Above the Ordinary

USA Dance Pre-Teens on the Maury Show

Ballroom: New Districts

How the new districts will aid chapter growth

Official Publication of USA Dance

Eugene and Maria Retire from Competition

www.usadance.org July-August 2010 Issue 25
DVDs
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On the Cover

42 Above the Ordinary

For some, TV appearances are an arduous process
requiring many auditions, waiting by the phone for
callbacks, and a lot of dreaming. Edgar and Daniela
have a different story to tell.
8 Ballroom: New Districts
“We implemented eleven districts to replace the six
regions to balance the work load for our volunteers
so that we more effectively service and grow social
dance.” - Bobbi Jo Gamache

36 Eugene and Maria Retire 42

“Keep dreaming, keep working, and keep believing
Edgar Khachaturov and Daniela Olvesky
in yourselves. Dreams do come true and miracles do Photo Courtesy of Vicky Olevsky

happen.” - Eugene and Maria

Inside the Cover

Line of Dance
32 IDSF Senior I World Ten Dance
4 President’s Report 33 IDSF Worlds Youth Standard
6 Editorial Information & Contributors 34 Time to Shine
7 Announcements 38 It’s Their Life
39 The Best is Yet to Come
Dance Floor
10 Membership Drive In Step
12 Chapter News 40 Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars
14 Chapter Highlight: Los Angeles 42 Above the Ordinary
16 Johnny Catron: Maestro of Yesteryear 46 AD Marketplace
18 54 Years of Dancing 47 Dance Mart
21 Addicted to Dance?

On Beat
24 The Public Eye
22 Making History: Collegiate Competition
on DWTS

DanceSport
30
31
Columbia Star Ball
Competition & Collegiate Calendars 32
42
SUZIE HARDT AND TODD MARSDEN AT THE SENIOR I TEN DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Photo COURTESY OF SUZIE HARDT

www.USADANCE.ORG 2010 July – August 3

 Presidents’ Report

T
his is turning out to be a very exciting year. With the success of the
National Championships behind us we are now looking forward to
the IDSF Adult World Latin Championships, which USA Dance is
co-organizing on November 13th in New York City, and the first USA Dance
National Ballroom Dance Cruise, departing Florida on November 28th. Visit
www.usadance.org for a link to the websites for these not-to-be-missed events.
Members of your Governing Council are working hard not only on these
stellar events, but to prepare for meetings coming up later this year. USA
Dance belongs to several important organizations, and key members attend
their functions every year. The meeting of the International DanceSport
Federation took place in June. The National Dance Council of America meets
in July and the USOC General Assembly takes place in September.
Additionally, USA Dance conducts meetings and training sessions of its
own. The DanceSport Council will hold its annual meeting in August, where
rulebook issues are addressed, new initiatives are debated and on-going
DanceSport programs are evaluated. In September a training session will be
offered to our new group of Area Coordinators to assist them in their chapter
support functions. This training session will be in conjunction with the Social
Dance Council meeting, where planning will take place on new and continuing
social dance initiatives. In October, the entire Governing Council will convene
for its annual meeting to review our progress this year and to plan for next year.
As of this writing I have been in the presidency for almost seven months,
and I have found the job to be both rewarding and frustrating—rewarding
when I see what our group of volunteers is able to accomplish, and frustrating
when we are not able to do more because of a lack of time or resources.
Those of us on the Governing Council get deeply involved in all the activities
taking place at the national level, and it is sometimes easy to forget that it is at
the chapter level that so much of the good work of our organization takes place.
One of the pleasures of my job is receiving chapter newsletters, either through
the mail or by e-mail, and I continue to be impressed by the variety of enjoyable
and creative activities sponsored by our 170 plus chapters.
For example, the Heartland IN Chapter, #2022 had racing as the theme of
its May dance, complete with black and white checkered tablecloths and other
racing decorations.

4 Line of Dance
 Meanwhile, the Richmond, VA Chapter #6006 reported a social dance that
drew 20 youth dancers. This chapter set a goal specifically to recruit 30 youth
members in 2010 and has already exceeded it by recruiting 33 youth social dancers
and competitors. The Tri-Cities, VA Chapter #6060 celebrated a member’s
birthday at their May dance, complete with birthday cake. By the way, these two
chapters publish a combined newsletter, allowing them to double the news while
splitting publication costs.
Both the Pasco County, FL Chapter #6090 and the Treasure Coast, FL Chapter
#6004 welcomed the 4H Ballroom Bicycle Brigade to their recent dances. This is
the only 4H club in the country involved in ballroom dancing. When they are not
dancing they are bicycling, and these youth dancers were given a donation toward
their bicycle tour following the Underground Railroad route from Alabama to
Canada.
This is just a sample of the chapter news that crossed my desk this past month.
These kinds of activities—thematic decorations that celebrate location or events,
recognition of members’ birthdays, encouraging youth membership and inviting
young dancers to perform at social dances—connect a chapter to the surrounding
community and energize the members, giving them continued reasons to return
for the camaraderie and the enjoyable times they find at chapter events.
Many of our chapters are doing similar things. Keep the news coming—it’s
wonderful to read about all the creative ways our chapters are promoting ballroom
dancing in local communities across America.

Lydia T. Scardina, National President, USA Dance

www.USADANCE.ORG 2010 July – August 5

 Dancer
A m e r i c a n Contributing Writers

Jean Krupa
Jean Krupa currently serves as the Social
Vice President for USA Dance. She served
National Officers as Region VI Vice President in 1999. She is
PRESIDENT Lydia Scardina, 415.469.9815 e-mail: president@usadance.org
SENIOR VP Bill Rose, 949.842.8284 e-mail: senior-vp@usadance.org a founding member of the Greater Daytona
SECRETARY Stan Andrews, 217.454.8879 e-mail: secretary@usadance.org Chapter in 1990.
TREASURER Esther Freeman, 541.899.1933 e-mail: treasurer@usadance.org
DANCESPORT VP Ken Richards, 302.290.2583 e-mail: dancesport-vp@usadance.org
SOCIAL VP Jean Krupa, 386.761.1625 e-mail: social-vp@usadance.org
• Daphna Locker
Editorial Staff Daphna is currently a member of the Greater
Editor-in-chief Shawn Fisher N.Y. Chapter of USA Dance #3004. For the
MANAGING & COPY EDITOR Ivor Lee • Shannon Cooley
WRITERS Ivor Lee • Angela Prince last year and a half, Daphna has been the
ART & PRODUCTION DIRECTOR Tyler Whitworth Chair of the National Organizing Committee
DESIGNERS Tyler Whitworth• Ryan Cooley• Bonnie Olsen
OFFICE PHONE (208) 313-0465 and is currently organizing the IDSF World
• Latin Championship in November. She was
also the head of NOC for the 2010 Nationals.
Contributors
WRITERS Jean Krupa • Daphna Locker
EDITORIAL ADVISOR Angela Prince, USA Dance Director of Public Relations
•
Rates & Prices Guest Writers
American Dancer is published bimonthly as a service for
members and is included in membership annual dues.
Vivian Beiswenger
•
Sarahjo Ciotti
Subscription Suzie Ann Johnson
Individual Non-Member $25
Canadian Air Delivery $32 Elizabeth Knoll
Overseas Air Delivery $36
Library Subscription $9 Jack Lebo
• Joyce Luhrs
Advertising Angela Prince
AD REPRESENTATIVE Doug Montanus 502.836.7946
e-mail: advertising@usadance.org
•
Submissions Cover Photo
American Dancer welcomes submissions of letters, articles and photos. All
submissions are considered the property of American Dancer. Submission does Photo By Carson Zullinger
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. Edgar Khachaturov and
Submissions may be sent to office@americandancer.org Daniella Olvesky, recently
•
featured on the Maury
Letters to the editor
Please include your name, city and state. Names will appear Show, dancing at 2010
in full unless specified otherwise.
Above the Ordinary

Nationals in LA.
USA Dance Pre-Teens on the Maury Show

Ballroom: New Districts

•
How the new districts will aid chapter growth

Official Publication of USA Dance

Chapter News
Eugene and Maria Retire from Competition
www.usadance.org July-August 2010 Issue 25

Please include chapter name and number, contact information and

any photos with caption information that you might have.
•
Photos Our Apology
Must be high resolution, print quality digital photos. 600 dpi. In our last issue we printed the
Send to editorial office: wrong names for the Cabaret
e-mail: office@americandancer.org
or mail to: American Dancer magazine winners at 2010 Nationals. This
PO Box 462 is the correct couple and their
Rexburg, ID 83440-0462 photo:
•
Membership Jack Kellner & Siras
If you need information concerning membership or missed issues, contact:
Mary at USA Dance Central Office Nitithatsanakul - NY
800.447.9047 • Fax: 239.573.0946
E-mail: central-office@usadance.org

Check our Web Site - www.USADANCE.org

6 Line of Dance
 Announcements
New NQE Requirements
There has been a BIG change to the new rules
regarding National Qualifying Event requirements.
The new rules of reference for 2011 are under
Eligibility Criteria 4.2, specifically:
4.2.5.C.1 and 2 which reads:
c) Athlete Couples satisfy all of the following additional
qualifying criteria:
(1) have competed in a minimum of one USA Dance
National Qualifying Event (NQE) within the twelve
(12) months immediately preceding the USA Dance
National DanceSport Championships
(2) have competed in the same partnership and in
the same event (style/age/proficiency level) in the
aforementioned NQE that the Athlete Couple intends
to enter in the USA Dance National DanceSport
Championships (effective for the 2011 Nationals and
beyond)
These are big changes in that you must dance in an
NQE with the same partner and in the same event that
you are planning to enter in Nationals.
New York, New York!
Don’t forget to start making plans to come out to
New York this November for the 2010 IDSF World
DanceSport Championship Latin held at the New
York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge. Check out our
article in this issue for more information on why you
should come!
www.USADANCE.ORG
IDSF Adjudicators
Congress
USA Dance is once again hosting the IDSF
Adjudicators Congress September 2, 2010 at the
Embassy ball in Irvine, CA.
IDSF Adjudicators must attend at least one
Adjudicator’s Congress every two years in order to
maintain your license. This is the only one offered in
the USA for 2010.
If you would like to become an IDSF Adjudicator, then
you must attend two congresses before applying for
your license.
If you are interested in attending this congress in
Irvine, California, please email Wayne Crowder at
ds-certification@usadance.org by July 15th.
25 Issues and a BIG
Thank You From AD
We can hardly believe that this is issue number
25 we’ve produced since our founding in 2006. It’s
been a great journey so far, and we’re glad for all the
memories we share with all of you.
We at American Dancer are so grateful to all of USA
Dance, social dancers and DanceSport athletes alike,
for your support and submissions. We really wish we
could publish all of the submissions that we receive,
but because of space limitations we can’t get to all of
you. We hope to go online in the near future with our
magazine to reach more of our members.
Please continue to submit articles and story ideas to
American Dancer. We love to hear from you, and thank
you again for your time and support through the years.
2010 July – August 7
 Ballroom:
New Districts for USA Dance
By: Bobbi Jo Gamache,
Director of Chapter Liaison
8 Line of Dance
USA Dance Director Highlight
The new Districts for USA Dance are launched
and the Regions are gone.
Because of national bylaw changes, the Social
Dance Division of USA Dance was reorganized
to create a more function-based structure in lieu
of the regional structure that prevailed in USA
Dance, as well as to provide more support for our
chapter boards and to enhance the liaison with the
national volunteers who are driving USA Dance.
New director positions also appointed by the
National President replaced the six Region Vice
Presidents positions:
Chapter Liaison, Administrative Support
K-12 Student Programs and College Network.
The K-12 Student Programs and College Network
replaced the former Youth College Network
(YCN) Division.
As the Director of Chapter Liaison, I serve
as a liaison to the chapters, working through
area coordinators to advise and assist chapters
as needed. The Director of Chapter Liaison and
the eleven District Area Coordinators are voting
members of the Social Dance Council lead by Jean
Krupa, Vice President of Social Dance. Charles
Hardin was appointed as Assistant Director of
Chapter Liaison.
We implemented 11 districts to replace the
six regions to balance the work load for our
volunteers so that we more effectively service
and grow social dance. Formerly, the regions and
the Region VPs had as few as 12 to as many as 62
chapters assigned. Now the districts average 14 –
21 chapters each with each coordinator assigned 4
to 8 chapters each.
 District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
District 5
District 6
District 7
District 8
District 9
District 10
District 11

In each district a District Leadership Team is stewards of a nonprofit organization.

assigned, consisting of an Area Coordinator and two •Supporting the needs of USA Dance’s members
Assistant Area Coordinators. Nearly 33 USA Dance while building working relationships with dance
chapter members have accepted an appointment by the clubs and dance industry professionals in the local
Executive Council to the district positions. community.
We thank them for the time they will invest to assist •Making management decisions that represents the
USA Dance to develop and grow at the chapter and interests of its dancers.
national level. •Ensuring the use of chapter and USA Dance
The coordinators are experienced USA Dance board resources and finances to benefit the members, grow
members who will be the chapter USA Dance chapters, and to meet
board’s guide and consultant We implemented eleven the financial obligations of the
regarding “Chapter Management.” chapter and USA Dance, Inc.
Members can learn more about
districts to replace the six •Addressing issues and managing
chapter management guidelines regions...to grow social programs in a professional and
by referencing the National equitable manner to enhance the
Bylaws located at dancing in America. local dance environment and image
www.USADance.org Article XII, of USA Dance without demeaning
Chapters, guides our Boards on managing the chapter. others.
You too, can become a member of this dynamic
The following are a few of our goals for developing team of volunteers locally—at a district level and
chapter leadership and growing each chapter: national level. Begin by saying “yes” when asked to give
• Creating a dynamic chapter in the local community a hand at the chapter dance and say “I will” when asked
that fosters the growth of ballroom dancing and to be on a committee or to run for a board position.
enhances the image of USA Dance as a national
organization.
• Developing a harmonious and effective board who
applies good governance practices needed by them as

www.USADANCE.ORG 2010 July – August 9

 Never a Better Time
Membership Campaign
By: Jean Krupa
Social Dance VP
T
he USA Dance Membership Campaign will
begin September 1, 2010 and we invite you to
join in recruiting new members to enjoy all of
the benefits of membership.
There are almost 25,000 members of USA Dance but
many dancers out there do not realize the benefits of
belonging to USA Dance and what we do to promote
ballroom dancing. Encourage them to join us and
increase our numbers. We want to do more, and with
your help and continued support and participation we
can!
Become part of the team that encourages ballroom
dancing around the country. Join USA Dance as we
reach out across America, encourage everyone to
participate in ballroom dancing for physical health,
mental health and new friendships.
Suggestions for a Succesful Campaign
Before starting your local drive, select a Team
Captain for your chapter—The chapter increasing their
membership by the greatest percentage, not necessarily
greatest number of members recruited, will be awarded.
Then survey existing members and identify
their reasons for becoming and staying members
and use their testimonies in promotional materials
and advertising. Involve your current members in
the campaign—ask them for new member prospect
referrals—or reward the members who recruit
the highest number of new members. Consider
simultaneously running an existing member retention
campaign to recognize loyal member support.
Plan a kickoff event to announce the campaign and
showcase the benefits of belonging to your organization
and offer an early-bird membership discount. This
10 Dance Floor
event can also serve as an annual fund-raiser with
collateral events, such as a banquet, auction, etc. Have
existing members receive a discounted admission if
they bring additional prospects.
A credit reward incentive program should be able
to do two things: encourage past recruiting members to
recruit even more; and encourage those who have never
recruited to try. Instead of actual money, recruiters
earn credits that can be used towards free admission to
dances. Also consider giving the recruiter one chance
per new member in a drawing for a grand prize—more
new members, more chances to win.
At the event, have name badges for all members
and a different color name badge for those who are
guests. Members can then easily identify each guest,
introduce themselves and help to make them welcome.
After all, that is what being a dancer all is about.
Give each guest a packet that contains information
about USA Dance, about your chapter (including names
and phone numbers or email addresses of officers)
your latest newsletter, the benefits of membership,
(discounts for admission, National magazine, etc.) and
an application form.
The president and membership chair should keep
in touch with those guests who have not become
members and find out why not. It is important to
identify why they do not want to join.
Don’t forget to check the document library for other
ideas, promotional brochures and literature on the
value of membership in USA Dance to aid in your
campaign to help us make USA Dance bigger and better
than ever.
 ROOF OF THE WORLD
China including Tibet
August 19-September 3, 2011; 16-day Tour and River Cruise
Viking River Cruises On the Viking Emerald
“Best Luxury River Cruise Line”
Includes: 5-star accommodations in Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, and Shanghai; all outside
balcony staterooms on the 6-day Yangtze River cruise; all meals; gourmet cuisine; intra-
China flights and transfers; one or more tours/day with English-speaking tour guides &
CARIBBEAN CALYPSO
audio headsets; English-speaking crew; all port fees; wine with dinner; welcome DANCE CRUISE
reception; and Captain’s dinner,. Optional 4 nights in Hong Kong & Guilin. on Cunard’s
Book by July 31, 2010 and get two-for-one cruise and land rates plus group QUEEN MARY 2
discount. Two-for-one international airfare to and from China available until
July 31, including transfers.
January 3-13, 2011
“Best Luxury Cruise Liner”
Day Destination Activities “Biggest Dance Floor at Sea”
1 Beijing Airport to Hotel. Free time. “Best Spa at Sea”
“Best Educational Program”
2 Beijing Tiananmen Sq./Forbidden City; Summer Palace
“Best Amenities for Ballroom
3 Beijing Great Wall; UNESCO site; Sacred Way; optional Pe- Dancers”
king duck dinner and Peking Opera Perf. Real Dance Teachers, Male Dance
4 Beijing/Xian Hutongs & silk carpet workshop tour; fly to Xian; hotel Hosts, and Real Ballroom & Latin
check-in; optional Tang Dynasty dinner tour Bands & Orchestra
5 Xian Terra Cotta Army; a UNESCO site; Big Wild Goose New York to St. Thomas,
Pagoda tour; Night Market visit
San Lucia, Barbados,
6 Xian/Lhasa Free time; fly to Lhasa, hotel check-in; Tibetan family
visit & tea Grand Turk, Turks, Caicos,
7 Lhasa Jokhang,Teple visit& Barkhor Market; Tibetan Mu-
and back to New York
seum tour (No air required for Northeast
passengers; five relaxing days at sea)
8 Lhasa Potala Palace, a UNESCO site; Sera Monastery tour
Our dance cruises are small, intimate
9 Lhasa/Chongqing Fly to Chongqing; board the ship groups so you will get to know
10 Shibaozhai Shibaozhai Temple tour & Yangtze River views everyone in the group. Plenty of
11 Three Gorges Qutang & Wu Gorges scenic cruising; Lesser Three room on the largest dance floor at sea.
Lesser Three Gorges Gorges excursion Call for special group rates and
promotions. Prior passenger
12 Three Gorges Dam Three Gorges Dam lock transit & facility tour discounts. Special dance events and
Three Gorges
amenities exclusive to our group.
13 Jingzhou Viking River Cruises School visit & school children per- Call for cruise sale dates and get
formance onboard credits and reduced deposit.
14 Wuhan/Shanghai Disembark; Wuhan Museum tour; fly to Shanghai; hotel
check-in; free time
POST-BLACKPOOL
15 Shanghai Old Shanghai/Bund tour; Shanghai Museum; free time;
Chinese acrobatic performance
TRANSALTANTIC CRUISE
ON QUEEN MARY 2
16 Shanghai Hotel to airport
By popular demand we are repeating the
transatlantic cruise on the QM2 next year
Call 215-855-2711 or 215-530-3482, email info@blsdc.com;Www:BLSDC.com
from June 3-10, to coincide with the last
day of the Blackpool Dance Festival.

Call 215-855-2711 or 215-530-3482,

email info@blsdc.com
www:BLSDC.com
www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July– August 11
 USA Dance

Chapter News
We want to hear
from you, and so do
Baton Rouge, from Houston, Texas. The couple
our readers! won the Ten Dance event at the
Louisiana
2009 Gumbo Championships.
Send us the Louisiana Gumbo
The co-chairs of the fundraiser
latest news from
your chapter to
Chapter #5031 were Sterling Sightler and Peggy and
By: Cecil Phillips
be featured in Charlie Clement.
upcoming issues of
American Dancer. Thanks to a crew of energetic The Gumbo Championships are
volunteers, on March 14 the organized by Louisiana DanceSport
budget for the USA Dance Gumbo in affiliation with the Gumbo
When submitting,
please keep in mind DanceSport Championships got a Chapter of USA Dance. It is a
the following: boost of $4,920. That was the net National Qualifying Event, now in
income from a gala fundraising its 11th year, and it is a part of the
1. High quality, party in Metairie. The funds Louisiana Governor’s Games.
digital photos were dedicated to scholarships
relating to the event,
and the general budget for the
600 dpi or higher Honolulu,
Championships scheduled for June
25-26 in Baton Rouge. Hawaii
2. Photo caption, or
names of persons Some 83 people bought admission HOnolulu Hawaii
tickets at $25 each and participated Chapter #4007 By: Debra Ota

3. Photo credit in several fundraising activities at

the event. A silent auction featuring In March, the Honolulu Chapter of
dance lessons and other items was USA Dance had a very successful fund
4. Articles should
highly successful, as were “pay-to- raising event for the people of Haiti, who
be a maximum of 175
words dance” tickets for opportunities to continue to suffer from the earthquake
dance with popular professionals and which all but destroyed Port-au-Prince,
local amateurs. Jacmel, and nearby settlements.
Send Submissions
and any
An entertaining highlight was an March 26, 2010, the Honolulu Chapter,
Questions to
exhibition of superb dancing by in cooperation with a popular local club
Office@
americandancer.org Suneth Jayamanna and Joyce Chan, held a fund raising dance for the victims

12 Dance Floor
 On October 30, 2009, The Honolulu
Chapter, held its Great Pumpkin Dance,
a fund raiser for the Pacific Islanders’
Disaster Aid. The funds raised were
intended for the victims of the Indonesia,
Philippines, and Samoa disasters.
The Chapter was able to donate a total
Honolulu Chapter President, Glenn Okazaki (second
to right), and Treasurer, Neil Okamoto (left), with of $1,361.00 to the American Red
Pan Pacific Ballroom Society President, Rudy Luat and
Matilda Felix. Photo Courtesy of Honolulu Chapter Cross International Disaster Fund with a
specific request that the funds be directed
of the Haiti earthquake. The dance to the aid of the Pacific Islanders.
was held at the Ala Wai Palladium
Although the Honolulu Chapter may
Ballroom and jointly organized by the
be relatively small and isolated, they do
Pan Pacific Ballroom Society of Hawaii
things with a Big Aloha Spirit.
and USA Dance, Honolulu Chapter.
It brought out the best in the ballroom
community of Hawaii. In what may
have been a record-breaking charity
fund raiser by the Hawaii ballroom
community, a total of nearly $6,000
was donated to the International Red
Cross that night.

Ticket sales and solicitations for

private donations raised $4,505. 100%
of the ticket sales generated by both
clubs were donated to the International
Red Cross.

The USA Dance, Honolulu Chapter,

donated an additional $1000.00. With
other private donations by members
and attendees, the total amount raised
Neal Okamoto, Honolulu Chapter’s Treasurer,
during this fundraiser was close to presenting the donation check to Coralee Chun
Matayoshi, CEO - American Red Cross Hawaii. Photo
Courtesy of Honolulu Chapter
$6000.

www.USAdance.ORG 2010
2010March - April 13
July– August
 Chapter Los Angeles CA
Highlight Chapter#4031
A Big Deal
by: Ivor Lee
W
hen the Los Angeles chapter of USA
Dance hosts a dance, it does it with style
and panache. For the LA chapter, a dance
is more than just a dance: it’s an event. It’s not even just
an event, it’s something you want to tell everyone about
because it’s a party you don’t want to miss.
So what makes it so big and exciting?
Hosted in the 7,000 square foot Culver City Veteran’s
Memorial Auditorium, each event brings dancers and
first-timers alike from all over. And it’s not just the
large venue, the largest ballroom floor in the region, the
14 Dance Floor
comfortable atmosphere and fantastic refreshments. The
LA chapter has the added benefit of being, well, LA. And
that means celebrity guests like Edyta Śliwińska, Anna
Trebunskaya, and Jonathan Roberts from “Dancing with
the Stars,” as dance instructors for their free lesson.
These big dances are part of why the LA Chapter is
currently so successful.
One thing that people may not know is that the LA
chapter is one of USA Dance’s fastest growing chapters,
as well as one of its largest. Part of that success comes
from the different ways that the LA Chapter reaches
out to people in the community. With more than 2,000
people on their email list, marketing for the chapter’s
events is very effective. This intense marketing leads to
high attendance at events, which in turn leads to more
new members per event.
 “We really focus on social dancers. Because our balls
are events, we attract people that come to these things as
their first exposure to ballroom dance,” said Livia Squires,
Public Relations Director.
The LA chapter has also spent a lot of time and
effort in developing ties with the local community and
local dance studios. In fact, the LA Chapter’s website
publishes a listing of all the different studios in the LA
County area. One of the LA Chapter’s goals has been to
act as a central hub for dancing in the area, a place where
studios can come together and share dancing. “Other
studios come to our dances and get tables; they come as a
social outing to our dances and make it an event for their
organization.” said David Spetner, President of the LA
Chapter.
The LA Chapter sets an example in its K-12 and
senior outreach programs the LA chapter sponsors.
www.USAdance.ORG
“We sponsor schools in primarily economically
underprivileged parts of town—the idea being that in
those areas parents wouldn’t be able to pay for lessons.
It gives kids an opportunity to dance, and we have
worked with the Los Angeles Unified School District to
find schools that would benefit from this,” said Squires.
Meanwhile, the Senior Outreach program performs for
seniors in assisted living homes, bringing smiles and
much enjoyment to all.
With Nationals recently held in LA, spirits in the LA
Chapter are high. Beyond large dances, the LA chapter
takes pride in their roots as part of USA Dance. Members
are supportive of the goals of USA Dance.
“I don’t think there are any large non-profit ballroom
organization other than us,” said Spetner, “Much like the
rest of USA Dance, there is a lot of pride in being part of
this whole.”
Photos Courtesy of USADance LA Chapter
2010
2010
July– – June 15
MayAugust
 Johnny Catron
Maestro of Yesteryear
by: Jack Lebo
I
n the fall
of 1995,
bandleader Johnny
Catron summed up his life
by saying, “I was born on September 24,
1916. I worked as a salesman selling automobiles for 36
years. I had a band for 40 some years and wrote a few
good songs. Not bad for a guy that never knew what he
wanted to do when he grew up!”
Johnny Catron was a personal friend of mine when
we lived in Rialto, California for a few years. Our
friendship was almost instantaneous once I discovered
that Johnny was a bandleader. At the time, I was a writer
and cartoonist for a magazine called “The Big Bands,”
headquartered in Southern California. Johnny took me
under his wing (I was a transplanted young easterner
from Philadelphia), and he appointed me as his Public
Relations Director. This was a dream job for someone
who loved the sounds of the big bands. The job entailed
attending all his concerts and dances and generally
publicizing the orchestra. This assignment lasted until
personal business took me back to the east.
After World War II, Johnny Catron had financial
problems and could not raise the money to reorganize a
band such as the one he had before the war. He took a
job at a Volkswagen dealership in Pomona, California in
order to finance a band. He soon discovered he had two
loves: making music and selling cars.
“I know the two careers don’t really go together,
but I really loved both. A few years later I found a way
16 Dance Floor
I could link
these two jobs.
I wrote a song called,
‘The Volkswagon Song Polka,’
and had my band perform it.”
In 1941, when Catron started working with Ben
Pollack, he began to arrange and write songs. “Pollack
really encouraged me to write, so I did. After all, I
realized, even at that young age, how talented Ben
Pollack was.”
When Catron landed a job with the Union Oil
Company Radio Program, he took over as head arranger.
Years later, he was head arranger and writer for KFI, a
Southern California radio station with Lawrence Welk
and Freddy Martin. The show ran from 1963 to 1966.
During this time, he wrote some remarkable songs such
as “Valerie,” “A Little Affection,” and “There’s a Time and
a Place for Everything.”
In 1964, he wrote a poignant song about the
assassination of John F. Kennedy titled “The Big D”. A
recording of the song is located in the Dallas, Texas
Museum.
Said Catron, “Some folks, have a hard time making
sense of my career.” To them he said, “I got to do what I
loved.”
Johnny Catron passed on October 31, 1998 in Los
Angeles, California.
Photo Courtesy of Ratnesh Bhatt
 21st Century AD
Inga
&
Robertas

CRUISE THE CARIBBEAN

Dance every night and day with ballroom
and Latin instruction daily!

FEBRUARY 27 - MARCH 6, 2011 Interior from $1135 per person

Royal Caribbean’s Freedom of the Seas
7-Nights
Roundtrip Port Canaveral visiting
CocoCay®, Bahamas • Charlotte Amalie,
St. Thomas • Philipsburg, St. Maarten
Oceanview from $1225 per person
Balcony from $1495 per person
Port charges, taxes and mandatory gratuities are included.
Prices are per person, double occupancy. Royal Caribbean
reserves the right to implement a fuel surcharge.
Book early to avoid price increases and to get desired
cabin: $500 p.p. deposit due at booking; final payment due
11/15/2010.

Enjoy a sensational getaway with the added pleasure of improving your dance skills
with extraordinary instructors! Robertas Maleckis and Inga Sirkaite (World Champion
Latin dancers) and Eduardo Torres and Cristina Acevedo (Rising Star Champions in
American Rhythm) are just four of the outstanding instructors who will be teaching daily
workshops aboard ship. Included in the price of the cruise: over 100 workshops
in both International and American style (standard/smooth and Latin/rhythm);
afternoon and evening dances on the largest wooden dance floor on the seas!
Take advantage of all the other amenitites of Freedom of the Seas such as Flowrider®,
climbing wall, 9-hole miniature golf course, casino, cantilevered spas, ice rink, ice shows,
theater shows, shopping, lots of upscale lounges. You can always find something to do!
Pre-Cruise Option: Bon Voyage Gala with elegant sit-down dinner, magnificent
exhibition dance performances by your phenomenal instructors, general dancing, hotel
room and shuttle to the cruise ship. Start your dance cruise with a party to die for!
Eduardo & Cristina

Avoid disappointment and secure your cabin today! Book now!

To book or for more information:
Claudia Collins AAACarolinas.com/DanceCruise
910-693-0335 DanceCruises.org
cacollins@mailaaa.com
Be sure to book our pre-cruise Bon Voyage Gala, too!
www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July– August 17
 54 Years of Dancing
Dance City USA
Allen Darnel with partner Kay McFarland
F
or 54 years, Allen Darnel has been a leader in
the ballroom dance world as a teacher, judge,
sponsor, entrepreneur, director, and author.
He started his dance career in 1956 at the Arthur
Murray Studio in Arizona and worked for several
notable studios: Veloz and Yolanda, Fred Astaire and
Arthur Murray, and the Golden Door Beauty Resort
before a studio in Bakersfield, California.
Photos Courtesy of Bob Walz, Bil Walker, Barbara Whipple, and Joyce Lurhs
18 Dance Floor
by: Joyce Luhrs
“I danced the Paso Doble with Rita Hayworth at her
home. I taught movie stars and other famous people
at the Golden Door Resort in California for four years
straight for two nights a week, including Zsa Zsa
Gabor, Esther Williams,” he said.
He sponsored the first United States Ballroom
Champions Ronnie Leverett and Alice Deboise and
worked as promotional director for the annual Feather
Awards. Among his other achievements, Darnel
established the Ballroom Dance Arts Foundation and
presided at the Luis Arnold Dance Awards Society.
When asked to select his greatest accomplishment,
he listed at the top owning the largest dance studio in
the world. “It was called Dance City USA in Houston,
Texas, and I owned and ran it in 1974 with over
1,000 students and 125 teachers. It was a big place
with 48,000 square feet. Social, ballroom, Latin and
international style dancing were all taught. All of the
community of Houston danced there. CEOs of big
corporations and city officials danced there at one time
or another. I spoke at the Blackpool Dance Festival on
behalf of Dance City USA,” explained Darnel.
 The quintessential dance professional, he emphasized
the importance of the dance teacher’s uniform and
manners in the profession. “I always wear a jacket
when I teach. This is part of the professional’s decorum
and what you wear to office. People [teachers] don’t
dress appropriately today. I have seen students taught
by professionals wearing jogging suits. I wanted the
teachers at Dance City USA to wear a uniform—a jacket
and tie,” he said.
Beginners Only Social Ballroom Latin Dance Studio
in Houston and a publicity consulting firm. He’s also
managed to find time to be a member of USA Dance
in Houston for 20 years. During National Ballroom
Dance Week, he received on September 2, 2000 the
organization’s lifetime achievement award at a ceremony
held at the Chandelier Ballroom in Houston in
recognition of his contributions to ballroom dancing.
He has authored three books about dance and just
finished “Ballroom World Dance Book” which will be
out this summer. Dedicated to his first teacher, Nancy
Elliot, who also taught Ron Montez, the book is replete
with interviews from past and present dance superstars,
photos, illustrations, discussions about the history of
dance, and more.

“The book has lots of articles and pictures about

USA Dance, too. It’s my last hurrah before I retire in a
year or two. I’m 83 years old now,” he said.

Darnel plans to retire from the studio in a year or

so and will continue teaching independently. “I am
available to teach anywhere to anyone what I know
about the ballroom dance world business.”

Allen Darnel in his “Uniform” — a jacket and tie

Punctuality was stressed for all teachers. “At Dance

City USA, I had my teachers waiting at the door for
the students with the chart in their hands. You didn’t
have to call on the speaker announcing, ‘Your student
is here.’ We gave them their full 50 minutes of a lesson.
Now it’s 40 minutes. I had student teachers who, if they
were five to ten minutes late for their lesson, I gave them
a warning. You had to be elite to work at Dance City
USA,” he said.

He eventually sold the business and continued

working in the dance world and reminisced about
traveling on a world cruise as a dance host on the SS
Rotterdam in 1981. “You had to be sharp at all times.
You had to be perfectly groomed and display extra good
manners. As one famous teacher, Terry Leone said, ‘A
dance teacher doesn’t just teach dance steps, you have to
have class,’”Darnel stated.
Ronnie Leverett and Alice DuBose—First Official US
During the last 22 years he has owned and operated Ballroom Champions and sponsored by Darnel

www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July– August 19

 Supadance Ad

20 Dance Floor
Addicted 6. How many pairs of dance shoes do you own?
A. None

to Dance?
B. One
C. Two
D. Three
E. Four or more

7. How many social dance songs have you

Is the laundry piling up? Do you have a growing stack purchased or downloaded?
of unread mail? Are you still wearing your winter clothes? A. Ten or twenty
Can you remember the last time you got together with a B. Twenty or thirty
non-dancing friend? If so, perhaps you have wondered C. Thirty or forty
just how addicted to social dancing you might be. Take D. Forty or fifty
this quiz to find out! E. More than fifty

1. How long have you been social dancing? 8. How many social dance instructional videos or
A. One year DVDs do you own?
B. Two years A. One or two
C. Three years B. Three or four
D. Four years C. Five or six
E. Five or more years D. Seven or eight
E. More than eight
2. How many dance classes, lessons or workshops do
you take per week? 9. How many dance venues do you know the
A. One or two complete street addresses?
B. Three or four A. One or two
C. Five or six B. Three or four
D. Seven or eight C. Five or six
E. More than eight D. Seven or eight
E. More than eight
3. How many times do you social dance per week?
A. Once 10. How many times per week do you read or refer
B. Twice to Wayne’s Dance Commentary?
C. Three times A. Never
D. Four times B. Once
E. Five times or more C. Twice
D. Thrice
4. How many dance schools have you taken classes, E. Four or more times
lessons or workshops at in the past in the past five
years?
A. One Now for each A give yourself 1 point, B two points, C
B. Two three points, D four points and E five points and add up
C. Three you points to get your total score:
D. Four - 0 to 10 points - you obviously don’t dance
E. Five or more - 11 to 20 points - you are just getting started as a
social dancer
5. How many dance teachers do you consider close - 21 to 30 points - you just might be immune
personal friends? - 31 to 40 points - you might want to think about
A. One or two getting treatment
B. Three or four - 41 to 50 points - you are hopelessly addicted
C. Five or six
D. Seven or eight This quiz was authored by Wayne Tusa, author of
E. More than eight “Wayne’s Dance Commentary” - a free weekly dance
E-mail (waynetusa@aol.com).

www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July– August 21

 J
oin USA Dance members, family and friends
on the first-ever USA DANCE National
Dance Cruise for seven sun filled days and
balmy nights of round-the-clock dancing and fun
aboard the Costa Atlantica, visiting Key West,
Ocho Rios, Grand Cayman and Cozumel.
This first national social dance cruise,
sponsored by USA DANCE and Costa Cruise
Departing Lines, brings social dancers together from across
the country and supports the organization’s
Ft. Lauderdale national programs. The cruise includes a full
program of ballroom, latin and club-style dance
November 28, 2010 instruction from top professional instructors
(to be announced) and nearly non-stop dance
Call 866-391-2680 activities throughout the week.
This is a great opportunity to share your
passion for dancing and enjoy the western
Prices begin at only $599 Caribbean aboard one of the finest dance ships
per person based on double on the seas.
Imagine a week of endless dancing, grand
occupancy plus tax. meals, gala theme nights, exciting shows and
an onboard casino with your fellow dancers.
There’ll even be dance-focused shore excursions
as you visit each charming port city!
Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime dance cruise
experience. Space is limited, so book now by
calling 866-391-2680 or go online to
Travel Themes and Dreams is a licensed and bonded Florida Seller of Travel (#ST-37225) www.dancecruiseUSADANCE.com

USA Dance, Inc., a 501c3 non profit organization, is the national governing body for DanceSport in the United States and representative organization
for social dancers across America. www.usadance.org Cruise organizer is USA Dance Social VP Jean Krupa. social-vp@usadance.org
22 Dance Floor
 A National Cruise
The Ultimate Dance Experience
by: Jean Krupa
Social Dance VP
L
ast October, Angela Prince, Public Relations
Director for USA Dance, brought the
opportunity of USA Dance organizing a
national dance cruise in partnership with Costa Cruise
Lines, who in return for our agreeing to fill 200 cabins
on the beautiful cruise ship Atlantica would donate
back to the organization to support our missions. All we
needed was an organizer. I chimed in and said, “I’ll do it”.
To date, we have members from 35 states, also
representing chapters of USA Dance. Exciting shore
excursions—exclusive for USA DANCE members—offer
a variety of tours in each port, with something to fit
everyone’s ‘tastes’ and budget.
Dan Calloway, dance instructor, says “This cruise is
going to be so cool. Silke and I are really looking forward
to teaching on board. It’s the perfect combination
vacation: dancing with fun people while cruising the
Caribbean.”
Sheila Spiro of Chapter #1025 says, “The great state
of Washington will be well represented; many of us are
reserved and ready to rock on. Looking forward to all
day classes and all night dancing with USA Dancers
from across the nation.”
Wayne Meier of Chapter #6004 sailed on the Atlantica
in January and had a GREAT time. He commented that
Costa was great in setting up dedicated ballroom dance
spaces for group lessons and dance parties. You’ll love it!
www.USAdance.ORG
This is what Rick Steinberg of Chapter #1004 had to
say about cruises: “A cruise is the ultimate vacation,
especially if there is A LOT of dancing.”
Our travel agents, Themes and Dreams, has arranged
for the Marriott-Spring Hill Suites in Ft. Lauderdale—
only minutes from Port Everglades—as the Host Hotel
for the USA DANCE cruise. This hotel offers a wide
variety of amenities as well as tremendous savings for
USA DANCE members arriving the day before the
cruise. In addition to a complimentary buffet breakfast,
the hotel features free parking AND free shuttle to the
cruise ship.
If you are considering joining us on the cruise, call
toll-free: 1-866-391-2680 to see if they are any cabins
available as we are nearly sold out.
One of the most tangible benefits of a cruise vacation
is that it is all-inclusive. Meals and entertainment are
all included in your cruise vacation and this one will
also include dance workshops, private cocktail parties
and evening dancing. Cruise vacations are convenient,
cost-effective, family-oriented, and intrinsically safe.
With multiple activities, dining options, itineraries, and
amenities to suit any passenger, no vacation will feel
more individualized than a cruise. In fact, cruises are
such successful vacations that according to Cruise Lines
International, more than 80% of cruisers return for a
second voyage.
2010 July–– August 23
2010July

NEW DANCESPORT AD
FOR USA DANCE
USA Dance has recently launched its new DanceSport
brand ad in DanceBeat—communicating a clear
statement about our leadership role in the industry and
our commitment to promoting the quality and quantity
of ballroom dancing for everyone in this country, while
supporting the global movement to bring DanceSport
into the Olympics.
Three of our World Team couples who competed at the
USA Dance 2010 National DanceSport Championships
in LA are showcased in the new ad—Xingmin &
Katerina Lu (Senior I Standard National Champions),
Val Chmerkovskiy & Daria Chesnokova (Adult Latin
National Champions) and Pasha Pashkov & Daniella
24 On Beat
the
Public
Eye
by: Angela Prince
Public Relations Director
Karagach (Adult 10-Dance National Champions).
Chapter presidents may request a .pdf file of the new
ad to use as a handout, flyer, display poster or mailer, by
contacting USA Dance at publicrelations-dir@usadance.
org. If you are in need of a statement about USA Dance
and DanceSport, this ad will provide you with valuable
narrative to use at the local level.
USA DANCE
The National Governing Body
for DanceSport in the USA Member Organization
of the United States
Olympic Committee
U
SA Dance, the official
National Governing Body for
DanceSport in the United
States, is recognized by the USOC,
IOC and IDSF. As a 501c3 non-profit
organization, USA Dance represents the
best interests of DanceSport athletes as
well as social dancers throughout the
USA. As a democratic, all-volunteer
organization, USA Dance is comprised
of talented professionals, passionate
supporters of dance, and approximately
180 fast-growing chapters. USA Dance
is dedicated to promoting the quality
and quantity of ballroom dancing for
all and the global movement to bring
DanceSport into the Olympics.
 USA Member Organization of the USOC.
 USA Member Organization of the IDSF.
 Recognized by the USOC and the International
Olympic Committee as the National Governing
Body for DanceSport in the USA.
 25,000 members providing financial support.
 Reaching 200,000 dancers in the USA.
 Organizer of the Official National DanceSport
Championships in the United States, where the
Xingmin & Katerina Lu
USA’s official World Teams are selected.
 Providing USA World Teams annual support of
more than $65,000.
Senior I Standard National Champions
 Organizer of the National Collegiate DanceSport
Challenge at the Ohio Star Ball.
 Organizer of the Special Olympics DanceSport
Championships.
 Publisher of American Dancer Magazine.
www.usadance.org
Host and organizer of
2010 IDSF World DanceSport Championship Latin
November 13, 2010 • New York City, USA • www.2010idsfworldlatin.com
 on what’s appropriate for certain age groups.” (Thank you,
PBS!)
We want our American Dancer readers to enjoy the
PBS Kids online interviews with three of our pre-teen and
junior DanceSport couples. See the links below which also
feature videos of their dancing at Nationals.

Val Chmerkovskiy & Daria Pasha Pashkov & Daniella

Chesnokova Karagach USA DANCE BALLROOM KIDS:
Adult Latin National Champions Adult 10-Dance National Champions

PBS KIDS—”IT’S MY LIFE” Ivan Gab &

BLOG REACHES 300,000 Madelyne Kapalansky

KIDS EVERY MONTH, Pre-Teen I Silver Latin &

FEATURES THREE USA Pre-Teen I Gold Latin

DANCE BALLROOM KIDSTM

PBS Kids, part of the PBS cable-tv network, attended
Jaryd Farcon &
the USA Dance National DanceSport Championships
Cara Abaya-Campos
in Los Angeles in April with one purpose – to see
Junior I Pre-Championship
America’s best kids dancing. While watching practice
& Junior I Championship
sessions, the producer selected three couples that caught
Latin
the eye to follow throughout the weekend, then did
telephone interviews a few weeks later.
The PBS Kids Blog “It’s My Life” is one of PBS’s most Dmitriy Slobdovskiy

acclaimed sites, reaching approximately 300,000 kids & Michelle Kaplanksy

every month. Wow, is right. Junior I Championship

Here are a few of PBS’s comments to their viewers Standard & Junior I

about DanceSport and the USA Dance Nationals: Championship 10-Dance

“For more and more people of all ages, [ballroom] is a

To read the full
fun and exciting hobby, and for many, a sport where kids
stories, please visit
as young as seven years old, as well as adults and even
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/blog then search the Index for
senior citizens, compete!”
ballroom-kids-ivan-and-madelyne; ballroom-kids-jaryd-
“We were amazed not just by the level of dancing but
and-cara; and ballroom-kids-dimitriy-and-michelle.
also the passion and commitment of these kids and
tweens ... whose accomplishments and dedication we
find inspiring.”
“One of the things we found interesting about ballroom
dancing for kids is that there are strict rules about what
they can wear in competition, which puts an emphasis
Images courtesy of Carson Zullinger, and parents

www.USADANCE.ORG 2010 July – August 25

 ON THE MEDIA HORIZON
USA Dance has recently interviewed with or assisted
several high profile media with feature stories about
social ballroom and latin dancing, DanceSport or our
organization. Soon to be released:
• Dance Spirit Magazine (September 2010)
• Barbie Magazine
• National Geographic Vacation Edition
• Move. The Film.
“HIPS DON’T LIE”: JUST ASK
HARSH UPADHYAY
India-West, the largest weekly newspaper on the West
Coast, targets America’s immigrant Indian American
population, which is now close to two million. When
USA Dance announced that Nationals would be in Los
Angeles, this prestigious publication wanted to feature
competitors of Indian descent.
The resulting interview “Hips Don’t Lie: Ballroom
Dancer Burns Up The Floor” with USA Dance Latin
competitor, Harsh Upadhyay became a great story about
opportunity in this country. It was good to hear that
Latin Dancer Harsh Upadhay
26 On Beat
ballroom dancing is also gaining popularity in India.
Harsh took first places in his Latin Bronze and Gold
divisions at Nationals. He moved to the U.S. in 2005 to
obtain his master’s degree and is a software engineer in
North Carolina.
Online at India-West: http://www.indiawest.com/
readmore.aspx?id=2318&Sid=5
USA DANCE NATIONAL
DANCE CRUISE –
DANCING FOR AMERICATM
The USA Dance “Dancing for America” National
Dance Cruise departs Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Nov. 28th
and is already a potential media event. According to our
resources, no dance cruise has ever booked participants
from as many states and from coast to coast to the
degree that this maiden voyage has attracted. Dancers
are flying in from California, Oregon, Washington State,
New Mexico and Nevada, and that’s only 5 of the total 35
states represented so far.
At press time, there will only be a few rooms left.
Check out the website www.dancecruiseusadance.com
to book your place on this historical cruise aboard the
Italian Costa Cruise line’s “Atlantica,” a glorious dance
ship, one of Europe’s finest.
 If you are already on this cruise, please join your friends
on Facebook at USA DANCE NATIONAL DANCE
CRUISE. We want to hear from you. We want to
JOIN USA DANCE ON THE hear from
SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK
You can connect to USA Dance and other dancers
your chapter!
throughout the country for continual updates about
Has your chapter been in the
upcoming events and special activities, member
news lately? Have you been
happenings, updates on DanceSport and competitions, featured in the paper, on TV,
and copies of American Dancer and other published media or online?
publicity.
Send us the latest happenings
ON FACEBOOK: of your chapter to be
considered for an upcoming
• USA Dance Inc.
issue.
• USA Dance Competitions
• USA Dance National Dancesport Championships When submitting, please
• USA Dance National Dance Cruise
keep in mind the following:
• USA Dance (local chapters by name)

ON TWITTER: Articles should be a

• USA Dance Inc maximum of 175 words

ON LINKED-IN: High quality, digital

• USA Dance Inc
photos relating to the
event at 300 dpi or higher
• DanceSport Connection
Accurate photo caption,
KEY WEBSITES:
or names of persons (left
• www.USADance.org to right).
• www.dancecruiseusadance.com
Name of photographer
• www.idsf.net
for photo credit
• www.usoc.org

Send submissions
and questions to
office@americandancer.org

www.USADANCE.ORG 2010 July – August 27

 DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport D
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport
Qualifying Events forDanceSport Danc
DanceSport
USADanceSport
Dance 2011 DanceSport DanceSport Da
National
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Dance
DanceSport Championships
DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Dan
010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2009 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championship
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championship
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championships
2010 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championshi Jason Dai & Patrycja Golak / Photo by: Carson Zullinger

DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Dan

2009 Southeastern Regional DanceSport Championship
2010 Heartland Classic
Indianapolis, IN
Northwest DanceSport
Championships
2011 Phoenix DanceSport
Challenge

DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Danc

October 2-3, 2010 Seattle, WA Phoenix, AZ
October 23-24, 2010 February 19, 2011
Manhattan Amateur

DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Da

Carolina Fall Classic Mid-Atlantic DanceSport
Greensboro, NC Classic Championships
October 22-24, 2010 New York, NY Washington DC
January 14-16, 2011 February 26-27 2011

DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceS

For More Information visit www.usadance.org

DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport DanceSport Dan

28 On Beat
 Making History
Collegiate Competition on DWTS
By SarahJo Ciotti, American Dancer Writer
W
e are! We are! Utah Valley! We are!
We are! Utah Valley!” The crowds
chanted as the judges revealed a
near perfect score during the Dancing with the
Stars Collegiate competition semi-finals. This
school spirit was only a taste of the explosive
applause when the judges announced UVU’s
Dance Company as the winners of the Mirrorball
trophy.
Each team involved in the collegiate
competition came to the set with their own
ideals and goals to accomplish. The University
of California in San Diego were the underdogs
going into the competition and although their
team’s journey was short they were able to prove
that they were capable competitors. During their
Samba in the semi-finals the judges said their
“pattern changes were fantastic!”
Peter Edwards, coach of the UCSD team
remarked that the experience great because
it brought to light the strong ballroom and
academic program that they have at UCSD.
“Collegiate dancing in general was brought to
a public awareness [because of the show]” said
Edwards. Edwards also points out that many pros
and stars of the ballroom world once danced as
members of collegiate formation teams. In this
way viewers were given a chance to see some of
the “growing up” process that these athletes must
go through.
www.USADANCE.ORG
Purdue University announced itself as a
laidback midwest school. Tracy Matz, a member
of Purdue’s team said before the first show that,
“We’ve been practicing so much. We want to
get out there to win and show the country how
great the team is.” Purdue faced big challenge
coming into the competition, since the producers
stipulated that the competition needed to be in
group formations.
Despite these challenges, Purdue still shone.
“It’s been a real joy to see this group grow in the
eight years I’ve worked with them,” said Dan
Rutherford, coach of the Purdue team.
Utah Valley University’s team was able to
perform at a higher difficulty level due to the
grueling pace of the coach, Scott Asbell, keeps
his students. In response to their cha cha cha
they were acclaimed as having “precise, brilliant
patterns.” Their performance was “effortless”
according to the judges.
Director of the UVU ballroom program, Scott
Asbell, stated, “In the 20 years I have taught at
UVU, this win on Dancing with the Stars brings
me some of the greatest satisfaction because
it’s representative of years of hard work from
hundreds of dancers at our university. These
dancers didn’t just represent themselves tonight;
they represented an entire program that has been
built over time, and they did it on a national stage
and performed very, very well.”
Image courtesy of Rodolfo Fotografia
2010 July – August 29
Columbia Star Ball
By: Elizabeth Knoll
US Professional Ballroom Champion
T
he inaugural Columbia Star
Ball was held in the gracious
Portland Hilton Hotel on May
8-9, 2010. Organizers Mark Tabor and
Tiffanie Rhodes went out of their way
to host a friendly, welcoming event that
incorporated many unique touches.
Judges were Richard Booth (chair),
Barbara Child, Bill Davies, Olga
Foraponova, Cora Lyn Uczekaj, Forrest
Vance, Dave Watson and yours truly. Ava
Kaye was scrutineer and alternate judge,
Brent Mills provided the fabulous music,
and the dulcet tones of Michael Wachal
as MC kept us on time and in the right
frame of mind.
The glorious weather of Portland’s late
spring afforded great walking and dining
weather for those who were able to take
breaks. The Portland Farmers’ Market
on Saturday morning is a treat not to
be missed. I may be biased, but this is
the best farmers’ market around. Fresh
from the farm produce, cheeses, chicken,
beef (and yak and elk too!), eggs, pork,
and flowers are augmented with some
of Portland’s best chefs providing pates,
pestos, chocolates and breads. Food and
music abound. If you can tear yourself
away from the dancing, don’t miss the
market!
And speaking of the dancing, the
Columbia Star Ball incorporated both
Pro/Am and Amateur events. Some of
the highest caliber dancers from around
the Pacific Northwest were joined by
competitors from Arizona, California,
Ohio and Canada. It was great to see
such wide-ranging support for the first
comprehensive competition to be held
in Portland since the days of the Oregon
Background Photo Courtesy of Parkwest Photography
NW Showcase - William Mao and Heather Mattole
30 DanceSport
A Dance and a Wedding
Star Ball. I look forward to
watching this competition
grow and grow!
In addition to terrific
Pro/Am and Amateur
events that were hotly
contested, the Columbia Star
Ball featured a Formation Team
competition. This is something
we rarely see at competitions
any more, and it was very
exciting. We had four Formation
routines to choose from, and it
was a difficult choice. Speaking
for myself, I love Formation Team
competitions and hope this event will
draw more teams from other states.
We were treated to a fantastic show
by Blackpool, UK and US Professional
Rising Star Latin finalists Yegor Novikov
and Ekaterina Zakharoff. Perennial
Northwest favorites, this dynamic and
versatile couple gave a tremendous
performance, with a special Rumba
dedicated to…
The BRIDE AND GROOM! Yes, you Photo Courtesy of Parkwest
Photography - Champ Latin - Teleryck
read that right. Mark Tabor and Tiffanie Ianakiev & Mariya Starichenok
Rhodes officially became Mr. and
Mrs. Tabor on Sunday evening at the
competition. The emotional and sweet
ceremony had many in the audience
in tears (of joy!). How Mark and
Tiffanie managed to organize both
a competition and a wedding is
beyond me, but it certainly added a
romantic touch to the event.
Good luck to the Tabors in the
future, both in their marriage
and with the Columbia Star
Ball. I look forward to seeing
more participants next year!
Photo Courtesy of Parkwest
Photography - Mark and Tiffanie Tabor
at the Wedding Altar
 COMPETITION
CALENDAR
Events listed with the * do not accrue proficiency points

July 17, 2010 September 25, 2010

River City Ball Quest For The Best*
Portland, OR Seattle, WA
July 31-August 1, 2010
2010 Fort Wayne Dancesport Championships October 2-3, 2010
Ft Wayne, IN Heartland Classic
Indianapolis, IN

July 31-August 1, 2010

Special Olympics Indiana Ballroom Championships October 10, 2010
Ft Wayne, IN Fall Frolic*
Hackensack, NJ.
September 2 - 5, 2010
Embassy Ball - IDSF Grand Slam Latin & Standard October 22 - 24, 2010
and Senior Standard Open Carolina Fall Classic - NQE
Irvine, CA Greensboro, NC

September 19, 2010 October 23 - 24, 2010

New England Fall Challenge Northwest DanceSport Championships - NQE
Hartford, CT Seattle, WA

Competitions noted as “NQE” are National Qualifying Events

look for future collegiate
for the 2011 National DanceSport Championships.
event updates on FaceBook
look for future event updates at sign onto FaceBook, click on
http://usadance.org/dancesport/ “Groups,” and type in “USA Dance
competition-calendar/ Competitions”

www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July – August 31

 S enior I
W orlds
By: Ivor Lee
T
o Todd Marsden and Suzie
Hardt, the sight of the
73-year-old woman could
have been all the inspiration they
needed to compete at the world
level. She danced the Latin styles
at the Senior I IDSF Ten Dance
championships with far more
exuberance than seemed possible
for someone her age. Yet there she
was, moving with the energy of
someone half her age. But beyond
that, everyone on the floor was a
testament to what even an aging
body could do.
Palma, the largest city on the
Mediterranean island of Majorca
off the coast of Spain, played host
to the IDSF Senior I Ten Dance
Championship early in May. A
gorgeous island of historic villages,
cobblestone streets, ancient
buildings with a history boasting all
the way back to the Roman Empire,
Palma was also a testament to a
lesson learned at the competition for
Hardt: Age brings beauty.
“Very few seniors do the ten
dance; to see other seniors compete
at that level as well is very inspiring,”
said Hardt. Most dancers in the
Senior division either dance
Standard or Latin exclusively. Few
dance both. One reason for this,
Hardt feels, is age.
32 DanceSport
Ten
Dance
Competitors have to be
approximately 35 years old or
older to be eligible to compete in
the Senior I age group. For many
ballroom dancers that don’t grow up
dancing ballroom from an early age,
this is around the age where people
first begin to experiment with dance
lessons, let alone compete.
Ultimately, one of the lessons
drawn from the competition for the
couple is that there is always more
we can still do. For those worried
about getting in shape to dance,
Marsden and Hardt leave these
words:
“More seniors should compete.
Sometimes people think they’re too
old or too old to start, but the whole
competition thing keeps you in
shape. You don’t think about it but
it keeps you in shape. In competing
you get in good physical shape. You
don’t have to try to get in shape, you
just will get into it.”
Marsden didn’t even begin
dancing ballroom until he was 35
and Hardt introduced it to him. But
at the world level of competition,
age doesn’t have meaning. “Our
bodies can do so much more, even
at that age. It changes your sense of
what it means to age,” said Hardt.
Todd Marsden and Suzie Hardt
Photos Courtesy of Suzie Hardt
 Worlds
IDSF
Youth By: Ivor Lee
Standard
I
n a showing of world class grace
and beauty, Seoul, Korea hosted
the 2010 IDSF Youth Standard
championships in the Olympic park
building, formerly built to house
1988 summer games. USA Dance
representatives Marek Klepadlo and
Angelika Dechnik and Daniel Shapiro
and Katya Kovalyova danced to 33rd
and 35th place finishes in a highly
competitive field of 59 couples.
American Dancer tracked down
Daniel Shapiro and talked to him
about their experience:
AD: What were some of the
highlights of competing in Korea?
DS: Well, the main one of course
was the dancing, seeing all the other
countries from the dance world and
witnessing each individual’s style.
But, alongside the dancing aspect of
it, just seeing Korea’s culture and how
they live their daily lives showed me
how different each society is from our
own.
AD: You’ve been to four other
world events, but this is your first one
in the youth category. Is the level of
competition much higher?
DS: It definitely is but it’s also very
good for both Katya. It makes us
realize how we really have to step up
now and helps us to set our goals to
even out and decrease the difficulty of
doing well in youth world events
www.USAdance.ORG
AD: So what stood out to you the
most about the competition, or the
competitors?
DS: The tension between everyone
and the drive that each competitor
had to try to outdo the other
competitor.
AD: Was it exciting to be part of
that tension?
DS: Both yes and no. Yes, because
it produced a lot of drive within the
partnership to do our best, but at the
same time no, because all that tension
didn’t give us the opportunity to just
breath and relax because we were all
stressed about trying to do our best
due to the tension between everyone.
AD: Now that you’ve experienced
Marek Klepadlo and Angelika Dechnik
a higher level of tension, do you think Photo By Carson Zullinger
that you’ll be ready to handle it next
time?
DS: Definitely. Especially because
we witnessed it, but also after the
World Championship when we got
back to New York, we really analyzed
our performance and discussed it
with our coaches. They have really
helped us achieve a whole new level
of calm and maturity within our
dancing to help us handle and control
the tension.
Congratulations to our Youth
DanceSport athletes from USA
Dance! Daniel Shapiro and Katya Kovalyova
Photo By Carson Zullinger
2010 July – August 33
 L atin
W orlds
Time to Shine
by: Daphna Locker
At the beginning of the year, all
our eyes were turned to Vancouver.
We watched as the world descended
onto its cedar slopes and we laughed
and cried at the joys and pains of the
Olympic Winter games. We were
there with those athletes and in the
back of our minds we dreamed of
when ballroom would be an Olympic
sport.
A lot of us right now are watching
the World Cup of Soccer and watching
the world’s top soccer athletes gather
in South Africa for the title of the
world’s best, in the world’s sport.
Those of us that are die hard fans
are getting up early in the morning,
turning our TV’s to ESPN and
watching, waiting for the ultimate
victor.
But to the ballroom dancer, does the
World Cup of Soccer really matter?
What about the Winter Olympics?
Whether you really cared about the
sports or not, the main thing you
wanted was for USA to win.
34 DanceSport
On November 13th of this year,
we will be hosting the IDSF World
DanceSport Championship Latin
at the New York Marriott at the
Brooklyn Bridge in New York City,
and our athletes will be competing for
the title of World’s Best. This is the
event that matters to us and unlike
the Olympics or the World Cup, it’ll
be a one day event, packed with the
best competitive Latin the world has
to offer. It’s an honor to host this
event. IDSF world events come to the
United States once a decade at best.
Invitations have already been sent out
to countries all over the world to send
their representatives, with 90 couples
expected to come and compete.
Beyond just Latin competition,
there will be a showcase of Rhythm
and Smooth dances as well as an
“Open to the World” Youth Standard
championship. This event will be a
little bit of everything, a celebration
of ballroom dance and everything
that makes this sport so unique and
enjoyable.
2010 is the year of the world, and for
USA Dance, it’s our year to shine.
 baltimore
April 9, 10, 11
Located in the Renaissance
Harborplace Hotel

More Information to come

Contact Us: Call 646-734-9666 or see our

website for additional information:

Member Organization of
www.usadancenationals.org
The United States Olympic Committee &
International DanceSport Federation
www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July – August 35
 Eugene and Maria
Retire from
Competition
By: Vivian Beiswenger
O
n Saturday, May 29,
after representing the
USA in the International
Professional Invitational Team
Match at the Blackpool Dance
Festival, Eugene Katsevman and
Maria Manusova announced their
retirement from professional
competition, choosing to retire at
Blackpool because it was there they
won the British Open Under 21 Latin
Championship, where they became
the first American couple to make
the British Open Amateur Latin
Final, and where they became World
Professional Latin Finalists. The
crowd responded with a standing
36 DanceSport
ovation—not Eugene and Maria’s first
at Blackpool.
Both born in Kiev in the Ukraine,
this couple didn’t meet until after
immigrating to New York in 1992
and 1993. In their almost 17-year
partnership, they have won two US
Youth Latin Championships and 11
Adult Amateur Latin championships
and represented the USA in three
World Youth and 11 World Adult
Latin Championships. Upon turning
professional, they immediately placed
second in the US Professional Latin
Championships and represented the
US at two World Professional Latin
Championships, making the semi-
final in the first year and the finals in
2009.
On a personal note, I have loved this
couple since they danced as teens
and have felt a special relationship
since being a force to help send them
to the World Youth Championships
in 1995. Eugene and Maria later won
the Latin event and went to their first
world championship several weeks
later.
This couple has impressed me from
the beginning in how they treated
each other. Competitive couples
are often seen arguing in public,
but they avoided this by “genuinely
respect[ing] each other.” “If you have

the same goal, there is no point in
fighting—you are on the same side,”
they said. So simple, yet so hard!
Though grateful, Eugene and Maria
could not credit any one coach for
their success. “We followed our
hearts and not anyone person’s
product,” they said, although several
people did inspire them: Victor
Kanevsky, Michael Wentink, Louis
Van Amstel, Allan Tornsberg,
Vibeke Toft, Ruud Vermey, and Peter
Maxwell.
Even though they retired before the
professional Latin event at Blackpool,
they were wonderful to watch in the
team match. You still have a chance
www.USAdance.ORG
Photos Courtesy of Olga Rogachevskaya
Background by Michelle Hoffman
to see them perform in upcoming
shows at the Colorado Star Ball
Championships, the Millennium
Championships, the New Jersey
State Open Championships, and the
Hollywood Championships, to name
a few.
On retiring, they remarked they
“like dancing and will always like
dancing, but you need to know when
to stop. Over the past year, [they]
have been very happy with their
dancing and felt they did not need to
prove anything anymore.” They plan
to focus on teaching and doing shows
and currently have no plans for Pro/
Am competition or competing with
different partners. Eugene and Maria
hope to start judging and traveling to
pass on their passion and love for this
business.
In their announcement, Eugene
and Maria thanked past and current
competitors, as well as their teachers
and fans. To all the kids, they said,
“Keep dreaming, keep working,
and keep believing in yourselves.
Dreams do come true and miracles
do happen.” To everyone else: “Our
journey has truly been extraordinary
and beyond our wildest dreams.
Thank you all for being part of it.”
2010 July – August 37
 excerpted from Pbskids.org
by: Ivor Lee
O
ver the past years USA
Dance has experienced
unprecedented growth.
While an enormous blessing, one of
the sometime uncelebrated aspects
of it is the increase of children
becoming interested in ballroom
dance as well. Some parents
and competitors will remember
Nationals and other events where
only a handful of children appeared
on the floor, but this is now no
longer the norm.
It’s not even that this is obvious
to just USA Dance. People outside
our organization have noticed the
growth as well. PBS Kids recently
interviewed some of the ballroom
kids of USA Dance on the “It’s My
Life” blog available on the PBS Kids
website.
The following comments are
excerpted from interviews with
Dmitriy and Michelle, Ivan and
Madelyne, and Jaryd and Cara:
IML: When you’re competing on
a dance floor full of other couples,
do you know when you’re really
standing out and people are noticing
you? Or are you just focusing on
your own routine?
Photos Courtesy of PBS Kids.org
38 DanceSport
Michelle: When we go on the
floor, it’s like we’re the only people
there. We just pretend there’s no one
there and that we’re just dancing like
we do in our studio, because that’s
where I dance the best. So I just
enjoy myself and I have fun with it! 
IML: What’s the funniest thing
that ever happened to you during a
competition?
Madelyne: Once I was at a
competition regional. We were
doing Samba and my partner forgot
the whole routine, so I had to
basically do all the steps by myself. It
was really funny because you could
see that we were messing up. We
still won first place!
IML: In general, what has dance
added to your life?
Jaryd: It’s given me strength and
courage, and it makes me want to
keep dancing. It’s given me great
opportunities because I’ve met so
many people and been taught by so
many people. 
Cara: It gives me confidence. I
think I’ve grown more because of
dance.
For more details check out Public
Eye!
The best
is yet to come
By: Ivor Lee

Ken Richards addressing the presidium and other

delegates at the IDSF Annual General Meeting

F
rom June 11th to the 14th, Vienna, Austria
played host to the IDSF Annual General Meeting.
Delegates from all over the world arrived at the
Imperial City, home of generations of western art and
music, to discuss the future of the IDSF and the big
things that are on the horizon.
Ken Richards, VP of DanceSport, and Wayne
Crowder, Certification Chair, formed the USA Dance
delegates at the meeting. Being Crowder’s first time
attending the meeting, the meeting afforded a bigger
picture on what was happening in the world of dance.
“IDSF is looking to expand into everything to do with
dance. It’s growing into something that encompasses all
aspects of dance,” he said, “We need to understand that
there is work ahead of us and we need to form friend-
ships and alliances with other delegates and federations
in the world to assist our athletes in the USA.”
These changes are largely due to the close relation the
IDSF shares with the International Olympic Committee.
Through working together, the IDSF has learned the
steps necessary to make ballroom dance an Olympic
event.
“The IDSF is very focused on its relationship with the
IOC; plans are being set for the formation of the World
DanceSport Federation to be unveiled in 2012. Part of
what will make the Olympics happen is the partnerships
between various dance disciplines under one umbrella.
This is how the IOC thinks,” said Richards.
The simplest analogy is the example of Track and
Field. Track and Field is made up of different events
that form the greater whole of the event, all events
occurring on the same venue. The unification of all dance
disciplines is considered the best shot at DanceSport
being included as an Olympic sport.
One thing that impressed Crowder the most was how
much work the meeting accomplished. “The meeting
began in the hallway outside of the room, way before
it even officially started. Every conversation the entire
weekend, whether it was on the bus or over dinner, was
about work and how we could push DanceSport, our
relationships with the other groups and delegates and
how that all ties into the IDSF,” said Crowder.
There’s a lot of work to be done, and the best is yet to
come.
From left to right: Ken Richards, IDSF President Carlos Freitag,
Wayne Crowder
Photos Courtesy of Ken Richards

www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July – August 39

 Twinkle Twinkle
Little Stars
By: Susan Ann Johnson • Chapter #6078 President • USA Dance Upstate SC
U
SA Dance Upstate South
Carolina Chapter #6078
hosted “Twinkle, Twinkle
Little Stars—Dancing to Help
Children Defy the Odds” at the
Greenville Shrine Club on April 10,
2010 and to help the children served
by the Greenville, South Carolina
Shriner’s Hospital for Children
as well as the Foster Children of
Greenville County.
Penny Brady, former board
member and event chair, worked
creative magic to transform the
Shrine Club into a night of stars
with stunning table centerpieces
with color, lights and star balloons
that filled the room. Members of a
local church youth group cut out
silhouettes of children in dance
poses for these unique centerpieces.
At the end of the evening those at
the tables making the highest bid
took the arrangement home.
Organizers included the Board
of Directors of Chapter #6078,
caring, volunteering members from
the community and event Chairs
Chapter President Susan Johnson
and Penny Brady. Local support
from area businesses, media, dance
instructors and others made this first
annual event heartwarming.
Secretary Loretta Geisler, head of
the entertainment committee, put
together a showcase of local talent.
40 InStep
Instructor Roy Jordan donated
his time and Champion Ballroom
background in working with three
local pre-teen students. Imani
Hargett and Emile Batchelder-
Schwab, recently winning the pre-
teen championship at the Heritage
Classic, delighted the crowd with
the Quickstep and Cha-Cha.
Champion pre-teen dancer, Olivia
Arnold was another highlight of the
evening as she danced silver level
Tango with instructor Jordan. The
Carolina Ballet Theater staff worked
with several former patients of the
Shriner’s Hospital to choreograph
a lyrical dance to the vocal
presentation of “Over the Rainbow”
sung by Geisler. Dancers Alana
Aldridge, Kaitlyn Fowler, Jasmine
Martin, Brycen Westmoreland,
Camron Westmoreland and Mya
Westmoreland showed with their
performance how they have defied
the odds. Instructors from the
theater, Anita and Hernan Justo,
ended the show with their flawless
presentation of the Argentine Tango.
Vice President Judy Lowry and
Penny Brady presented a creative
display of silent auction items that
ranged from a weekend stay plus
dinner at the Hilton that included a
set of diamond and sapphire earrings
from Reeds Jewelers, watercolor
pictures of children, a ballroom
creation by a local doll artist
and hand crafted dance apparel
accessories. Treasurer Jim Cervenak
and President Susan Johnson
coordinated food for the event
and included a candy/desert bar
complete with large martini glasses
hand painted by students of the local
fine arts center. The glasses were
used to serve candy then auctioned
off as part of the silent auction.
The evening included social
dancing to the fine arts center’s jazz
quintet followed by dance music
presented by volunteer DJ and Board
Member, Roger Buckner. Dancers
from local USA Dance chapters as
well as other social dancers from the
region filled the floor until the last
waltz at midnight.
The event succeeded in raising
funds to support two worthy
charities thanks to a high level
of community support, raising
awareness of the benefits of dance
and in particular that of USA
Dance’s mission and their role in
the community. The event not only
showed how USA Dance Upstate
SC Chapter supports the youth of
the community but gave children of
the community an opportunity to be
involved helping other children that
need a helping hand.
www.USAdance.ORG 2010
2010July
July– august 41
– August
 Above the Ordinary
By: Ivor Lee

T
he Maury Show’s live studio
audience and millions of
viewers at home knew on last
May 25th that they were in for a treat:
the “Most Talented Kids” segment of
the show. They didn’t realize how much
of a treat it was for them when ten year
old Edgar Khachaturov and 12 year
old Daniela Olevsky came out on the
floor of the show. But once they started
performing their Samba, the crowd
couldn’t help but be impressed.
“My favorite part was definitely
getting on the stage to perform and the
crowd started cheering. It made me
feel really excited and want to dance Edgar Khachaturov and Daniela Olevsky with Maury
really good,” said Khachaturov, “I love
to people and the energy and power it For some, TV appearances are an
to dance because I love the images it
shows.” arduous process requiring many
creates and the way it communicates

42 InStep
auditions, waiting by the phone for
callbacks, and a lot of dreaming. Edgar
and Daniela were a different story.
Producers from the Maury Show
contacted them directly after seeing a
YouTube video of them performing at
a birthday party.
Still, their appearance on TV was
not without trial and misadventure.
For the weeks prior to the show they
practiced a Cha-Cha routine set to a
Lady Gaga song; however, upon arrival
at the studio, they were told to change
the song and come up with a different
routine.
“Producers don’t understand that
you have to choreograph and practice
these things over and over,” said Vicky
www.USAdance.ORG
Olvesky, Daniela’s mother.
Yet this didn’t stop the young
couple. They buckled down, and
choreographed and practiced a Samba
routine—one that allowed them to use
more difficult moves—in the two days
before the show.
“Sometimes it surprises me,”
said Vicky about her daughter’s
determination. “When I was panicking
on the show, she said to me, ‘Mom,
it’s ok. We’ll do it.’ She was the calmer
person in the whole thing. She’s really
grown up.”
According to Danela, it’s a much
easier answer. “We love dancing. It’s
our passion; every part of it,” she said.
2010
2010July
July– august 43
– August
 USA DANCE

National Collegiate
DanceSport Challenge
Columbus Convention Center Columbus, Ohio

November 21-22, 2010

Establishing Excellence
44 InStep
for more information go to www.usadancencc.org
Nationals Sponsors 2010

Arlene Yu
Nadia Eftedal
Holiday Ball Competition
Erminio Stefano & Luana Conte
Eugene Katsevman & Maria Manusova
Victor Fung & Anastasia Muravyeva
Larinda McRaven
Dance Pants
Scott & Sarah Coates
USA Dance Central Florida Chapter # 6002
USISTD
USA Dance Michigan Northern Lights
Chapter #2048
USA Dance Royal Palm Chapter #6016
USA Dance Treasure Coast Chapter #6004

Thank you for your support!

USA Dance Tidewater Chapter #6008
Spencer & Elena Nyemchek
David & Connie Taylor
Aida Renzo

www.USAdance.ORG 2010 July– august 45

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46 InStep
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North Carolina Ballroom Teachers
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Contact: Jillian Hood ph: 276-614-4595
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lasting 4 months that teaches the lead, follow
and teaching method for the American Bronze
DVIDA syllabus: 4 Smooth, 8 Rhythm and
5 Nightclub Dances. The course prepares
candidates for the DVIDA professional
certification exams.
Paso a Paso Ballroom Dance
Provides instruction in all american style
dances with group or private lessons available.
Regular dance parties are offered for students/
public to practice and socialize. Contact
Barbara Putz, 317-696-1656, email: bkayputz@
hotmail.com website: www.tatesdance.com
Queen City Ballroom Dance Studio
Provides instruction in all American styles
Karen Tebeau, 21 Dow St., 2nd fl., Manchester
NH 03101 - Email: qnctybalrm@aol.com
Peoria School of Ballroom Dance
Carmen Antonio Giuseppe Peoria
120 Peoria Lane, Youngwood, PA 15697
Phone: 724-925-3884
e-mail: papapeoria@yahoo.com
Specializing in both Am. & Int’l Beg. &
competitive levels
TRAVEL
Compass Speakers & Entertainment
Inc.
The Gentleman Host® Program - Tracy
Robison, 2455 E. Sunrise Blvd. #804, Ft
Lauderdale FL 33304 - Leading supplier
of Gentlemen Dance Hosts ® to the luxury
cruise industry Phone 954-568-3801, Email:
host@compassspeakers.com website: www.
compassspeakers.com
OTHER
Competition Management Services Inc.
Mark Garber, Atlanta GA On-line registration,
scheduling & payment for dance competitions
- Phone: 770-645-8707 FAX: 770-645-6350
Email: support@competitorregister.com -
Website: http://competitorregister.com/
Show Off Straps
www.showoffstraps.com.
Customized bra straps worth showing off.
Contact Susan Ratcliff.
Phone: 1-888-578-7277.
Email: customerservice@showoffstraps.
com.
SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS
NATIONALS
United States Rock ‘N’ Roll Dance
Federation
USA Dance National Sports Organization
Member - 92 Corporate park, Ste. C-572 -
Irvine, CA 92606-5106 - Phone: 714-832-1085
Website: www.usdanceteams.org
Dance Mart
Smooth/Standard Gown Picture available. Email o_meng@hotmail.
Size 4-6 - Purple gown with feather brim and com.
wrist band. Rarely worn. Picture available. Dance Partner Wanted
$150. Email o_meng@hotmail.com. Hi, Purita C. Schwarz, of Chicago Chap-
SMOOTH GOWNS ter ID#112247, looking for a male, single,
Standard gown size 2-4. Royal blue with ballroom dance partner (5 ft. 7 in to 6 ft. 4 Dance Mart
ruched bra like top and ruched at the waist. in) to dance, practice American Smooth &
Bodice is stoned on lace appliques. Spaghetti American Rhythm at socials or chapter func-
tions. I have dance experiences in competition DanceMart continues to serve
straps are covered with same fabric. Skirt has
3 rows of satin flounces. Brand new condition. bronze levels; willing to dance with a beginner, members of USA Dance as a
$200.00 + shipping. Photos. dancinmacs@ pro, social dancer. Pls. email: godloves_pcs@
free space to advertise and sell
comcast.net or 561-740-9589 yahoo.com or call: 815-603-4807. Thanks.
Dance Partner Wanted personal costumes, shoes, etc.,
Latin/rhythm size 0-2-4 Orange lycra halter I am currently looking for a dance partner for or search for a partner.
style bodice with 2 layers of orange chiffon competitive practice and competitions! Look-
hooped skirt. Bodice is stoned down to the ing for someone who has been dancing at least
skirt. $175.00 + shipping. Photo. five years and likes competitive-style dancing. To be included in DanceMart,
dancinmacs@comcast.net or 561-740-9589 Lori Talbott pink-dancer@comcast.net 206-
please limit your classified ads
SHOES 304-2112 Seattle, Wa.
Supadance standard female model number: SHOES to 50 words or less. You must
12-8 Satin size: british 5 1/2 width: regular On vacation I splurged for 3 pair of beautiful include your membership
heel: 2 1/2 Shoes are pretty new. Worn for leather dance shoes but have since given up
serious dancing. Will sell them for a bargain number and name to ensure
about 2 months. Asking for $70.00 chong-
white@hotmail.com 847-989-5639. $50.00 each pair plus shipping. Never worn. compliance with the free space
SHOES Red, black and gold - size 7 - open and closed
for members only.
4 Pair of “Court” shoes (closed toe pumps), toe, strap, 2 inch heel. Will send photos via
Worn Once. $75. ea. pair. incl.shipping.Orig. mail - lujaros@rcn.com or 312/664-6133.
Cost $150+ ea. pr. Nude Satin Supadance,Size Also have one pair leather soles and a metal Classified ads will run in
5.5 (UK), 2.5” heel. Nude Satin Supadance, brush.
American Dancer for two
Size 5.5(UK), 2.0” heel Blk. Satin Supadance,
Size 5.5(UK), 2.0” heel Werner Kern Blk. issues. If you wish to run it
Suede w/imbedded rhinestones,Size 4.5 (Italy), longer, you must resend the ad.
2.0” heel Call (973)783-3191, Rosemary
Latin/Rhythm Gown
Size 4-6 - Bright yellow gown with long To place or renew an ad, please
sleeves and heavily-stoned neck band; knee-
send it to:
length; heavy-stoned along the left side of the
gown and right shoulder. Rarely worn. Picture
available. $180. Email o_meng@hotmail.com. office@americandancer.org
Standard Shoes
English size 5 flesh-color standard pump.
Wrong-size for me. Only worn a couple times.

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Stars on the Floor MAC Turns 20 National Chapter Conference MAC Turns 20
USA Dance Ballroom Kids TM

Ballroom: The Social Side
What’s going on for Social Dancers
Official Publication of USA Dance
Hand in Hand Together We Can The 20th Anniversary of the Manhattan Amateur C
Ballroom: The Next Generation Best of Education Ballroom: The Next Generation
2009 National Collegiate Challenge
How to Cultivate a Love for Ballroom in Our Youth How to Cultivate a Love for Ballroom in Our Youth
Stars on the Floor MAC Turns 20
Official Kids
Publication of USA Dance Official Publication of USA Dance Official Publication
USA Dance Ballroom TM

USA Dance 2010 Nationals Results Ballroom: USA

TheDance
Social2010
SideNationals Showcase in LA USA Dance 2010 National DanceSport Championships USA Dance 2010 Nation
Ballroom: The Next Generation
What’s going on for Social Dancers January-February 2010
www.usadance.org May-June 2010 Issue 24 www.usadance.org How
March - April 2010 to Cultivate a Love for Ballroom
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 Member Organization
of the United States
Olympic Committee

USA DANCE
The National Governing Body
for DanceSport in the USA

U
SA Dance, the official National Governing Body for DanceSport in the United States,
is recognized by the USOC, IOC and IDSF. As a 501c3 non-profit organization, USA
Dance represents the best interests of DanceSport athletes as well as social dancers
throughout the USA. As a democratic, all-volunteer organization, USA Dance is comprised
of talented professionals, passionate supporters of dance, and approximately 180 fast-growing
chapters. USA Dance is dedicated to promoting the quality and quantity of ballroom dancing
for all and the global movement to bring DanceSport into the Olympics.

 USA Member Organization of the USOC.  Organizer of the National Collegiate DanceSport
 USA Member Organization of the IDSF. Challenge at the Ohio Star Ball.
 Recognized by the USOC and the International  Organizer of the Special Olympics DanceSport
Olympic Committee as the National Governing Championships.
Body for DanceSport in the USA.  Publisher of American Dancer Magazine.
 25,000 members providing financial support.
 Reaching 200,000 dancers in the USA.
 Organizer of the Official National DanceSport
Championships in the United States, where the
USA’s official World Teams are selected.
 Providing USA World Teams annual support of
more than $65,000.

www.usadance.org
Host and organizer of
2010 IDSF World DanceSport Championship Latin
November 13, 2010 • New York City, USA • www.2010idsfworldlatin.com