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Oh What A Night!
Report by Chantal Leclerc
Photography by Decadance The Ritz Carlton in Sarasota has always been one of my favorite hotels in the comp circuit and now with the multi million dollar renovations almost completed it will be hard to surpass. Add to this the personal touch of Larry and Dianne Dean as comp organizers and you get the best of both worlds. Spacious and luxurious rooms and surrounding, a well run comp that allows for students to enjoy the evenings, sumptuous food and a ballroom that was literally in bloom! No wonder the competitors showed up! The Florida State Championships had the most professional entries since being held at the Breakers Hotel! The Pro/Am categories were also well attended and here are some of the dancers who caught my attention:
The World Pro-Am Championships at Embassy Ball
Report by Keith Todd
For several years the Embassy Ball has hosted the World Pro-Am Championships, sanctioned by the NDCA. Championships are held in all four styles and at all levels. This year we saw a significant increase in pro-am entries in general at Embassy Ball, and this translated into more entries in the World Championships as well.
JORDY: Exclusive Interview with Chris Stephenson
Written by Maria Kordit, DanceBeat Staff
“So it’s like I try to tell everyone who works with me in those moments – enjoy this – most people work their whole life and whatever it is they do, they never experience this much amount of relevance. We are so relevant right now, it should never be lost on us.” --- Jordy
Empire State Dancesport Championships 2015
Report by Didio Barrera, Photography by Charles Ryder Photography
“The little old lady sat on the porch of the farm-house.
The little old lady rocked back and forth and crocheted.
Oh, listen to the cricket, look at the rooster, smell the hay," I told her.
And see the pretty little egg that the hen just laid.
The little old lady took off her glasses and squinted.
And how she responded literally had me floored.
She said: "I'm glad to meet someone who appreciates the beauty that nature initiates.
It's sweet to hear, but me, my dear, I'm truly bored.
I miss those City Lights, those sparkling City Lights,
Those twinkling City Lights blurring my eyes.
I love those City Lights, the color of city sights that shine under City Lights tinting the skies.”
Truly I could not have said it better myself. It’s been a while since a competition was run at the Marriott Grand Marquis on Times Square. This hotel sits right on the square and from there by car, subway or even walking you have access to anything you could possibly want in NYC.
The round windowed bar in the lobby (8th floor) looks out into the lights and just makes me want to sing “City Lights! Those wonderful City Lights! Take the crickets and go shove 'em, urban crises, how I love 'em! Grime and grit and pretty City Lights. Walking lanes to pick a daisy, that could drive a person crazy. Home-made bread lies here like lead, and Polly's peach preserves-- oh, please, my nerves! City Lights, how I long for those City Lights, the bulbs of those beaming brights beckoning me there.” And I was totally there!
World Professional Smooth Championship
Embassy Ball 2015
Report by Lena Kosovich
Photos by Charles Ryder Photography
Firstly I would like to thank the Dance Beat team for inviting me to comment on the Prestigious 2015 Professional World American Smooth Championships hosted by the Organizers of the “Embassy Ball” in Irvine, California.
Embassy Ball Dancesport Championship - Open Amateur Latin
Report by Eugene Katsevman
Photos by Charles Ryder Photography
This year’s Embassy Ball was a spectacular event — supported by top talent in every category, and capped off by a magnificent World Professional Ballroom Championship.
Fred Astaire World Championships, Las Vegas, Professional Latin Division
Report by Nadia Eftedal
Photos by Park West
When one thinks of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio it is usually in the realm of Pro-Am and American Style dances.
Professional American Smooth at Capital
Report by Diana McDonald
Photos by Ryan Kenner Photography
The Open Professional Smooth at Capital Dancesport Championships was one of the premier events of the weekend. This event start as a quarter final and gave the judges a very hard job to come up with this 7 couple final.