Latest Articles
SFO New Face! New Competition!
Report by Didio Barrera
Photography by Charles Ryder
It has been a few years since I last attended the San Francisco Open! San Francisco is my favorite city after Miami Beach, Florida where I live and so any time I get an invitation to an event in this city I immediately jump at the chance. The San Francisco Open continues to be run by Stephan and Denise Krauel, good, steady and consistent organizers, but this year added to the picture was Mr. Colin James. I noticed some a big changes in the atmosphere and running of the event.
Capezio Kiwi Dance Classic 2016
Report by Wendy Johnson
Photography by Point View
I’m just back from a wonderful 10 days in my birth country N.Z. I had a great time seeing friends and family... always hard to leave such beautiful scenery and good times. This was the fifth year of our competition and it was our biggest and best to date. ProAm dancing is thriving in both Australia and NZ. When you consider there was no dancing in this style and now both countries have embraced it and are also trying American Smooth and Rhythm.
There is a Heaven! Heritage Classic 2016
Report by Didio Barrera
Photography by Park West
I have now attended the Heritage Classic for a number of years and I’m always amazed at the elegance and beauty of the “Grove Park Inn,” inside and out. To top it all, the competitions in the spacious ballroom are usually of good quality but this year it was even more special with the finishing touch of perhaps some of the best Latin dancing I have seen in recent times. The Show by Slavik Kryklyvyy & Karina Smirnoff was totally heavenly, beautiful and an awesome experience that I will never forget.
Up to the Challenge? Sarasota Challenge 2016
Report by Keith Todd
Photography by Stephen Marino
This was my second time to attend Sid Pocius’ Sarasota Challenge held, of course, in Sarasota, Florida, and on my drive up I could only wonder if we would indeed be “up to the challenge.” This competition is a 1-day NDCA recognized event, but rumors had circulated that this year’s entry count was topping 5,000 – was it possible to dance that many entries in one day? Well, the short answer is, “yes!” And here’s how it was achieved.
Open Ballroom Vegas Open
Report by Igor Litvinov
Photography by Chris Hanson
I had the privilege to be invited again this year to judge the Vegas Open and was asked to write this article about the Pro Open Ballroom division. I have to say it was great to watch this event but felt more difficult to judge and definitely not easy to comment either. This competition started with a very strong quarter-final and the level of all competitors was so high that some very well known couples couldn't make it into the semifinal.
BYU Brings Us to New Heights!
US National Amateur Championships 2016
Report by Keith Todd
Each year in March most of the country’s leading amateur and junior competitors make the long climb up the Provo Valley to the town of Provo and the Marriott Arena on the campus of Brigham Young University for the US National Amateur Championships. These championships are recognized by the NDCA and are granted to BYU by American Ballroom Company. To be sure it is a long trek, particularly for those couples from the East Coast, but nobody seems to mind.
Pro Rising Star Ballroom
Report by Basil Issaev
Photography by Alliance Consulting
The Windy City Open gathered six outstanding couples for their Professional Rising Start Standard category on Thursday evening. Three couples traveled from California, one couple came from Wyoming, another from South Carolina, and one couple flew in from Taiwan. This final had some of the best Rising Star couples in the country, making the performances exciting and the competition heated.
Pro Smooth At Vegas Open
Report by Toni Redpath
Photography by Chris Hansen
It's been great to watch the Professional Smooth division from the sidelines recently but I must admit that it gives me a completely different perspective from when I'm actually judging. Firstly, when I'm watching I have time to watch a couple for a whole dance rather than a few bars. I have the luxury to just get engrossed in one couple’s dancing, rather than have to hurry to compare their qualities to another couple.