Farewell Frank Regan

On December 26th, 2013 the dance world was saddened by news of the death of Mr. Frank Regan, a seemingly indestructible icon of the North American dance scene.  Frank was a great friend and supporter to us at Dance Beat.  He contributed innumerable articles, many showcasing his his own dry wit.  We will greatly miss him!

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United Kingdom Open Professional Rising Star Ballroom Championship 2014

Report by Timothy Palmer
Photos by Andrew Miller

This event, like many others at this popular festival experienced a significant increase in entries this year: 144 couples taking the floor for the first round over the 133 who took part in 2013; a very satisfying eight and a quarter percent hike on last year!

"If I can't dance, I don't want to be part of your revolution."

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Visiting the Land in the Sky!
The Heritage Classic

Report by Didio Barrera
Action photography by Park West

The Grove Park Inn in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina (better referred to as “The Heritage”) continues to be one of my favorite destinations for a dance competition. The hotel is magnificent with a wonderful spa and wonderful views of the mountains, so much so that there is only one way to describe it “The Land in the sky.”

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Open Professional Smooth

Report by Beth Knoll
Photos by Chris Hansen Photography

The California Open, hosted by Debbie Avalos-Kusumi, is the first really big multi-day competition of the new year to be held on the West Coast.  With a warm, welcoming atmosphere and Debbie's impeccable attention to detail, this competition is a rewarding experience for all involved.  Friday night's spectacular competitive events did not disappoint the vocal and enthusiastic audience.

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On the Road! Since its inception, The Music City Classic, organized by Lawrence & Daniel Elkin, (and Milly Elkin), has been held in Nashville.  But this year, hotel pressures forced a move to Louisville, KY.  The venue was the beautiful and elegant hotel, the Sellbach Hilton – a landmark hotel in Kentucky.

It has been some years since I visited Louisville.  In fact as I discussed with Chairman of Judges, Gary Pierce, on the first night, it has actually been close to 30 years since we were last there, attending what was then the largest event in the USA, the MUST (Mid United States Tournament).  Louisville has changed a bit, and 4th Street, where the hotel is located, is now a party street, filled with clubs and restaurants.

"Every dance is a kind of fever chart, a graph of the heart." The competition attracts mostly local (i.e. Nashville) studios and has always been an event with one of the most enthusiastic audiences in the country.  This was certainly still true this weekend and Travis & Jaimee Tuft delighted the vocal crowd with their theatrically styled Smooth show.  They received numerous standing ovations. There were professional divisions in newcomer and pre-champ levels as well as Open Rhythm and Open Smooth, plus a 9-couple cabaret – anything goes – division that was quite strong.  The winners of the Cabaret were Clyde Harris & Summer Elkin in a closely fought contest with runners-up, Jaime Black & Robin Ray.  Darian & Tiffany Chancellor won the Open Smooth and Tim Polascheck & Katherine Hutchinson won the Open Rhythm. Another great feature of the Music City is the Studio Formation competition.  This year 4 studios competed and the inventiveness and talent on display was very impressive and varied.

"Part of the joy of dancing is conversation. Trouble is, some men can't talk and dance at the same time."

Keep watching Dance Beat for a more in depth review.  Coming soon to the members’ section.