Back to our Roots! The Cuba International Ballroom Championship 2016

Report by Keith Todd

Photography by Charles Ryder

Ask most dancers which country they associate most with the Latin American Dances and the answer 90% of the time will be “Cuba.”  While it is true that samba originated in Brazil, paso doble in France and the jive in USA, it is the Cuban music of the mid 20th century that still fuels much of our competitive Latin dancing to this day. But for most of us living in the USA, the country of Cuba remains mostly a mystery thanks to the embargo policy reaching back to the 1960’s.

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Dance Life Coaching: A Column To Help Dancers Journey In Life

“Principle of Perspective”

By Susan Silva

There is a Principle of Perspective that holds true for all of our lives.  That principle has to do with where you sit currently which determines what you see.  And what you see determines what you do.  This is a heavy-duty statement but it is very important for all of us to understand.  I hope to help clarify and bring light to your life by discussing this statement. 

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US National Youth Ballroom Championship

Report by Keith Todd

This was a very tight final with Rule 11 being used to separate 2nd and 3rd placements.

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ProAm Spotlight: Sophia D'Angelo

These past five years dancing and competing have been some of the most colorful, exciting, and rewarding moments in my life. I had no idea when I began a few years ago, in a small Arlington, Virginia studio with Mike Baris, that it would take off in such a fantastic way. Or that its importance to me would be so profound, or that the people I would meet would soon become considerably important to me on many levels.

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Good Enough for Tina Turner! Champions Ball 2016

Report by Didio Barrera

Portion of photos courtesy to Priyanka Mathew

The Champions Ball is the largest Pro/Am event outside the United States. With over six thousand entries it also rivals a number of events here in the USA. I have been fortunate to have been asked to officiate at the Champions Ball for a number of years and every year this event has to be judged by a standard of excellence. The staging and focal point is always amazing.  I remember my first time attending the Champions Ball, I thought “Tina Turner” was going to make an appearance with the amount of lighting, smoke and props. This year was no different.  In fact it was the best ever, with the two giant LED screens opening up to present the Pro/Am competitors on the stage and the stairs coming out of a tunnel for them to come down to the floor.

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