the
dancing community.
“It brings variety to our dances; some instructors
even have their own consistent nights of teaching,”
Aksoy added.
The O.C. Chapter also provides its members with
as much professional teaching as possible.
“We try to, in a sense, offer to the members a crosssection of teachers that the other area ballrooms can’t
provide,” Regional Vice President Bill Rose said. “Some
teachers want $250 for an hour-long lesson. A ballroom
won’t pay that, but we will — if it means giving our
members time with some well-known teachers and
specialists.”
Additionally, this chapter has contributed several
hundred dollars in scholarship money to youth and
junior couples within the last couple of years alone,
taking this opportunity at events such as the 2007
OnCueLA Dance Convention, the 2007 Senior Citizens
Association Annual Luncheon, and the 2008 USA
Dance Nationals.
“We can’t give away hundreds of thousands of
dollars, but I think we’ve been fairly generous with
giving support to these young couples,” Rose said.
See www.usadance-oc.org for more information on
the Orange County Chapter.
September 19-28, 2008
local paper about ballroom
dancing. Offer free lessons,
do demonstrations in nursing
homes, schools, festivals and
other public venues.
We hope this is the best Ballroom
Dance Week ever and we want to
hear about it. Send pictures, press
coverage, write-ups and stories to...
[email protected].
July
May
- August
- June 11
Individual
Spotlight
By: Andrea Knight
Vic Waki
Orange County Chapter #4018
A
almost every trick.”
ccording to his
In addition to planning and preparing for events,
region’s vice
Waki is always available to make the evenings more
president, Vic Waki
pleasant for all involved.
doesn’t crave any
“Being a dedicated social dancer, he participates in
recognition for his
almost every dance, making the rounds of single ladies,
work with the Orange
providing a partner to many throughout the evening,”
County Chapter. Too
Rose said.
bad.
Waki is also known for his creative ideas for
“Vic Waki is
outreach projects. He is currently working on an event
our chapter’s ‘Most
that he hopes will bring the O.C. Chapter closer to other
Valuable Player,’” said
dancers in the area.
Regional Vice President Bill Rose. One of
“I’ve been looking at the [Richard
the founding members of the Orange
Nixon Library]; we’ll join forces
County Chapter, Vic Waki has been
with a Victorian Historical
a member of the chapter’s board
dance group and have a
for 11 years and a dancer for 20.
formal dance there,” Waki
“Vic is the anchor of this
said.
chapter,” said Aydin Aksoy,
Whether big or small,
O.C. Chapter Vice President
Waki’s projects are completed
and Membership Chairman. “So
with creativity and attention to
many people are coming in and
Regional Vice President, Bill
detail,
out — he’s lasted the longest and
Rose
not to mention a strong dose of
done the most.”
humility.
Although currently in charge of “special
“Vic demonstrates all the qualities of true giving,”
projects,” Waki has contributed to the chapter in almost
Rose said. “He is definitely our Volunteer of the Year!”
every imaginable capacity, arriving early to and leaving
late from every activity.
“Patiently he sets and cleans the kitchen,” Aksoy
commented. “He sets up the chairs, even does the books
for the night. Nothing is too big or small. He knows
“Vic
demonstrates all
the qualities of true
giving. He is definitely our
Volunteer of the Year!”
-
12 Dance Floor
2007 National Chapter of the Year
Youngstown-Warren Ohio
Chapter # 2015, President: Susan Ryan
From left to right: Jean Krupa- National Social Dance VP, Chuck Hurd -Current
Youngstown OH Chapter President, Susan Ryan -2007 Youngstown OH Chapter
President, Stephen Barba -Music and Outreach Coordinator
Accomplishments
1. Membership: Increased chapter membership by 73%
in November 2007 from SPLY (from 89 to 154) while
reducing the delinquency rate from 12.36% to 3.25 %
during the same period.
2.
Chapter Events:
a. Hosted 25 social dance events including two
formal balls each attended by 250 dancers. The Emerald
Ball exhibitions were performed by champions Bill
Grainer and Lisa Vegas.
b. 12 free monthly Mad Hot Monday’s Ballroom
Boogie Dances, which are open to the public.
3.
Chapter Outreach:
a. Dance exhibitions at 10 nursing homes
b. Exhibition at the YSU Festival of the Arts
c. Sponsored a 3-day dance weekend/competition,
Dancing Mahoning Valley, with a local mall, TV station
and ABC Dancing with the Stars. Attended by 50 couples
with the winning couple receiving an expense paid trip
14 Dance Floor
to Dancing with the Stars TV show.
d. The chapter supports the American
Dancewheels Organization to build awareness of
wheelchair ballroom dancing. Two chapter board
members joined the organization and are learning to
teach ballroom dance to the disabled.
e. NBDW – Conducted 62 solo exhibitions plus 4
formations at the mall during 5 hour event. Over 150
people attended free September NBDW dance.
4. Youth College Network:
a. Chapter volunteers teach ballroom dancing
throughout year at local high school
b. Kicked off and hosted the March Ballroom
Madness, a weekly ballroom class with youth from 12
different high schools participating.
c. Sponsors the YSU College Dance Club and
the Youngstown State University ballroom Dance
Competition team. YSU sent a 10 member team to the
Arnold Youth Classic in 2007.
2007 National Volunteer of the Year
Kerry Lovell
President, LA Gumbo Chapter #5031
W
Kerry Lovell, PHOTO COURTESTY OF BARBARA WALLY
www.USAdance.ORG
hen swing dancer Kerry Lovell joined
USABDA, he saw a need for assistance
with computer-related matters and
quickly volunteered his expertise. A year later,
owing to changes for other chapter leaders, he
was “acting President” of his chapter, LA Gumbo
(5031). If he’s still acting, he deserves an Oscar; even
better than that, USA Dance named him Volunteer
of the Year at the National Championship held in
Baltimore in April.
Lovell has guided his chapter through numerous
challenges with grace and style, including Regional
Competitions and the devastation brought by
Hurricane Katrina. He also generously shares
his talents and enthusiasm for dance with the
community.
I first met Lovell just over two years ago, when
he contacted me about YCN activities and support
for his efforts in working with the young people of
Louisiana, especially the Mandeville High School
Swing Dance Club. At the time, I was looking for
someone to oversee YCN for Region 5. However,
before I could enlist Lovell as a Regional YCN
representative, he had become the President of LA
Gumbo.
His dedication to young dancers continues.
Under his guidance, the chapter has provided dance
instruction to Hope Haven, a facility for teens at
risk, and earned high praise from their professional
staff. Lovell serves as a liaison with other chapters in
the area. He enlisted chapter volunteers to teach at a
summer program for young people.
As for the future, the sky’s the limit for Lovell,
whose quiet demeanor belies his boundless energy
and the enthusiasm for dance that he brings to
everything he does. He’s already working on a plan
to have elected officials present a Dancing With the
Stars showcase to benefit a local high school.
July - August 15
Photo Courtesy of istockphoto.com
Smile
When you dance that
~ Dancing is About the Relationship ~
W
hen we first learn a new figure, a new
amalgamation, a new dance, it is natural to focus
on the steps and the technique. But if we want to
feel good and look good, we have to go beyond technical
accuracy and create an evocative human relationship with
our partner. Without a relationship, the dance is just steps,
just exercise, just earnest, unsmiling locomotion. But if the
dance contains emotion, communication, and motivation
then we have something more.
If we can show that we really enjoy our partner, if we
can play off our partner and respond emotionally to the
music and to the movements of the dance, then we can
achieve a richness that goes well beyond the dance routine.
Fred and Ginger
Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers are the perfect
example. They made 10 movies in all. Of course, Fred and
Ginger danced beautifully, and the beauty still emerges in
their films because those dances are more than their steps.
Many are wonderfully fun. Some are serious and dramatic,
and some are even tragic. Their dances are physically and
emotionally rich.
16 Dance Floor
One of the most fun is
I’m Putting All My Eggs
In One Basket, a goofy,
clowning, clumsy, silly
dance. They are having
fun, and they show
it. They smile at the
pleasure of their own
movements and at their
smooth responses to
the music. They make eye contact in satisfied
recognition that they are together, and they
show concern, sometimes surprise, when
they are not together.
He actually throws her to the floor during
a wrap and unwrap. Somehow he doesn’t
pay attention to her plight as he gets caught
up in his own complex routine, but she is
disgusted, sitting on the floor. There is true
life, relationship, and emotion in every move.
In Pick
Yourself
Up, he
pretends
to be a
clumsy
non-dancer.
Then, to
save her
job as a
dance instructor, he must show
that she has taught him well.
He tosses off a machine-gun
tap riff, and her expression is
one of delighted amazement.
The tune is joyful, and she
dances with gaiety and wonder.
Night and Day is a little more serious
— it is three full minutes of dramatic
seduction, and Ginger certainly
succumbs. At the start, he approaches,
and she retreats, dodges and shies.
He follows and cuts her off. He takes
her hand and she turns to him. He
dances a flourish, and she is intrigued
but turns away. He draws her to him
again. They look deep into each other’s
eyes, she reluctantly, he intensely. They dance. The music
intensifies, and they are wrapped up in both the music and
their own movement. Finally, slowing together, pivot 1, 2,
3, and he gently lowers her to a seat. She is motionless,
stunned, smitten, eyes wide in wordless amazement and
awe. Gazing up, aglow, she has been courted and won.
They smile, perhaps a bit shyly. He offers her a cigarette.
Finally, Never Gonna Dance is a dance of parting. He cannot
dance with her, so he feels that he will never dance again. Their
expressions are tragic, eyes cast down, movements slow. There is
wistful yearning. They sway like grasses in a soft breeze. She turns
and walks away, head down. The tempo picks up a little and he
snatches her arm and turns her. They gaze at each other intently.
There is a rock-4 with great pleading, a mirrored challenge and
reply, and then explosive but bittersweet exuberance, and they part.
These Poster images qualify as the fair use under the United States copyright law.
Fred danced with many partners in a dancing
career that spanned more than 60 years, but no one was
better than Ginger. She wasn’t the most highly trained,
technically proficient, agile, or athletic, but she was
the most human, charming and responsive. Ginger’s
dancing was about the relationship. They responded to
each other, and those relationships make their dances
thrilling. In the ’30s, they were top box office draws, and
then and long after, thousands wanted to dance like they
did.
Why? Not because they were skilled. Not because
the dances were complex and the steps tricky. Not even
www.USAdance.ORG
because the music was beautiful. We love their dancing
because they love their dancing.
We can do it too. We can work to get the steps
right, but we can also think about developing emotional
responses that are complementary to both the music and
the dance. We can think about communicating those
emotions. We can create relationships with our partners.
We can at least smile.
by: Harold & Meredith Sears
Social dancers in Boulder, Colorado
July - August 17
Ballroom and Latin Dancing:
The “Two Step” Way
B
allroom and Latin dancing are changing the way
people feel about themselves and how they exercise.
With physical, emotional and mental effects, dancing
can provide countless benefits to millions of people. This
favored recreation is one of the best overall forms of lowand high-impact aerobic workouts. It is fun, it can be
free and, best of all, it is always done with someone else!
1
Physical Benefits
Cardiovascular: Ballroom and Latin dancing can raise
the heart rate from 80 to 120 beats per minute. This is
equivalent to any strength training or aerobic program.
Sustained in two-minute bursts over a 45-minute period,
dancing helps build the heart’s strength and endurance.
Muscle Tone: When danced at an intermediate to
advanced level of technique, Ballroom and Latin dancing uses isometric and isotonic resistance, the two key
ingredients to building and toning muscle. The blend of
the two types of resistance builds beautiful muscle tone
without building a lot of muscle mass.
Joints: According to the American Journal of Medicine,
the best way to avoid arthritis and to remedy current
joint discomfort is to continue to use the joints in a
controlled manner. The rise and fall of waltz, among
other dances, provides precisely this type of exercise.
Spinal Column: The frame or posture maintained during
dancing puts the spine in the correct, natural position,
which happens to be better than standing or sitting. Plus,
dancing posture puts the organs in alignment, which
is thought by many doctors and chiropractors to fight
sickness, disease, fatigue and more.
Better posture can also result in a much more attractive (and youthful) appearance. Improved posture
improves balance as well which helps with more graceful
movement.
18 Dance Floor
Conrad and Betty McClintock, of the Carolina Heartland Dancers
Chapter #6092, have enjoyed the benefits of social dancing for
over 70 years now. They are active in their chapter as Outreach
Chairs and say that “life is wonderful and so is dancing!”
Respiratory: Strong lungs allow the body to receive
plenty of oxygen, which makes the work of the heart
easier and, in turn, allows a person to dance (and have
fun) longer. To increase lung strength, runners use
“wind” bursts, brief sprints to quickly increase heart and
respiratory rates, followed by slower running to allow
them to come down. This can be similar to dancing at a
party, club or ballroom.
to Better Health
by:
2
Andrew Calori, Jr.
Photo courtesy of Steve Raeford
Facial Lines: Most ballroom and Latin dancers are so
busy smiling all the time that they tend to not develop
those nasty worry lines.
and pressures of the world. For a few hours a week it
offers freedom from normal responsibilities and gives
enjoyment and invigoration for pursuing life’s demands.
Mental & Emotional Benefits
Emotional Lifeline: Ballroom and Latin dancing offer a
positive and lively activity that can fill emptiness, loneliness or a void that may be felt in life.
Hug Theory: The dance position used in Ballroom and
Latin dancing is very similar to a hug. It is believed, in
fact, that this is part of the attraction of Ballroom and
Latin dancing. A person who is dancing receives the
security of a hug without the need for intimacy — and
hugs truly are therapeutic.
Self-esteem: Many people who do Ballroom and Latin
dancing have reportedly found deeper self-worth, assigning greater value to themselves.
Confidence: Many Ballroom and Latin dancers have
experienced the thrill of dancing in front of other people.
Overcoming the fear of performing increases confidence
in dance, in one’s self and in life.
Social Ease: All individuals need to experience comfort
and ease in social situations. Weekly exposure to others
in dance class leads to more ease with classmates, which
can carry over into other social situations. From dance
experiences, people can learn proper social etiquette and
to engage in conversation, and conquer the fear of asking
someone to dance. Social dancing even helps people deal
with crowds.
Grace and Poise: Through improved balance and
self-esteem, a dancer tends to stand and move in a
much more polished and pleasant manner. Clumsiness
is replaced with grace and poise, which also increases
confidence and social ease.
Psychological Escape: No matter what people do in life,
they all need to take a break sometimes. Ballroom and
Latin dancing provide a temporary escape from the cares
www.USAdance.ORG
Do not worry if you have never tried Ballroom or
Latin dancing before. Find a school of dance and try a
beginner’s class — everyone has to start somewhere.
As you make new friends and enjoy the new challenge,
you will forget your first class jitters. Even if you think
you have two left feet, it may not be long before you are
waltzing, fox-trotting
or samba-ing your
way to better health
in body, mind and
spirit.
Andrew Calori,
Jr., is a ballroom
dance instructor
at Showstoppers
in Wickliffe,
Ohio, and
a member
and former vice
president of USA Dance, North Coast, Ohio Chapter
#2063. Mr. Calori is a lifelong caterer as well as a
ballroom enthusiast. When he conducted a survey
to learn more about the “inside” benefits of ballroom
dancing, he included many professional doctors, nurses,
social workers, and nutritionists. He has also recently
been published in the January/February 2008 edition
of Balanced Living Magazine. He can be contacted at
[email protected].
July - August 19
The
Public Eye
We are in the News! Go to these links to read more!!
The Olympics?
The Wall Street Journal
An article in The Wall Street Journal recently
Macho Men
American Profile
Ballroom dancing also got
addressed ballroom dancing’s dreams of inclusion in the
spotlighted in a recent issue of
Olympic Games, asking the question, “Is ballroom danc-
American Profile magazine. Esther
ing really a sport?” The article included these responses
Freeman, USA Dance Director
from several members of USA Dance:
of Finance & Budget, contrib-
“It’s competitive,” Eugene Katsevman said. “But it’s
uted to the article’s discussion
artistic.”
of ballroom’s recent popularity:
“And creative. But accidents happen. You crash
“It’s back in a big way,” Freeman
into other couples,” Katsevman’s dance partner, Maria
explained. “Dancing With the
Manusova, said.
Stars made it OK for macho men
“I guess we’re dancers,” said Katsevman.
to dance. (NFL great) Jerry Rice
“Or athletes,” said Manusova.
dancing with his wife in the kitchen
USA Dance National President Peter Pover
(in one episode) — that was very
explained the term Dancesport, responding to the asser-
romantic for a lot of women. And
tion that dancing is not a legitimate sport: “What did we
men looked at it and said, ‘Well, if
have to do to convince these Olympic people that we
Jerry Rice can do it, I can.’”
were a sport?” he said. “Well, the first thing was to call
ourselves a sport.”
as “a heartfelt reminder of what’s
good about who we are and the
The WSJ article also mentioned the Olympic
American Profile serves
emphasis on media attention, suggesting that recent
places many of us still call home,”
media coverage may have improved ballroom danc-
according to the magazine’s Web
ing’s chances of serious Olympic consideration. As Peter
site. To read Nancy Henderson’s
Pover put it, “Ten years ago, the only people who would
full article, see http://www.ameri-
watch ballroom dancing were ladies over the age of 50.
canprofile.com/article/26253.html.
It’s all been transformed by Dancing With the Stars.”
*Article written by Andrea Knight.
To read Barry Newman’s full The Wall Street Journal article, see http://www.wsj.com/article/
SB121279417265153475.html?mod=psp_free_today.
* Article written by: Andrea Knight.
20 On Beat
Opportunities
by:
Erica Colvin
to Share
An interview with the Dancing With the Stars Junior Competition
Champions: Brandon Armstrong and Brittany Cherry.
What was your favorite thing about participating on
What were your feelings during the
get to dance on national television and to get to meet all the
behind the scenes and see how it all works. There is so much
talented professionals
going on and everything is scheduled. There isn’t time to sit
and all of the stars.
and get nervous, you just do it.
greatest experiences I have had so far in my life. First off the
for Dancing with the Stars I was really excited, then, as it got
Brittany: My favorite part was just the opportunity to
Dancing With the Stars?
Brandon: Being on Dancing with the Stars was one of the
people at Dancing with the Stars are the nicest people; they
were always so helpful and kind. This made the experience of
Brittany: I was so excited, it was really fun to watch
competition?
Brandon: Once we got the call that we had been chosen
closer to the show, I started getting pretty nervous. Then when
it came time to be introduced onto the floor, I was pretty
being on a studio set and on TV so much better.
nervous until I stepped onto the floor. Then I felt calm and was
Who were you able to meet while you were on set and
best. [It’s] something I will never ever forget and I will always
competing?
Brittany: I got to meet all of the professional dancers,
be so thankful for the opportunity to learn so much.
though I knew several of them from shows and competitions.
experience of my life so far and I look forward to many more
It was really nice to get to know the other kids that were part
of the competition, they are nice kids and we had a lot of fun.
excited. The experience at Dancing with the Stars has been the
Brittany: Dancing With the Stars has been the best
opportunities to share my love for dance with the world.
Brandon: Of course my favorite dancer on the show has
to be Edyta. She is so beautiful and she was so nice, especially
is a winner. We are happy that each of the six couples were so
time of day.
Brittany: The first dance that we did on the show was the
Did you select your music and dance or was it chosen for you?
Cha Cha to “Magic Carpet Ride.” The producers chose which
Brandon: We were able to choose our second dance. We,
dance each of the couples did and what song they danced to.
as you know, chose the Paso Doble.
Brittany: We told them that we like songs that have a
theme and are intense. We were so excited when they sent
us the music and it was “Phantom of the Opera.” I love that
music.
www.USADANCE.ORG
Dancing With the Stars Junior Competition. Each competitor
enthusiastically supported by their hometowns and their USA
Dance chapters. ABC.com
received hundreds of emails
from around the nation
commenting on the inspiring performances of these
young dancers. We are proud
of our members that represent USA Dance youth from
across America. To view their
performances, visit www.
youtube.com/usadanceinc,
our playlist Dancing With the
Stars.
PHOTOS © ABC/Kelsey McNeal
since I am 13 years old, she didn’t really have to give me the
USA Dance congratulates all participants in this season’s
JULY
July- -AUGUST
August 21
Your Mama
don’t dance
...or does she?
USA Dance Mom makes it to the final show competing with her son on the Lifetime
television program “Your Mama Don’t Dance.”
C
by:
Erica Colvin
arol Uphoff of Chapel Hill, North
Carolina got the surprise of her life when
the Lifetime network let her in on a secret. Her
son, Erick, had been auditioning for a spot on
a reality dance show; the only thing he didn’t
know was that his dance partner would be his
own mother.
Experience
Erick (21) started dancing
at the early age of nine. He
attended the ballet “The
Nutcracker” and saw that
many of the gentlemen’s
roles were played by girls.
He said, “I can do that.”
By the next December,
Erick played the role of The
Nutcracker. Erick’s career
progressed through high
school as he continuing working his way up
the ladder of success. After graduation he
moved to L.A. to continue dancing.
Carol (45), a member of USA Dance
NC-Triangle Chapter #6030, had limited
dance experience. She explains that she and
her husband, Kurt, were cast as the parents
in “The Nutcracker” and were able to dance
on the same stage as Erick. “It gave me good
performance experience,” said Carol. She also
enjoys dancing socially with her local chapter.
22 On Beat
The Twist
But this dance experience was nothing
compared to what was coming. November of
2007 the Lifetime network called Carol and
Kurt, and announced that Erick was a finalist
in the auditions. They wanted
some background material
for the show including a
videotape of Carol and
husband, Kurt. “It was my
casting video and I didn’t
know it,” said Carol.
Carol soon discovered that
Erick’s audition was her
audition too. Erick’s mystery
partner was going to be none
other than his own mother..
“Your Mama Don’t Dance”
consisted of five female competitors dancing
with their fathers and five male competitors
dancing with their mothers, with a grand prize
of $100,000. Hosted by Ian Ziering, the show
premiered Feb. 29 and took place each Friday
at 9 p.m. et/pt.
The Big Moment
“Erick found out on Dec. 12 that he would be
on the show. He thought he would be set up
against his peers. We acted surprised. I was
most worried that our reactions wouldn’t be as
Photos Courtesy of LIfetime Television
enthusiastic as they should be because he was
telling us stuff we already knew,” Carol shared.
“It was so hard to keep the secret.”
In the first show, the kids were brought on
stage one by one to meet the judges. At that
moment the curtain was raised to reveal the
contestant’s parent.
“I was shocked. I thought they were playing
a big joke on me. I had no idea. They kept it
such a secret,” said Erick.
Rehearsals
“We started right off the bat,” said Carol. The
show selected the genre and the songs for each
week. The contestants would pull a CD out
of a hat to decide who would compete which
style. Erick and Carol would spend hours
learning from a choreographer, and then left to
themselves to practice together.
in ways I couldn’t have had any other way…
We could just celebrate the experience and
our relationship with each other, going after a
common goal,” said Carol.
The Show
The first episode consisted of the dads and
daughters, alternating with the next week’s
competition featuring the moms and sons.
The fifth episode through the eighth episode
included everyone that remained on the show.
Each week, after the judging, two couples were
placed in the bottom of the bracket. It then
became America’s job to save their favorite
couple.
“I was feeling pretty confident; [my mom] is
in great shape… I was excited to see what she
could. She ended up blowing me way.”
Erick and Carol found themselves as a bottom
couple in Week 7; with stunning performances
and great scores from the judges keeping them
at the top of the game, until now. After a hard
week of rehearsals, Erick and Carol awaited
the voter’s decision. Much to their excitement,
America saved them for the final episode and
their last competitive dance together!
“The great thing was to see him as an adult
in his world: seeing him teach and how he
worked with choreographer to learn his steps,”
said Carol. “We had common goals that we
were working on together and achieving. It
made it a really enjoyable experience.”
At the end of the final episode, Dad and
daughter duo Noelle and Doug, were
announced as the winners with just a 20
minute window for America to vote for their
favorites. “We were very pleased to have made
it so far,” said Carol.
“It was an amazing experience I think it
challenged both of us, physically, spiritually,
it was hard at times but we faced them
together... He encouraged me to do the hard
stuff, he had confidence in me, it pushed me
“Being on stage was the most surreal moment.
It’s tough to even explain…I couldn’t be
anything but honored to be there sharing that
experience with her,” said Erick.
www.USADANCE.ORG
To view clips from the series, visit www.lifetimetv.com.
July - August 23
COMPETITION
january 16-18, 2009
CALENDAR
Manhattan Amateur Classic- NQE
Greater New York Chapter #1004. New York, NY
july 26, 2008
january 30-31, 2009
Quest for the Best 2008
Seattle Chapter #1004. Seattle, WA
Smoky Mountain DanceSport
Championships- NQE
Greater Knoxville Chapter #2060. Knoxville, TN
august 29-30, 2008
february 7, 2009
IDSF Grand Slam Latin/Standard Championships
Open to USA Dance competitors and other
IDSF members. Embassy Ball, Irvine, CA
Southwest DanceSport Championships- NQE
NorCal Chapter #4004. San Jose, CA
september 27-28, 2008
Heartland Classic- NQE
USA Dance National Cabaret Championship
Heartland Chapter #2022. Indianapolis, IN
october 25-26, 2008
NorthWest DanceSport Championships- NQE
Seattle Chapter #1004. Seattle, WA
february 21, 2009
Chicago DanceSport Challenge
Championships
Chicagoland Chapter #2001. Chicago, IL
february 28-march 1, 2009
Southeastern DanceSport
Championships- NQE
Mid-Eastern Chapter #6001. Bethesda, MD
november 8, 2008
California State DanceSport
Championship- NQE
NorCal Chapter #4004. Oakland, CA
april 3-5, 2009
USA Dance
National DanceSport Championships
Baltimore, MD
24 DanceSport
More Results from the
USA Dance 2008 National
DanceSport Championships
Senior I Championship Smooth (WTFV)
Senior III Championship Rhythm (CRSBM)
1) 389 Curtis Prevost & Olga Curd - TX
2) 143 Andy W. Nordberg & Janie K. Nordberg - MN
3) 217 Damian Pataluna & Jessica Bryant - KY
4) 482 Kurt Lemmer & Mary Lemmer - CT
5) 269 Daryl Schmidt & Michele L. Boyer - WA
6) 551 Roger Greenawalt & Amy L. Greenawalt - IN
1) 200 Bill L. Underwood & Patti A. Underwood - PA
2) 254 Dexter Wang & Julia H. Wang - MA
3) 560 Meneleo L. Macagba & Elizabeth A. Macagba - OR
Senior II Championship Smooth (WTFV)
1) 268 Albert B. Carballosa & Patricia A. Rhodes-Bajaj - FL
2) 140 Dennis Decamp & Joyce DeCamp - CO
3) 131 Gordon D. Davis & Linda K. Davis - MN
4) 269 Daryl Schmidt & Michele L. Boyer - WA
5) 551 Roger Greenawalt & Amy L. Greenawalt - IN
6) 200 Bill L. Underwood & Patti A. Underwood - PA
Senior III Championship Smooth (WTFV)
1) 131 Gordon D. Davis & Linda K. Davis - MN
2) 140 Dennis Decamp & Joyce DeCamp - CO
3) 254 Dexter Wang & Julia H. Wang - MA
4) 200 Bill L. Underwood & Patti A. Underwood - PA
5) 481 Peter S. Quintero & Marilyn R. Stechert - CO
6) 560 Meneleo L. Macagba & Elizabeth A. Macagba - OR
Senior II Championship Latin (CSRPJ)
1) 308 Jorge Arness Guzman & Arlene Yu - NY
2) 282 Robert A. Blank & Martha Estevez - CT
3) 306 Richard Y. Chiang & Iris T. Chiang - CA
4) 379 Paul Giuliano & Louise Giuliano - NY
5) 406 Edward Huang & Corrina Huang - TX
6) 577 Ricardo A. Kisner & Alicia J. Kisner - FL
Senior III Championship Latin (CSRPJ)
1) 379 Paul Giuliano & Louise Giuliano - NY
2) 406 Edward Huang & Corrina Huang - TX
3) 579 Gary G. Reber & Haru K. Wladyka - VA
4) 566 Ken W. McCleary & Pamela A. Weaver - VA
5) 514 Luis F. Mijangos & Lynne B. Mijangos - NY
Youth Championship Smooth (WTFV)
1) 469 Bryan Reznik & Catherine Huh - CA
Senior I Championship Rhythm (CRSBM)
1) 216 Junio E. De Paz & Paula Vergas - AZ
2) 299 Joe G. Medina & Sue E. Putzier - AZ
3) 269 Daryl Schmidt & Michele L. Boyer - WA
4) 551 Roger Greenawalt & Amy L. Greenawalt - IN
5) 424 Jeff Knickerbocker & Bridget Knickerbocker - MN
6) 179 Dennis P. Kania & Lori Urani Kania - PA
7) 596 John Lepera & Marianne Unger - PA
Senior II Championship Rhythm (CRSBM)
1) 251 Edward Rogers & Trisha Rogers - CA
2) 551 Roger Greenawalt & Amy L. Greenawalt - IN
3) 269 Daryl Schmidt & Michele L. Boyer - WA
4) 321 James E. Herbert & Sharon Jones - OH
5) 424 Jeff Knickerbocker & Bridget Knickerbocker - MN
6) 200 Bill L. Underwood & Patti A. Underwood - PA
7) 560 Meneleo L. Macagba & Elizabeth A. Macagba - OR
8) 596 John Lepera & Marianne Unger - PA
www.USAdance.ORG
July - August 25
National DanceSport
Sponsors
I
found my partner at…
Thank you for your support!
26 DanceSport
The DanceSport Vision
W
e love dancing. In fact, we may love dancing
more than sleep, money, and even our precious time. But the popularity of dancing,
especially ballroom dancing is a recent development.
When we were growing up, sports were the activity of
choice. Do you remember cheering in the stands with
your friends and family? Those baseball, basketball, and
football athletes were the heroes of every small town.
Today the idea of athletes is changing. Thanks to the
hard work and dedication of so many people in the
USA Dance organization and others, ballroom dancing
is rising to the top of athletic interest. But the most
recent victory for each of us came through the television
program CN8 Champion DanceSport, recently airing on
the Comcast CN8 network May 2008.
As the National Governing Body for DanceSport
and a member organization of the U.S. Olympic
Committee, USA Dance joins with dancers and
sponsors around the world to bring ballroom dancing to the Olympics. It’s a matter of timing, and for
DanceSport the timing is now.
To view the commercial, check out www.youtube.com/
usadanceinc.
It is our hope that when people think of athletes they
will think not only of baseball and football stars but
DanceSport athletes representing their country across
the world.
by:
Erica Colvin
An interview with Kris Schrader, the Comcast Network
Manager of Programming Development, revealed some
exciting results.
“The ratings rivaled what was on network programming.
It shows that there is a significant audience for
competitive dance on TV,” Schrader said. “The numbers
were similar to a high school or college sport game on
the network.
With the upcoming prospect of DanceSport becoming
an Olympic sport, these results are helping us get there.
The CN8 Champion DanceSport program also proved a
milestone for USA Dance in another arena. USA Dance
aired its first commercial during the program, showing
viewers what our organization has to offer competitive
and social dancers, and sharing our Olympic dream:
In pursuit of the Olympic Dream, more than 40 years
ago, USA Dance was organized to represent amateur
ballroom dancers throughout the United States.
Today, its mission is America’s beacon of light, supporting DanceSport athletes’ journeys to excellence
and bringing to all Americans, the highest quality
level of ballroom dancing…
www.USAdance.ORG
Jorge Arness Guzman & Arlene Yu
Photo by: Marvin Moore
July - August 27
Experiences
Lifetime
of a
E
Dancing Worlds: A competitor’s Perspective
ach dancer began their voyage toward today in
an unmatched situation. Whether starting as a
social dancer or beginning on a competitive level,
we know that the USA Dance competitors that truly
excel represent our country across the globe.
With that initial decision to pursue the dancing
dream, each person comes with a perspective and view
that no one else can claim. When we see an exceptional
dancer, there is more than outstanding technique and
style; there is a person with a story. Let’s discover those
stories from the couples that represented the USA
earlier this year.
With competitions ranging from Spain to Tokyo,
there is a whole world of experiences that our USA
Dance representatives are entering on a regular basis.
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Dmitry & Gabriella
“Even though this was our very first competition
of such a [high] level, I felt very prepared. My partner
and I worked very hard to get ready for Worlds and to
perform our best,” said Dmitry.
Preparing for Worlds is stressful, but getting to the
competition can be a struggle too. “Gabriella’s luggage
was lost by the airlines and she had a hectic time getting
ready for the competition. (You can imagine what it was
like for a lady not to have her makeup).”
Once settled Dmitry and Gabriella were able to
enjoy the country of Ukraine.
“The country was great especially because I was
born there, and I got to see it again after six years,”
shared Dmitry. “The people were kind and my family
that lives in Ukraine came to watch us dance. They
welcomed and supported us wonderfully.”
The trials along the way certainly proved the
standard of this young couple. Dmitry and Gabriella
placed 5th in the competition, becoming one of the
highest scoring couples to ever represent the USA and
USA Dance.
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Austin & Liza
For Dmitry Ivashchenko and Gabriella Sabler, Junior II
Latin competitors from New York, representing the USA
in Kyiv, Ukraine was an exciting experience.
It was the couple’s first competition on such an
outstanding level. Competing internationally requires
hours of practice and hard work.
28 DanceSport
Austin Joson and
Liza Lakovitsky
also represented
the USA in Kiev,
Ukraine in March
of 2008 placing
39th. For this outstanding couple,
preparation was
everything.
“My partner
and I practiced
every day for
several hours,”
said Austin. “It was a really incredible experience, and
one which I hope to have again.”
Daniel & Katya
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Taras & Liya
The next young couple that has taken their dancing
to the international level is Taras Savitskyy and Liya
Podokshik. Salou, Spain was their exotic destination.
This Junior II Standard couple discovered just how different it can be competing in a new and foreign country.
“New judges, a whole different competition, [very]
different than America,” said Taras.
“It was exciting, a lot of fun – meeting new friends
and people,” he added.
Taras and Liya felt very prepared for the competition as they put in four to five hours nearly every day to
gear up. But representing the USA is no small venture.
American Dancer asked Taras and Liya how it felt dancing for our country:
“It felt like we were special and just was exciting.”
Taras and Liya placed 37th in the Standard competition. Daniel Shapiro and Katya Kovalyova from New
York also competed and placed 26th.
Another exciting element of the Worlds competition
is that all ages compete and excel. The excitement of
travel is certainly a highlight for the younger competitors. But as a partnership finds itself advancing, experience starts to show.
www.USAdance.ORG
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Kiki & Nesya
Kiki Nyemchek and Nesya Serebro, a Youth Latin couple
from New Jersey competed in their Worlds category in
Marseille, France in March. This couple understands
how to prepare for such an undertaking.
“We worked for about two months with intense
training, practicing every day,” shared Kiki. “Make-up
had to be extra clean and much more prepared.”
July - August 29
Photo by Carson Zullinger
Also competing in
France in the
Youth Latin
category
was Armen
Petrosyan
and Nicole
Pyatetskya.
Both couples
fared well in
the competition. Armen
and Nicole
placing 26th
and Kiki and Nesya placed 54th.
Photo by Marvin Moore
Webert & Connie
Returning to
Spain, we meet
Webert Benoit
and Connie Del
Guidice who
compete in the
Senior I Latin
category. Also
competing in
Sant Cugat,
Spain were
Luca Daniel
and Efrosyni
Losiphidis. Both
couples have
years of experience, yet preparing for Worlds is
still hard work.
“I tried to eat pretty good a couple weeks before. I
worked out more, practiced about three to four times a
week for an hour and a half to two hours,” said Connie.
With each trip the competitors get to spend some
time as tourists. Connie shared that the beautiful and
mountainous terrain of Spain was one of the nicest
destinations she had attended.
30 DanceSport
“The people were really nice; many went out of their
way to speak English. The hotel was very nice,” Connie
said.
But our USA Dance competitors are so much more
than tourists. These dancers represent their country
with dignity and professionalism. It can also be a great
learning experience to see dancers from all over the
world.
“It felt really good to represent the USA. It’s just a
good feeling to have people from every country competing around you,” shared Connie.
Webert and Connie placed 34th with Luca Daniel
and Efrosyni Iosiphidis placing 35th.
Luca & Efrosyni
Photo by Marvin Moore
Armen & Nicole
E
ach story from each couple is full of excitement
and gives us a fresh view of the competitions
around the world. It proves that USA Dance is
prepared to send its athletes across the globe. No matter
where we compete, we will constantly improve and
develop as dancers and winners.
UPCOMING IN THE NEXT ISSUE -- Continuing
World Report from our DanceSport Couple:
Mechyslav Pavlyuk & Margaret Midura
World Youth Ten Dance in Aarhus, Denmark
Andreas Meijer & Jody B Frease
World Senior Standard in Antwerp, Belgium
by:
Erica Colvin
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport D
DanceSport DanceSport
DanceSport
Qualifying
Events forDanceSport Dan
DanceSport
DanceSport
DanceSport D
USADanceSport
Dance 2009
National
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Danc
DanceSport Championships
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Da
006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
06 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Champions
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championsh
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championship
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championship
006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Champions
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Da
2006 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championsh
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Dan
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport D
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Danc
Heartland Classic
USA Dance National Cabaret Championship
Indianapolis, IN
September 27-28, 2008
Manhattan Amateur Classic
New York, NY
January 16-18, 2009
Smoky Mountain DanceSport Championships
NorthWest DanceSport Championships
Seattle, WA
October 25-26, 2008
California State DanceSport Championships
Oakland, CA
November 8, 2008
Knoxville, TN
January 30-31, 2009
Southwest DanceSport Championships
San Jose, CA
February 7, 2009
Southeastern DanceSport Championships
Bethesda, MD
February 28 - March 1, 2009
www.USAdance.ORG
For more information go to www.usadance.org
Gordon & Linda Davis / Photo by: Marvin Moore
July - August 31
32 DanceSport
Louisiana Gumbo
by:
Barbara Wally
Photo Courtesy of Barbara Wally
What is A Gumbo of Ballroom? Like the signature Louisiana dish,
Gumbo of Ballroom is a rich fusion of dance styles, skills and ages.
N
a former president of USA Dance Chapter 5031 and
the current president and competition organizer of
Louisiana Dancesport. While Durocher-Steven is quick
to point out that the weekend is a team effort, the
team cites her leadership as the reason for its success.
Support, she says, comes from the business community
and from dancers who donate heavily to the scholarship
fund. In fact, when Ann married Jim Steven in 2005, the
couple requested donations to the scholarship fund in
lieu of gifts.
First-time participants quickly become friends, and
many competitors, adjudicators, spectators, and vendors
return year after year, drawn by the warm, inviting
atmosphere nurtured by Durocher-Steven and her staff.
Although gumbo isn’t necessarily on the menu, this
Gumbo serves up a generous portion of dance action
infused with gracious hospitality.
Plans are already underway for June 26-27, 2009,
in Baton Rouge, when the USA Dance South Central
Regional Championship will change its name to Gumbo
DanceSport Championships, an NQE for 2010.
Cecil and Neila Phillips of Baton Rouge share their
love of dance. Phillips is a Director of Louisiana
DanceSport, and teaches at Baton Rouge Magnet
High School Ballroom Dance Club.
ow in its ninth year, this competition brought
competitors from 24 states plus Germany
to Baton Rouge for the weekend-long event,
which encompassed the 2008 USA Dance South Central
Regional Championship as well as the Louisiana
Challenge, a pro-am competition. In addition to the
competitions, athletes and spectators alike enjoyed the
Welcome Dance on Friday night and the banquet and
exhibitions on Saturday evening.
USA Dance Chapter 5031 began holding chapter
competitions in 2000 as part of the Louisiana State
Games. In partnership with Chapter 5031 and local
group Saturday Night Ballroom, Louisiana DanceSport,
Inc. — formed in 2003 as a non-profit corporation
— now serves as the organizer for the two competitions that comprise the Gumbo of Ballroom weekend.
The amateur portion of the event, sponsored by the
Louisiana Gumbo Chapter (5031), received sanctioning
from USA Dance in 2004, and then became the South
Central Regional Championship in 2005.
At the heart of the event is Ann Durocher-Steven,
www.
www.USAdance
USAdance.ORG
.ORG
July
July -- August
August 33
33
Put
Ballroom Dancing ...
Andrew Pueschel,
VP of Youth and Collegiate Network
by:
“Dancing with the Stars” shows us that it’s now
“hip to be healthy!” It is no secret that the benefits of overall
wellness should be enough reason for anyone to take up the hobby
and/or sport of ballroom dancing. From memory gain and weight
loss to lower blood pressure and increased stamina, the amount of
positive health gauges attributed to the sport has helped to increase
the number of adult dancers throughout the country, but what about
those that are under 18 or in college?
Are the health benefits of dancing wasted upon those
who are in youth and collegiate divisions?
Absolutely not.
Today’s dancers are pushing the boundaries of arts and athleticism. They are not only
taking advantage of the wellness partnered
with the sport but have also found ways to
take the “soft skills” and professionalism of
their own personal development to give
them an edge in the work place.
What are the positive “professional developments” of ballroom
dancing for youth and collegiate
dancers?
isto
ck p
hot
o.c
om
Goal Setting:
34 InStep
Whether it’s a competition, a skill level, or a certain
step to master, it’s important
that all dancers have goals set
with deadlines to meet them.
Managers and workers alike are
constantly under deadlines and
the ability to meet a deadline while
exceeding your own expectations is
imperative to today’s workforce.
...on Your
Resume!
Work Ethic and Dedication:
On-site Problem Solving and Creativity:
If you want to be successful in the workforce, you
have to be dedicated to your craft. We know that the
youth dancers begin at an early age, but even if you start
dancing at the collegiate level, your work ethic has to
match the goal you are setting or you will never achieve
the success you desire. Do you want to be the best
social dancer you can be, do you want to be an amateur
champion, do you want to be a world champion? – the
sky is the limit but you have to work for it. Any type
of promotion is only possible through hard work and
dedication to your craft.
Leadership and Team Building:
We all know that ballroom dancing partnerships are
a TEAM of two (and if you are in formation team – the
number can be much higher) and being able to work
successfully in a team atmosphere is what all companies
are looking for today. Being able to lead (or back lead)
and follow will develop future managers and CEOs in
deciding when to take control of a situation and when to
take a “step” back and allow another to lead.
Following Directions and Taking Constructive
Criticism:
Everyone has differences of opinion. Whether it’s a
routine you have mastered or a proposal you are taking
to your manager, your vision is not always what the
one reviewing your work is looking for. Social dance
partners might need more lead or follow and coaches
often see past our current knowledge and can view our
true potential - but we often take criticism as negative or
cold-hearted. It’s important that today’s dancers realize
that their best can only be achieved through trial and
error. There will always be different ways to look at
something, especially in such a subjective sport as
ballroom dancing.
www.USAdance.ORG
What do you do in a crisis and how do make sure
that the problem is solved - without the public knowing that there was ever a problem at all? Whether you
miss a connection or “draw a blank” in the middle of
a routine, it’s not the fact that the problem happened
that is a measure of your skill but how well you fixed
the problem! Picking up the pieces with creativity and
confidence can improve almost any situation.
Performance Ability:
Do you know when to “turn it on” and how to “sell
it?” Young dancers today must be confident in their
skill, image, knowledge and must be able to present it to
an audience – all while adding multiple levels of emotion
throughout their performance. They must act and look
as professional as possible at all times, as even being off
the floor they are judged on their actions and composure. Excelling in presentations and setting the standard
for office protocol should not be a problem for today’s
youth dancers.
As a collegiate and/or youth dancer, they have
the amazing opportunity to build a network of peers
through competitions, social dances, and club organizations. This is an invaluable chance to create a nationwide
support group for friends, internships, jobs, social
connections, and of course possible dance partners!
To all those collegiate and youth dancers – think
about how you are developing yourselves through your
dancing. Are you the same person
today as when you began to dance? Think about the
items mentioned above and find ways to start “dancing
toward your future success!”
To all of you who are employers or managers,
wouldn’t you want to hire someone with the above
attributes?
Maybe next time you review an application, check
first to see if they are a member of USA Dance!
July - August 35
Big St
by:
Andrea Knight
Only three years in the making,
the fan base of 14-year-old Michael
Shaponick of Scituate, Mass., already
spans decades and city limits.
Michael’s career began when his
short-lived football days came to an
abrupt end. He was 11 years old when
he sustained a concussion and had to
quit the sport.
“It changed his hearing, so we
had to not allow him to play that
sport,” said Michael’s mother, Deirdre
Hoffman. “It was when Dancing with
the Stars came out, and ‘Sam’ on
General Hospital was dancing, and
Michael said, ‘Mom, how do I get to
dance with girls like that?’”
Michael spent two years dancing
with his 19-year-old dancing instructor
before he and his mother decided he
needed to find a dance partner his own
age to compete with.
“We were lucky enough to meet
this beautiful girl,” said Hoffman,
speaking of Michael’s current ballroom
dance partner, 15-year-old Alexandra
“Sasha” Deych of Sharon, Mass. “They’re beautiful together.”
The pair was soon on fire, dancing
together five times a week to prepare
for competition. Their hard work paid
off; they won first place in their division at last year’s national competition
in Kentucky.
Although he no longer runs the
football field with them, Michael still
finds ways to connect with other kids
around his age, including 100 sixth
Photo by: Marvin Moore
36 InStep
eps for Small Feet
graders from Jenkins Elementary School, his own alma
mater. Michael said that although he and Sasha went to
the school to teach the basics of the cha-cha, the real
reason for the lesson was to teach the boys the right way
to ask a girl to dance.
Sasha explained that the boys were lukewarm about
embracing — literally — this particular lesson.
“The boys are like, ‘Ew,’” Sasha said. “They’re a little
younger, so they still have some insecure areas. Some
boys are wise guys, but otherwise, I think they’ve been
pretty good — a pretty good bunch.”
Michael and
Sasha’s community
involvement has also
taken the pair to the
other end of the age
spectrum.
“They believe
in doing things for
young and old,”
Hoffman said.
For example,
they performed for
110 seniors at a senior center in Cape Cod, telling their
audience, “Never give up — never lose hope. If you can
walk, you can dance.”
Michael and Sasha’s community performances also
include two shows for 300 people at a Russian restaurant
and one for 110 Alzheimer’s victims. Hoffman said that
Michael loves the public involvement, then confessed,
“Mostly we do it to keep his shoulders back and so he
can dance with me and the grandmother.”
After one performance, Michael did a tango with
his grandmother — Annie O’Brien, 78-year-old member
of Cape Cod Ballroom Dancers — to the delight of their
entire audience.
“He grabbed her on the floor, and 110 older people
that have known Michael since he was a little peanut
were just like, “Wow!” Hoffman said.
“Win
for me,
brother.”
www.USAdance.ORG
“Wows” also came from two other recently acquired
fans of Michael and Sasha’s. Hoffman said that, after seeing a recording of the duo’s cha-cha performance, Erik
Bedard and Mike Morse of the Seattle Mariners seemed
very impressed.
“Mike Morse said to Michael, ‘I wish I could dance
like that and get hot girls,’” Hoffman laughed.
Although Michael has enjoyed his time with his
friends in the community, nothing has impacted his
dancing more than its effect on his family life. Michael’s
10-year-old step-brother, Ricky Hoffman, was diagnosed
with brain cancer last May. Ricky’s doctors initially
predicted that he would have two to five years to live,
but they recently lowered that prognosis to between two
and eight months.
“I was just about to leave, and Ricky yelled out, ‘Win
for me, brother,” Michael said. “He’s autistic, so he’s not
usually aware of that kind of thing. It was really special.”
His brother’s illness has added to Michael’s desire
for dancing success.
“All his brother wanted was for Michael to win for
him. So last year, Michael brought him a gold medal,”
Hoffman said.
And the medals continue to stack up. Despite having
only three months to practice after Michael recovered
from a broken ankle, Michael and Sasha danced their
way to another first-place win in the Novice Junior
2 Latin category in the 2008 USA Dance National
DanceSport Championships on April 5, out-dancing 17
couples.
The pair plans to continue expanding their dance
efforts for themselves and for their community.
“It’s a great sport,” Sasha said. “It’s my life right now.
[Michael and I] are doing the best we can to improve it
and make it better than it was yesterday.”
July - August 37
AD Marketplace
SHOES AND ACCESSORIES
The Dance Dresser Inc.
Nina Sharon
419 W. Citrus St.
Altamonte Spring FL 32714
Phone: 407-774-1106
Email: [email protected]
www.dancedresser.net
Ballroom Gifts
Louise Giuliano
48 Huron St., Albany NY 12203
Phone: 518-482-6603
Coco’s Ballroom Boutique
5510 Lake Howell Rd.
Winter Park FL 32792
Email: [email protected]
Dance Shoes of Atlanta
Joyce & Jim Taylor
718 Ketchem Dr.
Marietta GA 30066
Phone: 770-428-9439
Email: danceshoresofatlanta.com
The Dance Store
Joseph H. Baker Jr.
1613 Westbury Knoll. Lane
Midlothian VA 23114
Email: [email protected]
Satin Stitches Ltd.
Deborah Nelson
11894 Round Lake Blvd. NW
Minneapolis MN 55433
Phone: 763-323-9507
Email: customerservice@satinstitches.
com
Toe to Toe Dance Wear Inc.
Carol Fournier
1159 W. Hill Rd. #C
Flint MI 48507
Phone: 877-348-4362
Email: [email protected]
COSTUMES AND GOWNS
Zhanna Kens, Moda Productions Inc.
Ballroom dresses, dance costumes & dress
designer - Moda Productions Inc. - Leading
designer of ballroom dresses, dance costumes
and dresses - Zhanna Kens Phone:727-596-5422
Email: [email protected]
zhannakens.com
ACCESSORIES & MISC. DANCE ITEMS
The Dance Store
www.thedancestoreonline.com
Phone: 804-276-1021
Email: [email protected]
High quality dance instruction DVDs for
every dance you can imagine, including waltz,
38 InStep
tango, cha cha, rumba, swing, salsa, merengue,
bachata and Carolina shag. We also carry the
very best Latin music and practice music. Our
“Introduction to Ballroom Dancing” video is a
must for every beginner. Our “Ultimate Ballroom Music Practice CD” has perfect tempo
practice music for about every partner dance
known to man. Our web site offers many free,
downloadable videos
Email: [email protected]
www.timports.us
Show Off Straps
www.showoffstraps.com.
Customized bra straps worth showing off.
Contact Susan Ratcliff.
Phone: 1-888-578-7277.
Email: customerservice@showoffstraps.
com.
Carson Zullinger Photography
62 Rockford Rd.
Wilmington, DE 19806
Phone: 1-877-228-0872
www.carsonzullinger.com
Marvin Moore Photography
33530 1st Way S, Suite 102
Federal Way, WA 98003
Phone: 253.737.8835
Email: [email protected]
http://www.marvinmoorephoto.com
MB Music Services
Customize the music for your next show!
Speed up, slow down or shorten a piece of
music...Keep that fabulous musical ending...
Combine several tracks into one.
Client list includes Max Kozhevnikov & Yulia
Zagoruychenko,
2007 National Professional Latin Champions.
www.MBMusicServices.com
Phone: (908) 218-1926
E-mail: [email protected]
10% off digital music editing for USA Dance
members. Reasonable rates, quick turnaround.
New Videos by C. Martin Video
Ron Bennett’s Advanced Standard $45, Michael Houseman’s Intermediate Tango & Waltz
$45 and Intermediate Foxtrot Technique $45,
Ron Montez’s Jive and Paso Doble $45, Silke
Nowak’s Beginning Latin $40, Richard Diaz’s
Latin Styling and Technique $45, Diane Barron’s Latin Arm Styling $35, Dan Calloway’s
American Rhythm Priorities $40 and Dance
Characteristics $40, Debra Loran’s Beginning
American Rhythm $35, Jennifer Ford McCalla’s Advanced American Rhythm $40 and
Arm Styling and Gestures $35 S&H $3.80+$1
for each additional tape. C. Martin Video, 406
Hinsdale Ln., Silver Spring, MD 20901. Send
or call (301) 587-7818 for free catalog or visit
our Web site at www.cmartinvideo.com. Email
[email protected] (166)
EZ Play DJ
Dance Studio Software for the Ultimate
Touchscreen-Based Dance Studio Music System. Used by dance studios, mobile DJs, and
competitive dancers. For about a dollar a day
you can use the EZ Play DJ, get all upgrades,
and receive support. Visit www.ezplaydj.com
for more details.
PHOTOGRAPHY
Tim McGhee Photography
PO Box 6206 Knoxville, Tenn. 37914-0206
Phone: 865.386.7843
AD MARKETPLACE
As valued vendors of quality
products, American Dancer has
instituted “AD Marketplace.”
Your classified advertising will
be seen here in easy to find categories.
Register as a Dance Industry
Organization at: usadance.org. For
$100 a year, you will receive a link
on the USA Dance website as well
as one 50 word listing in American
Dancer Magazine per year.
In upcoming issues, look for a
new, enhanced design of this
section
Dance Mart
DANCEMART
Dancemart continues to serve members of USA Dance as a free space to
advertise and sell personal costumes,
shoes, etc., or search for a partner.
To be included in Dancemart, please
limit your classified ads to 50 words.
You must include your membership
number and name to ensure compliance
with the free space for members only.
Classified ads will run in American
Dancer for two issues. If you wish to
run it longer, you must resend it. To
place or renew an ad please send it to:
[email protected]
SMOOTH GOWNS
Two quality gowns by well-known designer both in EXCELLENT condition. Ideal for lady
who is 5’7” - 5’9” (size 8 - 10). One gown is teal
with floats; the other gown is black (heavily
rhinestoned). $2,000 or both for $3,500.
Pictures available. Contact DancingLady11@
aol.com or 708-227-4288. [1]
Size 2-6: White Ballgown: Current style
gown showing open back. Slimming design
with cutouts to thin the waist. Multi-sized
stoning pattern through bodice and extending
down skirt. Airbrushed background for
added pizzazz. Bracelets, too! Pics available,
price reduced. $1400. Contact Theresa at
651-773-3511 or email at theresakimler@
yahoo.com [1]
and the other is Nude Satin with Rhinestone
Buckles (adjustable for easy fit) and wrap
around ankle strap w/Rhinestones. Asking
$100 for both or $60 each. Photos available
upon request. Please call 401-263-8400 . [2]
PARTNERS WANTED
Female, 47 relearning Ballroom steps known
in their 20’s, 30s, that really wants to dance
to their fullest potential. Searching for
dance partner from beginner of 1 year up,
to embellish skills. Lets see how good we
can get. Louisville, KY. Contact: Melva
502-254-3493 [email protected] [2]
Lady’s smooth shoes, size 36 (american 7).
Tan satin, closed toe, strap at ankle. 2.5” heel.
2 pair available. One pair is new, other was
worn for 1 practice session. I waited too long
to return them. Both are in original boxes.
See the shoe style at www.dance-america.
com. Dancefeel brand, model F30. Paid $119.
Will sell for $60 a pair. Contact Theresa at
651-773-3511 or email at theresakimler@
yahoo.com. [1]
Lady’s smooth shoes, size 7 to 7.5 american.
Tan satin with crossover strap at ankle. Slightly
smaller than 2.5” heel. Will fit a 7.5 medium
width and 7 wide width. DSOL brand. View
this shoe at www.danceshoesonline.com under
Ladies Pumps, model 682103. Paid $75. Will
sell for $35. Contact Theresa at 651-773-3511
or email at [email protected]
Athletic male dancer competes in international
standard in a senior category, looking for a
female partner to take lessons, practice and
compete at the open gold and pre-champion
level. Call Alex: 416-484-0504@Home or
416-635-8200@Office or 954-935-2664@
Florida [2]
Female dancer, 38, looking for a partner to
compete in either Smooth, rhythm, or latin.
Looking for a male partner to take lessons,
practice, and compete at open gold and
pre-champion level. Located in Orlando, FL.
Please contact Sara @ xanthdancer@netscape.
net or 321-947-1997. [1]
Ballroom on the Celebrity Solstice.
STANDARD GOWNS
Size 2-6 Chrisanne Gown. Black dress with
white, stoned appliqué design throughout.
Amazing flowing skirt. Floats of silk that fade
from black to gray to white. Slimming back
line and slim through hips. All the glamour
and details you expect in a top 6 lady’s gown.
Pics available. $3000. Contact Theresa at
51-773-3511 or email at theresakimler@yahoo.
com [1]
Size 2-6 Chocolate Brown Ballgown.
Detachable float makes this dress ideal
functional for both smooth and standard. Rich,
elegant, fitted look…rich fabric. Long-sleeves,
high neck, tobac color stoning through neck,
bodice, and waist, zip up back. Effortless
wear! Pics available. Price reduced. $1400.
Contact Theresa at 651-773-3511 or email at
[email protected] [1]
MEN AND WOMEN SHOES
Brand new Ladies Latin Dance Shoes. Never
worn!! Both pairs are size 8 1⁄2 M – 2 1⁄2 inch
heel. One pair is Silver leather w/silver glitter
www.USAdance.ORG
CelebritySolstice
SM
March 29, 2009
7-Night Eastern Caribbean Cruise
/24Ŵ5#$2#,$ğŴ,/2)#ŴĦŴ.Ŵ
5.ğŴ5$24/Ŵ)"/ŴĦŴ(),)03!52&ğŴ4ĞŴ24$.
/24/,ğŴ2)4)3(Ŵ)2&).Ŵ3,.#3ŴĦŴ!#$$ğŴ)4)ŴĦŴ/24Ŵ5#$2#,$ğŴ,/2)#
1,262*
$
44$2//-Ŵ%2/-ġŴ
For N. American reservations, a fuel supplement of $8 per person, per day for the first 2 guests in a stateroom (subject to a max. of $112 per person)
applies; each additional guest in the stateroom will be charged $3 per person, per day (subject to a max. of $42 per person).
Gabriella Gallina
ĒĈĉĊũ(+(318ũ1(+Ĕũ4(3#ũĈĈćũěũ+,ũ#!'ũ1"#-2ĔũũĊĊČĈć
ĎďĈēďĒČēĒćĒćũ#73ēũĉĎĉũũěũũ%%++(-ľ2.43'ē!.,
*Prices are per person, double occupancy, cruise only on select sail dates. Prices are in U.S. dollars. All itineraries and prices are current at the time of printing and subject to change
without notice. Government taxes and fees, fuel surcharge, and gratuities are included. Certain restrictions apply. ©2008 Celebrity Cruises, Inc.
'(/2Ħũ1#%(2318Ėũ'#ũ',2ēũćđćĈĈĎđĒũěũĎĵĉććđ
July - August 39
National
USA Dance
2009
DanceSport Championships
Return to
Baltimore
April 3, 4, 5
Renaissance Harborplace Hotel
please visit: www.usadance.org
Mark your Calendars! Details to be announced soon.