Troy Lerum and Whitney Irene tear up the ... - Sheer Dancesheerdance.com/issues/2015-09-01.pdfSep...

Troy Lerum and Whitney Irene tear up the floor

at the Twin Cities Open. See more from TCO inside!

Photo by CJ Hurst.

2 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM[Get DANCiNG]

September 9 • Wednesday WCS Dance Party - Dancers Studio; 415

Pascal St N, St. Paul; 8 p.m.; $5Practice Party - Cinema Ballroom; 1560 St.

Clair Ave, St. Paul; 8 - 9 p.m.; $6Swing Night - Lee’s Liquor Lounge; 101

Glenwood Ave, Mpls; 8:00 lesson, live music 9 - 11:30 p.m.

September 10 • Thursday Late Night Swing - 301 Main St NE, Mpls; 10

p.m. - 1:30 a.m.; $6, $4 studentsVariety Dance - Dancers Studio; 415 Pascal St

N, St. Paul; 7:30 p.m.; $5Bachata Social - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave

S, Mpls; 9 - 10 p.m.; $5Blues Practice - Four Seasons; 1637 Hennepin

Ave S, Mpls; 10 - 11 p.m.; $3

September 11 • Friday Variety Dance - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave

S, Mpls; 8 - 9:30 p.m.; $10WCS Dance Club - 2100 Dale St N, Roseville;

7:30 lesson, dance 8:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.Milonga Flor de Luna - Four Seasons;

1637 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls; 9:30 p.m.; $7, $4 students

September 12 • Saturday Tango Practice Party - DanceLife; 6015

Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; $5Milonga - Costa Rica Ballroom; 816

Mainstreet, Hopkins; 8:30 lesson, dance 9:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.; $14, $7 students

September 13 • Sunday UTango Open Practica - 1219 University Ave

SE, Mpls; 6 - 7 p.m.; $3Rogue Tango - Loring Pasta Bar; 327 14th Ave

SE, Mpls; 6 - 10 p.m.Patty & The Buttons Live Jazz - 125 Main St

SE, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; freeO’Hagan Orchestra Variety Dance - Cinema

Ballroom; 1560 St. Clair Ave, St. Paul; 6:15 lesson, dance 7 - 10 p.m.

September 14 • Monday Tango Desperados Practica - 2507 E 25th St,

Mpls; 7:30 - 9:30 p.m.; $5Rhythm Junction Lindy Hop - Four Seasons;

1637 Hennepin Ave, Mpls; 8 - 11 p.m.Salsa Social - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave S,

Mpls; 9:30 – 11 p.m.; $5

September 15 • Tuesday WCS Social - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave S,

Mpls; 9 – 11 p.m.; $5Tango Party - 3142 1st Ave S, Mpls; 9 - 11:30

p.m.; $5; 21+









Ave S, Mpls; 10 - 11 p.m.; $3


S, Mpls; 8 - 9:30 p.m.; $10Variety Dance - Cinema Ballroom; 1560 St.

Clair Ave, St. Paul; 7:00 lesson, dance 8 - 11 p.m.; $10


Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; $5Variety Dance - Phipps Art Center; 109

Locust St, Hudson, WI; 7:00 lesson, dance 8 - 10 p.m.; $12




SE, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; freeTC Rebels WCS Social - DanceLife; 6015

Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 7 - 10:30 p.m.; $11, $7 students

Ballroom Dance Party - Tapestry; 3748 Minnehaha Ave, Mpls; 6:00 lesson, dance 7 - 9:30 p.m.; $10, $7 students




Mpls; 9:30 – 11 p.m.; $5



p.m.; $5; 21+








S, Mpls; 9 - 10 p.m.; $5



p.m.; $5; 21+





Milonga - Krungthep Thai Cuisine; 2523 Nicollet Ave S, Mpls; $5, free for students





Ave S, Mpls; 10 - 11 p.m.; $3


S, Mpls; 8 - 9:30 p.m.; $10Variety Dance - Cinema Ballroom; 1560 St.

Clair Ave, St. Paul; 7:00 lesson, dance 8 - 11 p.m.; $10

Variety Dance - Stark’s; 3125 Dodd Rd, Eagan; 7:30 tango lesson, dance 8 p.m. - 12 a.m.; $5

September 5 • Saturday Milonga en el Alma - Four Seasons; 1637

Hennepin Ave S, Mpls; 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.; $10, $5 students

Variety Dance - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 7:00 lesson, dance 8 - 10 p.m.; $10

Swing Dance - 301 Main St NE, Mpls; 7:30 p.m. - 12:30 a.m.

Tango Practice Party - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; $5




SE, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; freeTC Rebels WCS Social - DanceLife; 6015

Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 7 - 10:30 p.m.; $11, $7 students

Ballroom Dance Party - Tapestry; 3748 Minnehaha Ave, Mpls; 6:00 lesson, dance 7 - 9:30 p.m.; $10, $7 students




Mpls; 9:30 – 11 p.m.; $5



p.m.; $5; 21+

twin Cities Dance events

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 3[Get DANCiNG]

Blues Practice - Four Seasons; 1637 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls; 10 - 11 p.m.; $3


S, Mpls; 8 - 9:30 p.m.; $10WCS Dance Club - 2100 Dale St N, Roseville;

7:30 lesson, dance 8:30 p.m. - 12 a.m.Salsa Fusion - Cinema Ballroom; 1560 St.

Clair Ave, St. Paul; 7:00 lesson, dance 8 - 11 p.m.

Mala Yunta Milonga - Four Seasons; 1637 Hennepin Ave S, Mpls; 9:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.; $10, $5 students


Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.; $5Cafe Bailar - Costa Rica Ballroom; 816

Mainstreet, Hopkins; 7:30 lesson, dance 8:30 - 11:30 p.m.; $10

Milonga: Tango Fusion - DanceLife; 6015 Lyndale Ave S, Mpls; 9 p.m. - 1 a.m.; $10, $5 students

Shannon & Bill’s Sock Hop - 101 Glenwood Ave, Mpls; 8:30 lesson, live music 9:30 p.m. - 1 a.m.; $7, 21+




SE, Mpls; 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; freeO’Hagan Orchestra Variety Dance - Cinema

Ballroom; 1560 St. Clair Ave, St. Paul; 6:15 lesson, dance 7 - 10 p.m.




Mpls; 9:30 – 11 p.m.; $5



p.m.; $5; 21+





StudiosAmerican Classic Ballroom 952.934.0900

550 Market Street, Chanhassenwww.acballroom.com

Balance Pointe Studios 952.922.86125808R W 36th Street, St. Louis Parkwww.balancepointestudios.com

Ballroom & Latin Dance Club 952.292.0524

1103 W Burnsville Pkwy, Burnsvillewww.ballroom-club.com

Ballroom & Wedding Dance Studio 612.371.0300

2717 42nd Street E, Minneapoliswww.myballroomdancestudio.com

Blue Moon Ballroom 507.288.0556 2030 Highway 14 E, Rochesterwww.BlueMoonBallroom.com

Cinema Ballroom 651.699.5910 1560 St. Clair Ave, St. Paulwww.cinemaballroom.com

Costa Rica Ballroom Dance Studios 952.303.3339

816 Mainstreet, Hopkinswww.costaricaballroom.com

Dahl Dance Center 507.252.1848 4204 North Highway 52, Rochesterwww.dahldance.com

Dance and Entertainment 651.605.5784www.danceandentertainment.com

Dance with Us America 612.564.5483 10 Southdale Center, Edinawww.dancewithusamerica.com

DanceLife Ballroom 612.345.42196015 Lyndale Ave S, Minneapoliswww.dancelifeballroom.com

Dancers Studio 651.641.0777 415 Pascal Street N, St. Paulwww.dancersstudio.com

Four Seasons Dance Studio 612.342.0902 1637 Hennepin Ave S, Minneapoliswww.fourseasonsdance.com

Latin Mambo 612.558.7190 2948 Chicago Ave S #308, Mplswww.latinmambodancestudio.com

Mill City Ballroom 612.562.2733 www.millcityballroom.com

Rendezvous Dance Studio 612.872.1562 711 W Lake Street, Suite B, Minneapoliswww.theplacetodance.com

StudioJeff 320.266.4137 701 St. Germain Street W, Suite 201,

St. Cloudwww.studiojeff.com

instructorsScott Anderson 612.816.4446

[email protected]

Nathan Daniels 763.464.1021Jennelle Donnay 651.357.2060Julie Delene 612.598.5355

[email protected]

Donna Edelstein [email protected]

Jennifer & Robert Foster 952.239.2984Shane Haggerty 612.702.3588

[email protected]

Lindsey Rebecca Hall 612.940.9546Julie Jacobson 651.261.6442Jay Larson 651.387.3886Kristina Lee 715.821.9039Deanne Michael 612.508.9255Monica Mohn 612.874.0747

[email protected]

Mariusz Olszewski [email protected]

Karin Rice 612.242.2188Lisa Vogel 651.208.0818

[email protected]

ClubsAqua Gliders Dance Club 612.869.3062Café Bailar

www.cafebailar.comCotillion Dance Club of Stillwater 651.388.1231

[email protected] Dance Club 651.439.3152

facebook.com/LaDanzaDanceClubLakeside Dance Club 320.763.6432

[email protected]

Linden Hills Dancing Club 651.636.9747www.lindenhillsdancingclub.org

MN West Coast Swing Dance Club 763.442.1618

mnwestcoastswingdanceclub.comREBELS Swing Dance Club 952.941.0906

www.tcrebels.comStardust Dance Club

[email protected] Dance Club 952.894.1412

www.suburbanwinterset.comTango Society of Minnesota 612.224.2905

www.mntango.orgTapestry Folkdance Center 612.722.2914

www.tapestryfolkdance.orgTC Swing 651.558.0562

[email protected]

University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club

[email protected]

Uptown Swing [email protected]

twin Cities Dance Contacts

4 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM

SponsorU Partner Dance, Inc. and:

AdvertisersBallroom Blast, Chicago Harvest Moon Ball Dancesport Championship,

Dance Fest, Rapit Printing

photographersAmy and Scott Anderson, Erik Anderson, CJ Hurst, Karin Lynn Photography

WritersHannah Alyea, Joseph Carey, Kyle Condiff, Elizabeth Dickinson, Alexzandra

Enger, Julie Johnston, Christine Trask, Yvonne Viehman, Chelsea Visser, Bryan Waznik, Nicholas Westlake, Seth Westlake

Brought to You By

in this issue

[Get Dancing]Twin Cities Dance Events 2

Twin Cities Dance Contacts 3

2015 Competitions 5

2016 Competitions 5

[participate]Volunteer Openings 6

About Us 6

Contribute 7

[Special Features]Standing Room Only 10

The American Style Congress 12

Enjoy the Mix 14

[Recurring Columns]Gaining Perspective 16

Life Through Dance 19

Results from Around the Country 20

Volunteer Report 24

[From the Community]The Love of Dance: Part One 26

Dahl Dance Center Turns Ten 28

Mastering the Inner Game 30

Falling into Dance 31

Show Off Your Moves 32

The Mystery of Dance 34

Meet the University of MN Ballroom Dance Club

Officers! 36

Better Management in Ballroom 38

Photo from the Twin Cities Open by Karin Lynn Photography

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 5

DiscussionThis is a forum where people

are invited to express their true

feelings about issues in the dance

community (while still adhering

to our submission guidelines) and

propose solutions to the prob-

lems we often face. Statements

made in the Discussion section

do not necessarily reflect the

views of Sheer Dance, even when

written by one of our volunteer

staff.

From the CommunityUnlike the other sections,

there is no cohesive theme to

From the Community; it is a

catch-all for the unique gems that

are submitted by people like you.

Here you’ll find contributions

like event recaps, interviews,

tales from a far-off competition,

and photos from a local dance

event.

Recurring ColumnsWe have a handful of generous

writers who contribute regularly.

Each explores a unique, overar-

ching theme of their choice. Each

month, in a volunteer report, one

of our volunteers fills you in on

what they’ve been doing to make

the dance community a better

place.

Special FeaturesSome issues focus on a particu-

lar event or theme, and all content

relevant to that theme belongs to

the Special Features section. E

Events labeled NQE are qualifying events for the USA

Dance National DanceSport Championships.

New England DanceSport Championships - NQE September 25 - 27Waltham, MA; nedancesport.org

Carolina Fall Classic - NQE October 2 - 4Charlotte, NC; carolinafallclassic.com

Chicago DanceSport Challenge - NQE October 30 - November 1Chicago, IL; usadancechicago.org

California State DanceSport Championships NQE November 7San Jose, CA; usadance-norcal.org

National Collegiate DanceSport Championships November 21 - 22Columbus, OH; usadancencc.org

Snow Ball January 8 - 10Minneapolis, MN; thesnowballcomp.com

Manhattan Amateur Classic - NQE January 15 - 17New York, NY; macnyusadance.org

PDX Ballroom Classic - NQE January 30Portland, OR; nwballroomcompetition.org

Mid-Atlantic Championship - NQE February 20 - 21Bethesda, MD; usadancedc.org

Dance Fest March 5 - 6St. Paul, MN; udancefest.com

2016 National DanceSport Championships April 1 - 3Baltimore, MD; usadancenationals.org

Derby City DanceSport Championships - NQE August 5 - 7Louisville, KY; derbycitydancesport.org

Chicago DanceSport Challenge - NQE October 28 - 30Chicago, IL; usadancechicago.org

Sections 2015 Competitions

2016 Competitions

6 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM[pARtiCipAte]

About Us

Sheer Dance is an independent

publication that presents news

and information relevant to the

partner-dancing community in the

central United States and the nation

at large. It is intended to be an

accessible outlet for members of the

community to discuss their experi-

ences and opinions in a public forum.

Published monthly, Sheer Dance is run

by a group of skilled volunteers with

extensive experience in creating and

distributing successful partner-dance

publications.

This magazine is meant to serve

the community as a positive and uni-

fying force by addressing the needs

and desires of all groups within the

community. Sheer Dance:

• Provides amateurs with a conve-

nient way to share their dance

experiences, seek advice from

experts, and learn about events,

services, and other opportunities

in the wider ballroom community;

• Provides professionals with direct

access to their target audience,

spreading awareness of their

expertise, events, and services; and

• Provides the entire community

with a forum for discussion, coop-

eration, and problem-solving.

Sheer Dance is made possible by the

generous contributions of members

of the community. If you enjoy read-

ing this publication, please consider

contributing an article or photos,

making a donation, subscribing, or

volunteering your time and skills.

The staff of Sheer Dance can be

reached at [email protected]. We

hope to hear from you! E

Volunteer Openings

Assignment photographerIf you love taking photos and exploring the

partner-dancing world, throw in your hat to

become an official Sheer Dance photographer!

This volunteer will be provided topics and

events to cover with action-packed shots.

Assignment WriterLove writing but never sure what to write

about? We supply the topics every month; you

supply the articles. Excited, passionate writers

with a thirst for exploration are encouraged to

consider volunteering for this position.

ColumnistWe’re always looking for more people to

commit to writing an article every month that

addresses a particular idea or theme relevant

to partner dancing. You choose the topic!

Copy editorWe’re looking for a highly skilled linguist

with an intimate understanding of American

English spelling, punctuation, and grammar

to do the first pass of line editing on all arti-

cles. This is a very involved role that provides

excellent experience for anyone considering a

career in publishing.

Your Contribution HereHave an idea of how you could add value

to Sheer Dance that we haven’t thought of ?

Let us know! E

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 7[pARtiCipAte]

Contribute

Submission GuidelinesSubmissions are due to

[email protected] by the 10th of the

month prior to publication. Submissions received

after the deadline may be used in the upcoming issue

or may be saved for a later month. You may request a

two-day extension if you include information regard-

ing your topic.

Content is published at the discretion of Sheer

Dance based on the policies outlined below. It is our

goal to publish all of the content submitted to us in

the issue for which it was submitted. Any rejected

advertisement or article will come with communica-

tion on how it could be edited to be appropriate for

publication, with a deadline extension when possible

to allow time to effect the necessary alterations.

AdvertisementsWe print at 300 dpi and accept PDF, PNG, and JPEG

file types. When buying a larger advertising pack-

age, you may swap in a different ad for each month

at no additional fee. Contact [email protected]

for more information.

Layout Dimensions (width × height)

Price Per Ad Price for 12 Consecutive Months

Full .5” x 10” $120 $1200

Half Page 7.5” x 4.75” $75 $750

Quarter Page 3.5” x 4.75” $50 $500

Business Card 3.5” x 2” $15 $150

photosWhen selecting photos to include in the magazine,

we try to feature different dancers in each picture,

when possible. We look for photos with good lighting,

a clear focus, and smiling dancers who are actively

dancing.

ArticlesAll articles must be clearly relevant to partner

dancing. There are no length requirements or limits,

but Sheer Dance may break up longer articles across

multiple issues when appropriate. While articles

may promote specific events, that cannot be their

primary function; they must have a broader applica-

bility to enlightening the dance community. Articles

must be respectful and productive. Harassment of

any kind will not be published.

Refuting the Central Point

Refutation

Counterargument

Contradiction

Responding to Tone

Ad Hominem

Name-calling

Explicitly refutes the central point

Finds the mistake and explains why it’s

mistaken using quotes

Contradicts and then backs it up with

reasoning and/or supporting evidence

States the opposing case with little or

no supporting evidence

Criticizes the tone of the writing

without addressing the substance of

the argument

Attacks the characteristics or authority

of the writer without addressing the

substance of the argument

Discourse like “The writer is

an imbecile”

editing policyContent submitted to Sheer Dance will be edited

for spelling, grammar, sentence structure, style, and

appropriateness of content.

Any kind of bigotry, inappropriate religious or

political statements, name-calling, verifiably untrue

statements, unreasonable and unverifiable claims,

and unpaid content that only serves to advertise

goods or services are all subject to removal. Content

that serves no appropriate purpose will not be

published.

If you are dissatisfied with any edits made by

Sheer Dance, you are welcome and encouraged to

compose a Letter to the Editor, which, so long as it

meets the submission guidelines, will be posted in

the Discussion section of the subsequent issue with

a response from Sheer Dance. Sheer Dance retains the

right to discontinue public editorial discussions

when they no longer add value for the dance com-

munity at large, though private exchanges may

still be relevant. E

8 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM[VOlUNteeR teAM]

Mary Beth BeckmanEXECUTIVE EDITOR

Mary Beth Beckman is the fearless leader of the Sheer Dance team, guiding the

vision and scope of the magazine as well as editing the content to ensure its

consistency with Sheer Dance’s official style. She has been volunteering in the

partner-dancing community for over five years and prides herself on being an

excellent communicator and organizer of tiny scraps of data. Mary Beth can

typically be found drinking buckets of coffee, engaging in fandom, improving her

physical fitness, or watching sci-fi. She welcomes your questions and feedback at

[email protected].

patrick SeverinEVENTS EDITOR

Patrick Severin tried ballroom once, and it quickly became their favorite hobby.

As Events Editor, they ensure dancers in the Twin Cities can always make it out

to a social dance, because nothing makes Patrick smile like a floor full of happy

dancers. When the dancing shoes are off, Patrick is developing software for hospi-

tals and nonprofits, paddling a kayak in Lake Monona, commuting by bicycle, or

hammering out letters on their Remington typewriter. They do freelance software

consulting and enjoy philosophical chats; if either of those things interest you, feel

free to email them at [email protected].

Chelsea VisserPROOF EDITOR

Chelsea Visser is an English and journalism student at the University of Minnesota

and enjoys competing with the ballroom dance team as well as dancing socially

around the Twin Cities. As Sheer Dance’s Proof Editor, Chelsea reads each issue

cover to cover to ensure all the finer details are exactly as they should be. Questions,

comments, and concerns can be sent to [email protected].

Alexzandra engerACQUISITIONS EDITOR

Alexzandra Enger is treasurer of the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club

and a member of the competition team. When she’s not busy dancing, volunteer-

ing, or studying, Alex will likely be found—coffee in hand—spending time with

her friends, conquering video games, discovering new music, and whipping up

delicious meals and desserts. She wants to travel the world, dance as often as she

can, and be happy. As Acquisitions Editor of Sheer Dance, Alex is responsible for

gathering all content for the magazine. If you’ve got articles or photos to share,

send them to Alexzandra at [email protected].

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 9[VOlUNteeR teAM]

Nicholas WestlakeCREATIVE DIRECTOR

Nicholas Westlake crafts the look and feel of Sheer Dance. He oversees our design

and publishing teams, building impactful visuals while ensuring each aspect

of the publication complements the image and style you know and love. In the

wild, he’s also a passionate ballroom competitor, an avid dance instructor, and a

no-nonsense system designer.

Julie JohnstonDESIGNER

Julie Johnston is, by day, a senior digital production specialist in the field of edu-

cational ebooks for iPads, etc. She has spent her entire career in print publications

from catalogs to textbooks and is responsible for the layout of Sheer Dance. Julie

has participated in Israeli dance and is in the beginning stages of learning the joys

of partner dancing.

Hannah AlyeaADVERTISING EDITOR

Hannah Alyea is rarely seen without a smile on her face and loves to spread the

good news of ballroom dance. Originally from South Dakota, she has recently

become the vice president of the University of Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club

and is a member of the competitive ballroom team. Her favorite styles of dance

are American rhythm and smooth and international standard. As Advertising

Editor, Hannah is responsible for ensuring that Sheer Dance readers can connect

with the vendors, products, and events of interest to them. If you’re interested in

advertising with Sheer Dance, email Hannah at [email protected].

theresa KimlerSUBSCRIPTION & MAILING COORDINATOR

Theresa Kimler has been an active member of the dance community for over twenty

years. A seven-time USA Dance open smooth champion, nine-time rhythm cham-

pion, and four-time nine-dance champion, Theresa is an undisputed, long-standing

champion of dance. Mechanical engineer by education, black-belt project manager,

owner of Total Project Consulting, and lover of quadrupeds, Theresa graciously

lends her expertise to Sheer Dance for the betterment of the dance community as

our Subscription & Mailing Coordinator. Subscribe today to receive a gorgeous

magazine in your mailbox every month, courtesy of Theresa’s work.

10 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM[SpeCiAl FeAtUReS]

Standing Room OnlyAn evening on the Sidelines of the twin Cities OpenBY ALEXZANDRA ENGER

AS A COMPETITIVE AMATEUR and

collegiate dancer, I’m almost always

behind closed doors—or more accu-

rately, doors that are constantly swing-

ing wide open to grant passage to cos-

tumed ballroom dancers on their way

to the warm-up room or on-deck area.

My usual haunts at a competition are

the dressing room and the dance floor.

Only after I’d finished competing would

I, with full hair and makeup still intact,

venture out to see bejeweled costumes

(the same ones I’d seen up close and

personal only moments before in the

dressing room) twirl and fly gracefully

across hardwood floors.

My experience at the Twin Cities

Open, however, was very different.

Beautiful dress, check. Sparkling jew-

elry, check. Makeup applied? Sporting a

hairdo that took at least an hour to per-

fect? Check and check. As a ballroom

dancer, I’d assume someone fitting

this description would be preparing

to perform. My dress, though, wasn’t

bejeweled or made of deceptively

stretchy fabric. My adornments were

not necessarily designed to be seen

across a floor, nor were they in my hair.

I wasn’t wearing false eyelashes, and

my hair flowed down my back in curls.

This time, I had dressed up to spend

my evening admiring and enjoying the

dancing of others.

We arrived in downtown

Minneapolis at the Hyatt Regency

Photos from the Twin Cities Open by Karin Lynn Photography

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 11[SpeCiAl FeAtUReS]

Hotel on Saturday evening shortly

before the professionals were sched-

uled to take the floor to compete.

When I first entered the lobby of the

ballroom, all my senses were imme-

diately assaulted. Tango music drifted

in from the warm-up room. The scent

of coffee wafted through the room as

Starbucks-bearing dancers strode past,

their elaborately stoned dresses send-

ing twinkles of light in all directions.

As my party and I made our way to

the check-in table, we walked past the

Doré display. My eyes couldn’t help

being drawn to the endless racks and

mannequins dressed better than I was.

“One day...” I thought, picturing in my

mind floats swirling around a tail-suit-

clad partner.

After getting our tickets, we made

our way into the ballroom, which was

packed to the ceiling with dancers and

spectators alike. As every possible seat

was filled with an eager dance enthusi-

ast, we resigned ourselves to standing

along the sidelines. As anyone who has

ever worn non-ballroom high heels

knows, your feet can only take so much

before the urge to find a seat becomes

overwhelming. However, despite

nearly all of the women in attendance

wearing some kind of height-enhanc-

ing shoe, not a single one had endeav-

ored to find a place to rest for even a

moment. I was in that same club. In

awe of the sight before our eyes, that

familiar dull ache resigned itself to the

backs of our minds.

As the current top three rhythm

couples were in attendance, expec-

tations for the evening had been set

high before we’d even walked through

the doors. We quickly realized that we

would not be disappointed. Rhinestones

flashed, fringe snapped, and wrists

flicked. This was a world-class perfor-

mance before our eyes. No less enter-

taining were the smooth, standard,

and Latin performances. Comparing

the Latin dances to the rhythm dances

became a special sort of game for me,

as I currently dance all the styles except

for Latin. Having such perfect demon-

strations of the finest dancing in each

style certainly made it an easier task

to appreciate each dance in each style

for what they were at the core. I found

the standard show to be a particularly

special treat, in part because of the

flawless foxtrots, intense tangos, and

bright quicksteps. I’ve got a soft spot

for beautiful standard gowns, so I have

to admit that I found the aesthetics of

the standard portion of the evening

immensely appealing as well.

Eventually the evening wound down

to a close. Awards were distributed, a

beautiful tribute to the competition’s

twenty-fifth anniversary this year was

presented, and dancers made their

way off the hardwood floors and back

into the dressing rooms. Spectators

mingled and slowly drifted out of the

ballroom, out of the lobby, and down

into the bright streets of Minneapolis

to venture off.

My party and I made our way back

home with the skyline of downtown

Minneapolis falling behind us and

the energy of the Twin Cities Open

still around us. E


the American Style CongressSix lectures from Ballroom Dance SuperstarsBY ALEXZANDRA ENGER

THIS SUMMER I HAD THE GREAT for-

tune and immense pleasure of attend-

ing the American Style Congress,

which came to Minneapolis along with

the Twin Cities Open. I’d never been to

the American Style Congress before,

so I had no personal experience off of

which I could base my expectations.

I’d never attended a ballroom dance

lecture before, either; all of my instruc-

tion had come from in-person group

or private lessons. I’d heard about the

Congress before, of course, as several of

my fellow dancers from the University

of Minnesota attended in years pre-

vious, so I’d heard a few stories about

what to expect.

“You probably won’t do any actual

dancing,” one said, “It’s basically a

lecture on ballroom dance. Sometimes

they have demos, but that’s about as

interactive as you’ll get.” I’d sat through

countless hours of college lectures, so

I figured this wouldn’t really be much

different.

“Take lots of notes; they fire infor-

mation out at you pretty quickly.”

Again, sounds a little bit like a college

lecture but way more fun because it’s

about ballroom.

“Watch out for Sam Sodano’s lec-

ture. That one’s pretty much guaran-

teed to be pure gold.” This seemed to

be a common thread amongst all the

people I’d talked to. My fellow danc-

ers, dance mentors, and coach had all

remarked on how particularly special

Sam’s lecture would be.

Photo from the Twin Cities Open by Amy and Scott Anderson


Soon I’d find out just how much

truth laid behind these tales.

I arrived just before the Congress

was slated to begin; I’d just been there

the night before for the professional

show, so I didn’t waste any time trying

to find my way to the ballroom. I col-

lected my tickets—one for the morning

session and one for the afternoon ses-

sion—and determined to get the most

out of this opportunity I could, I found

a seat in the front row. Notepad and

pen in hand, I settled in and prepared

myself for the impending inundation of

knowledge.

There were six lectures in all, cov-

ering both smooth and rhythm. Two of

the professionals from the night before,

Andre and Natalie Andre Paramonov,

held a captivating rhythm lecture on

the cruciality of precision and con-

nection, with some Cuban motion

sprinkled in for good measure. Edward

Simon’s smooth lecture emphasized

the importance of proper body motion

for building shape and volume in order

to deliver the beautiful, expressive

emotion that draws you into a dance.

All through the day, magnificent danc-

ers and teachers poured knowledge out

onto the floor for eager dancers to soak

up.

The headliner was Sam Sodano’s

lecture. I’d actually call this more of

an interactive discussion; Sam had a

special way of engaging the crowd. At

more than one point, the entire room

was on its feet, dancing along to Sam’s

Cuban motion instruction. Sam went

back to basics with his lecture, but he

did so in a way that didn’t make you

feel as though you were doing a basic

rumba box step a million times over.

The foot placements and weight shifts

were so precise that every time you

watched the professionals demonstrat-

ing, you’d notice something completely

new about such a simple motion as a

rock step.

Even though I’d been in the same

room for upwards of seven hours, I

didn’t want it to end.

As I walked out of the ballroom for

the last time this Twin Cities Open

season, I reassessed my prior expecta-

tions about the Congress.

Did I dance very much? Well, not

nearly as much as I would have had

it been a group class, but then again,

I hadn’t come for a group class. I had

been expecting to soak all the informa-

tion up with my ears, eyes, and pen, so

the several occasions we were encour-

aged to rise and try the motions out for

ourselves were special treats. I hadn’t

been expecting to dance, and I regret-

ted not donning my practice shoes

after the first instance of kinesthetic

learning.

Did my pen blaze a fire across my

notepad? Oh, most definitely. Except

for the times I was dancing, my writing

hand didn’t stop moving. By the end of

the day, I’d mastered the art of writing

in a straight line without so much as a

glance at the paper.

How gold was the golden egg Sam’s

lecture was promised to be? My sto-

rytellers from before the Congress

couldn’t have under-exaggerated any

more. Engaging, humorous in all the

right places, and active, Sam’s lec-

ture was the perfect piece to cap the

American Style Congress.

I beyond satisfied with my experi-

ence at the American Style Congress,

and I highly recommend that if you

have the opportunity to attend, you

take it! I promise, you won’t come

away with anything less than a dance

bag filled with invaluable notes, a giant

smile on your face, and a special, ball-

room-dance happiness. E

Photo from the Twin Cities Open by Amy

and Scott Anderson


enjoy the MixFun at the twin Cities OpenBY NICHOLAS WESTLAKE

YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND FAMILIAR

faces at a dance competition. The higher

you climb up the competition ladder,

the more you’re surrounded only by

people who have dedicated significant

time and energy to their personal study

of dance. This makes for a nice reunion

vibe at each competition, which fits

right in with the competition elements

you get accustomed to: unpacking

in the dressing room, sharing space

on the practice floor, lining up in the

on-deck area, etc. When every event is

highly structured by design, I find the

little differences from one competition

to the next really stand out.

My dance partner and I had the

pleasure of competing earlier this sum-

mer at the Twin Cities Open (TCO) in

downtown Minneapolis. TCO was an

exciting destination for us because it

came with some features we rarely get

to enjoy. Many of our friends and fam-

ily were cheering in the audience, and

we had the (surprisingly) uncommon

opportunity to see couples we coach

competing live instead of on YouTube.

(We’re proud to say Przemek and Ligaya

won their events!)

One thing stood out that I didn’t

expect to notice: variety. I frequent

amateur-centric competitions, so I

don’t see many instructors competing

with their students. I also don’t see

pro/am couples sharing the floor with

am/am couples. Plus, I don’t often see

different age levels sharing the floor.

At TCO, I saw all three, and it made for

one engaging heat after another.

It’s heartwarming to see how instruc-

tors fill so many roles as they dance



with their students. Each instructor

made their entrance to the floor as the

the perfect complement to their stu-

dent. Throughout the first dance, the

instructor would stay a cool, calm pro-

fessional, even if their partner started

to show strain. Between dances they’d

take on a mentor-like encouraging role.

It was easy to see looks pass between

the partnership that said, “We’re just

fine. We’ve only got three dances to go.

Let’s finish strong.” By the end of the

round, the floor was filled with a sea of

instructors making I’m-so-proud-of-you

faces (not to mention students clearly

pleased with their work).

Also mixed in were some youth and

junior couples. If you want to see a pow-

erful, dominant tango performance,

check out a five-foot-tall tween couple

working to hold their own on a busy

floor of adult competitors. They dance

out with a visible awareness that they

need to display a high degree of power

and clarity to even be seen, much less

marked well.

Despite all the diversity of visuals

on the floor, I was impressed by how

often I forgot I was watching a batch

of heats sharing the floor. Each couple

would have their moment of intensity

that drew my attention. From one

dance to the next, a couple would go

from being a passing background fix-

ture to being the main event. It was a

pleasant reminder that everyone has

their strengths.

So let this be a friendly reminder

that there are many facets of the

dance and competition experience to

have fun with. Enjoy the routine, and

enjoy the surprises. E


16 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM[ReCURRiNG COlUMNS]

Bryan Waznik is a recent graduate of Luther

College in Decorah, Iowa, where he spent

the last four years with the Luther College

Ballroom/Swing club. In his free time, Bryan

can be found binge-watching dance videos,

drinking tea, and generally making a fool of

himself on the dance floor. Feel free to contact

him at [email protected].

IN LAST MONTH’S ISSUE, Kevin Lam

wrote a great article advocating against

the heteronormative structure of

social dance, and called for a less rigid

assignment of roles in partner dancing.

So what now? You’ve seen those ste-

reotypes reinforced and thought, “Hey,

what gives?” and you’re ready to shake

things up a bit. Or perhaps you’re not

quite convinced yet, and this article

will persuade you ... or not. Whatever.

I’m not here to tell you what and what

not to think, but I am here to tell you

that mixing things up will improve

your dancing and give you a richer

perspective of social dancing (see what I

did there?).

Why you may want to learn to lead

and follow:

to Know MoreIf you’re like me, you want to learn

everything, especially when it comes

to partner dancing. International style?

Great, what else? West coast? Cool,

what now? Polka? Oom-pah for days.

Merengue? .... Okay, that’s my one

exception.

The point is, even if I learn every-

thing there is to know about how to be

the best lead in every dance (fat chance),

I will still only have learned half of

those dances. The purpose of learning

both parts isn’t to upstage people with

your superior ballroom knowhow but

to develop a more nuanced understand-

ing of the partnership and how each

role complements the other. This also

leads to you becoming a more effective

teacher.

Gaining perspectiveMan, i Feel like a Woman, and So Can You!BY BRYAN WAZNIK

to Check Your egoEverything is on the wrong foot!

Wait, I have to pick where we go?

Am I leaning right?

How the heck do I lead this figure?

Why am I always spinning?!

Leading and following are both very

specialized skills that take time to prac-

tice and refine. When we spend all our

time working on our part, it’s easy to

become overly critical of the mistakes

of others, especially when those same

demands don’t apply to us. Don’t be

that person; give the other part a shot. I

guarantee it’s much more difficult than

you give it credit for, and your appre-

ciation for your partner(s) will grow.

Learning the other part is a great way

to see dancing from a different side and

humble yourself.

to Rediscover Your Addiction to learning

The best part of going back to square

one is that it gives you a chance to fall

in love with partner dancing all over

again. Think back to your first dance

lesson (yep, that one where you did a

box step forever and thought it was

the coolest thing), and then remember

getting hooked into something that

you never expected to discover; each

new step or concept was revolutionary.

If you were in college, you probably

went with some new friends back to

your dorm to practice those basics for

another hour or two before finally real-

izing that you should have been doing

homework the whole time. Learning

the other part allows you to enjoy

learning to dance in a new, fresh way

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 17[ReCURRiNG COlUMNS]

and gives you room to have fun while

making a few mistakes along the way.

It will force you to stop taking yourself

too seriously and make you more open

and receptive to constructive criticism

in your everyday dancing.

to improve Your Connection and Communication

Want to know what makes a good

lead? Follow! Want to experience first-

hand the qualities of a good follow?

Lead! I went to a west coast swing event

last month where I danced with a cer-

tain lead who shall remain unnamed.

Three things happened. First, I learned

very quickly which parts of my leads

had become completely superfluous,

and in some cases destructive, to my

primary partnership. Second, I got to

experience a lead drastically different

from my own and got to feel what was

helpful and what confused me. Some of

those things, both good and bad, were

habits I had also internalized, while

others were foreign to me. Following

his lead gave me a chance to evaluate

my own leading, validating what I

do well and exposing what I need to

improve upon in a way that directly

reinforces the importance of those

habits. Finally, because the roles of

lead and follow were not set between

us, we would switch off throughout the

dance, forcing me to be both articulate

and receptive in my dancing. In newer

dancers, there can exist a mentality that

the lead is the only one that speaks and

the follow’s role is solely to listen, but

in reality, it’s a dialogue. Yes, there is

a tendency that fits traditional norms,

but if you don’t do both, your dancing

will be one-sided and your connection

to your partner will be severely lacking.

it’s More Fun at partiesWe’ve all been at a dance where

there weren’t enough leads, and some

of us have had the surreal experience

of an overabundance of leads (yes, it

does happen from time to time). While

generally I much prefer leading to fol-

lowing, as is my cisgender privilege, I

also prefer dancing to ... well, not danc-

ing. If you’re going to get all cleaned

up and nice-looking for a social dance,

competition, etc., you might as well

get the most out of it and get on the

floor, regardless of which partners are

available. Being flexible means you

have double the partners to choose

from. Side note: it’s also really fun and

comical to make up things you don’t

know on the floor, provided you’re not

putting anyone around you at risk of

an arm to the face.

So do you need to lead and follow

50/50? Of course not! You do you. But

stepping out of your comfort zone will

be more fun, develop understanding

in your partnership, make you more

approachable, and revolutionize your

dancing.

Is there something I forgot? What

are your thoughts? E

Photo from Dance Fest by Erik Anderson


Elizabeth Dickinson is a life/executive coach

and amateur ballroom dancer. If you enjoy

her writing and would like to receive her

weekly emailed coaching newsletter, visit

www.pursueyourpath.com and sign up.

life through Dancethe Whole pictureBY ELIZABETH DICKINSON

ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING

aspects of taking private dance lessons

is the money required. If you enter pro/

am competitions, this seems to be true

no matter your income or background.

Okay, there are a few exceptions; stop

reading this if you’re one of them!

For me, the conflict lies between

Responsible Self and Passionate Self.

Responsible Self looks like a cross

between angry mother, old-fashioned

spinster librarian, and CPA. She spends

most of her time saying things like:

“This is a boatload of money you’re

spending.”

“How can you justify this? Nothing

is tax-deductible.”

“You’re addicted. You know what

happens to addicts: you end up living

on the street with your cat, sharing her

food, and trying to sell the crystals that

fell off your gown.”

And if Responsible Self shows up in

a lesson, she’s insufferable.

“Why aren’t you learning this faster?

Do you realize how much money you’ve

spent on this technique?”

“Does your teacher realize how

much pressure you’re under to pay for

this? Why the hell is he talking about

anything non-dance-related?”

Occasionally, Responsible Self pan-

ics and issues ultimata.

“You’re going to have to give this

up, you know.”

Passionate Self looks like a cross

between Glinda the Good Witch and

Wonder Woman. She says:

“You feel so much better when

you’re dancing.”

“Look at the shape you’re in!”

“What will you talk about if you’re

not dancing?”

“If you don’t dance, you’ll wither

inside and die. You’ll look like Miss

Havisham, dressed in a ballgown with

missing crystals, clutching faded pho-

tos of your dancing days.”

“Just a few more lessons, and think

how good you’ll be!”

“Dancing is inspirational.

Terpsichore was the dancing muse.

Imagine the goddess’s wrath if you give

it up.”

Passionate Self is often louder than

Responsible Self, and her images are

much more compelling. So Responsible

Self sits on the sidelines, covering her

eyes while Passionate Self dances, occa-

sionally looking at financial statements

and shuddering. Clearly neither side

sees the whole picture.

My own life coach (yes, I do have

one myself ) recently challenged me

to imagine what would happen if

both selves worked together. In future

issues, I’ll let you know how that works

out.

May we pursue our paths, making

peace between our passionate and

responsible selves and dancing within

the whole picture. E


L-A Pro/Am Closed Bronze Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Tyra Anderson with Gordon Bratt

2nd - Lynn Stankowski with Tom Neterval

3rd - Nicole Bottelson with Eric Hoyer

4th - Isabella Christensen with Shane Haggerty

5th - Noelle Ness with Gene Bersten

6th - Lillian Main with Benjamin Welch

7th - Kim Herrig with Darren Franco

8th - Breanna Warneke with Spencer Loufek

8th - Thomas Jersett with Tiffany Sullivan

L-B Pro/Am Closed Bronze Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Kelsey Noyes with Gene Bersten

2nd - Nicole Anderson with Darren Franco

3rd - Julibeth Lauren with Gordon Bratt

4th - Patricia Nicinski with Brent Hyskell

5th - Michele Madsen with Douglas Wallock

6th - Sara Rentmeester with Jay Morth

7th - Mark Querna with Nadine Messenger

8th - Jill Gibson with Eric Hoyer

9th - Stephanie Hester with Derrick Murray

9th - Mary Gummerson with Spencer Loufek

11th - Jayme Hartman with Tiffany Sullivan

11th - Brad Kuzel with Andrea Kuzel

L-C Pro/Am Closed Bronze Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Peggy Lavinski with Aleko Khutsidze

2nd - Darlene Wolfe with Darren Franco

3rd - Mary Cederberg with Jeff Nehrbass

4th - Kimblerly Simenen with Gordon Bratt

5th - Paula L’Esperance with Jay Morth

6th - Sharon Gentling with Gary Dahl

7th - Maggie Arzdorf Schubbe

with Dustin Donelan

8th - Larry Wittig with Caitlin Rose Foster

9th - Sandy Haydon with Charlie Drenth

10th - Kathryn Stolp with Eric Hoyer

10th - Katherine Engel with Douglas Wallock

12th - Gwen Gonsorowski

with Martin Pickering

12th - Sandy Nelson with Spencer Loufek

L-A Pro/Am Closed Silver Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Alina Huang with Slash Sharan

2nd - Veronica Quinones with Jonathan Chen

Here you’ll find the results of Minnesota amateurs, professionals, and pro/am cou-

ples from events around the country. We’re proud of how skilled and dedicated the

Minnesota dance community is, and we’d like to share their successes with you.Results from Around the Country

twin Cities Open Ballroom ChampionshipsCongratulations to those who competed at the Twin Cities Open! Below is the list of closed and open scholarship placements. Full detailed results on all

events are available on the Twin Cities Open website.

3rd - Oncu Er with Julie Jacobson

4th - Amy Anderson with Gordon Bratt

L-B Pro/Am Closed Silver Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Darcy Adamczyk with Gary Dahl

2nd - Annabel Bavaud with Shane Meuwissen

3rd - Ligaya Carlos with Jeff Halverson

4th - Carla Weibel with Jay Morth

5th - Mark Lange with Nadine Messenger

6th - Heather Polivka with Gordon Bratt

L-C Pro/Am Closed Silver Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Marie Abraham with Slash Sharan

2nd - Carla Johnson with Jason Shearin

3rd - Rosemary Rocha with Jonathan Chen

4th - Cindy Andren with Gordon Bratt

5th - Carolyn Kurzoja with Val Ganiev

6th - Rallerino with Stefan Dobrev

7th - Jan Blakeslee with Jean-Paul Gronek

8th - Tom Schubbe with Nadine Messenger

9th - Terrie DeRoller with John Abrams

10th - Randy Williams with Ashely Mayer

10th - Kim Schmutzler with Tom Neterval



12th - Elayne Gassett with Markus Cannon

12th - Lee Ferguson with Kate Bratt

12th - Don Kovorik with Ashley Eresh

15th - Jeff Hartzler with Susie Murray

15th - Tom Tinkham with Julie Jacobson

L-A Pro/Am Open Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Georgie Anderson with Jonathan Chen

2nd - Madie Ragatz with John Abrams

L-B Pro/Am Open Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Eileen Arcilla with Golden Parker

2nd - Anna Trull with John Abrams

3rd - Anna Gilbertson with Tom Neterval

L-C Pro/Am Open Rhythm Scholarship

1st - Randi Zedeck with Stefan Dobrev

2nd - Dee Iannone with Markus Cannon

3rd - Darlene Wolfe with Darren Franco

4th - Marie Abraham with Slash Sharan


6th - Dawn Elm with John Abrams

7th - Suzanne Kirkegaard with Dustin Donelan

L-A Pro/Am Closed Bronze Smooth Scholarship

1st - Aimee Neuman with Martin Pickering

2nd - Riyan Mendonsa with Nadine Messenger

3rd - Lynn Stankowski with Tom Neterval

4th - Teal Langseth-Schmidt with Spencer Loufek

5th - Tyra Anderson with Gordon Bratt

6th - Nicole Bottleson with Eric Hoyer

7th - Lillian Main with Darren Franco

8th - Noelle Ness with Gene Bersten

9th - Jonathan Reznick with Audra Erkelenz

L-B Pro/Am Closed Bronze Smooth Scholarship

1st - Madelyn Harvieux with Eric Hudson

2nd - Nancy Wang with Jay Larson

3rd - Corinne Rao with Jason Shearin

4th - Patricia Nicinski with Brent Hyskell

5th - Sara Rentmeester with Jay Morth

6th - Kim Herrig with Spencer Loufek

7th - Julibeth Lauren with Gordon Bratt

8th - Michele Madsen with Douglas Wallock

8th - Mark Querna with Rachel Damiani

10th - Dan Stankowski with Heather Wudstrack

11th - Stephanie Hester with Derrick Murray

11th - Doug Hyland with Diane Sullivan

11th - Brad Kuzel with Andrea Kuzel

L-C Pro/Am Closed Bronze Smooth Scholarship

1st - Mary Cederberg with Jeff Nehrbass

2nd - Carol Jacobson-Blietz with Krystian Grabowski

3rd - Julie Karlsen with Matt Cawston

4th - Kimberly Simensen with Gordon Bratt

5th - Sharon Gentling with Gary Dahl

6th - Peggy Lavinsky Aleko Khutsidze


8th - Paula L’Esperance with Jay Morth

9th - Grace Thornhill with Jonathan Chen

10th - Darlene Wolfe with Spencer Loufek

11th - Darla Miller with Chris Kempainen

12th - Katherine Engel with Douglas Wallock

13th - Sandy Hadon with Charlie Drenth

13th - Dan Flath with Nadine Messenger

15th - Al Horner with Heather Wudstrack

16th - Jim Carter with Andrea Kuzel

17th - Larry Wittig with Caitlin Rose Foster

L-A Pro/Am Closed Silver Smooth Scholarship

1st - Georgie Anderson with Shane Meuwissen

2nd - Amy Anderson with Gordon Bratt

3rd - Emily Habisch with Martin Pickering

4th - Danielle Delaney with Shane Haggerty

L-B Pro/Am Closed Silver Smooth Scholarship

1st - Elizabeth Rocco with Eric Hudson

2nd - Tracy Hemauer with Gordon Bratt

3rd - Zhuojing Liu with Gene Bersten

4th - Anna Gilbertson with Tom Neterval

5th - Tanya Taksar with Michael Shultz

6th - Darcy Adamczyk with Gary Dahl

7th - Anna Trull with John Abrams

8th - Toni Tallerino with Stefan Dobrev

9th - Heidi Martin with Nichy Vegas


L-C Pro/Am Closed Silver Smooth Scholarship

1st - Charlene Proctor with Michael Choi

2nd - Chris Newcomb with John Abrams

3rd - Carla Johnson with Jason Shearin

4th - CeCe Swanson with Eric Hudson

5th - Yuping Zheng with Jonathan Chen

6th - Randy Williams with Ditas Mayer

7th - Cyndi Andren with Gordon Bratt

8th - Barb Pease with Paul Botes


10th - Ed Kadletz with Julie Jacobson

11th - Tom Schubbe with Nadine Messenger




15th - JoAnn Demoss with Martin Cawston

15th - Jeff Hartzler with Derrick Murray

15th - Lee Ferguson with Kate Bratt

18th - Don Kovorik Ashley Eresh

L-A Pro/Am Open Smooth Scholarship

1st - Yuko Taniguchi with Mariusz Olszewski

2nd - Brittany Winek with Eric Hudson

3rd - Madie Ragatz with John Abrams

L-B Pro/Am Open Smooth Scholarship

1st - Elizabeth Rocco with Eric Hudson

2nd - Tracy Hemauer with Gordon Bratt

3rd - Zhuojing Liu with Gene Bersten




4th - Anna Gilbertson with Tom Neterval

5th - Tanya Taksar with Michael Shultz

6th - Darcy Adamczyk with Gary Dahl

7th - Anna Trull with John Abrams


9th - Heidi Martin with Nichy Vegas


L-C Pro/Am Open Smooth Scholarship

1st - David Schmit with Michelle Hudson

2nd - Randi Zedeck with Stefan Dobrev

3rd - Charlene Proctor with Michael Choi

4th - Elizabeth Dickinson with Jeff Nehrbass

5th - Richard Weinberg with Tommye Giacchino

6th - Kris Larson with Eric Hudson

7th - Dee Iannone with Markus Cannon

8th - Judi Landon with Slaveyko Baylov

9th - Sandra Helinski with Martin Voight


11th - Deborah Leonard with Spencer Loufek

L-A Pro/Am Closed Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Noelle Ness with Gene Bersten

L-B Pro/Am Closed Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Annabel Barvaud with Shane Meuwissen

2nd - Corinne Rao with Jason Shearin

3rd - Mark Querna with Michelle Hudson

4th - Jana Gerken with Tony Karadzhov

5th - Carrie Gallagher with Darren Franco

L-C Pro/Am Closed Bronze Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Yuki Wierterlak with Martin Pickering

2nd - Mary Cederberg with Jeff Nehrbass

3rd - CeCe Swanson with Eric Hudson

4th - Carol Jacobson-Blietz

with Krystian Grabowski

5th - Carol Ferrell with Gene Bersten



8th - Patrick Moriarity with Nadine Messenger

8th - Mary Gummerson with Darren Franco

8th - Elayne Gasset with Markus Cannon

L-B Pro/Am Closed Silver Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Sisi Sun with Kris Kasperwicz

2nd - Darcy Adamczyk with Gary Dahl

L-C Pro/Am Closed Silver Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Joyce Hooks with Matt Rivers

2nd - Dee Iannone with Markus Cannon

3rd - Jane Taylor with Shane Meuwissen

4th - Barb Pease with Paul Botes

5th - Scott Skinner with Michelle Hudson

6th - Ed Kadletz with Julie Jacobson


8th - David Zaleske with Kristina Lee

L-B Pro/Am Open Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Tanya Taksar with Michael Shultz

2nd - Darcy Adamczyk with Gary Dahl

3rd - Anna Gilbertson with Tom Neterval

G-C Pro/Am Open Ballroom Scholarship

1st - Dee Iannone with Markus Cannon

2nd - John Snyder with Yulia Kornilova

3rd - Richard Weinberg with Tommye Giacchino

4th - Joyce Hooks with Matt Rivers

5th - David Zaleke with Kristina Lee

L-A Pro/Am Closed Bronze Latin Scholarship

1st - Noelle Ness with Gene Bersten

2nd - Jan Carter with Darren Franco

L-B Pro/Am Closed Bronze Latin Scholarship

1st - Lauren LaPointe with Louis Bar

2nd - Lisa Mohr with Shinya McHenry

3rd - Marty Williams with Therese Clarke

4th - Amanda Rose Jason Shearin

5th - Diane Sullivan with Darren Franco

L-C Pro/Am Closed Bronze Latin Scholarship

1st - Peggy Lavinsky with Aleko Khutsidze

2nd - Joan Endres with Gene Bersten

3rd - Mary Cederberg with Jeff Nehrbass

4th - Jill Kaiser with Darren Franco

5th - Maggie Arzdorf Schubbe with Dustin

Donelan

L-A Pro/Am Closed Silver Latin Scholarship

1st - Elizabeth Brahnam with Mariusz

Olszewski

L-B Pro/Am Closed Silver Latin Scholarship

1st - Kathy Uy with Sergey Smolin

2nd - Jana Gerken with Tony Karadzhov

3rd - Echo Huang with Gene Bersten

L-C Pro/Am Closed Silver Latin Scholarship

1st - Kris Larson with Eric Hudson

2nd - Carol Ferrell with Gene Bersten

3rd - Susan Hervey with Mariusz Olszewski


5th - Patti Muxlow with Jason Shearin

6th - David Zaleske with Kristina Lee

L-A Pro/Am Open Latin Scholarship

1st - Ashley Cooper with Gene Bersten

2nd - Sara Wedding with Shane Meuwissen

L-B Pro/Am Open Latin Scholarship

1st - Adel Jaena with Gene Bersten

2nd - Elizabeth Rocco with Eric Hudson

3rd - Margarita Yoblokova with Tony Karadzhov

L-C Pro/Am Open Latin Scholarship

1st - Zhuojing Liu with Gene Bersten

2nd - Janie LaFavor with Mariusz Olszewski

3rd - Mary Young with Tony Karadzhov

Would you like to see your results or your studio’s results at an event here? Email us at [email protected] with the name of the event, some pictures,

and your results, and we’ll be sure to include them!


Professional Rising Star Smooth

1st - Adrain Dydynski and Hannah Dydynski

2nd - Sergey Smolin and Anna Tomasini

3rd - Matt Rivers and Maliwan Diemer

4th - Igor Afonkin and Rachel Mercedes

5th - Chris Germain and Mila Popovich

6th - Mykyta Serdyuk and Anna Krasnoshapka

7th - Martin Pickering and Natalie Botes

8th - Dustin Donelan and Rachel Damiani

9th - Nick Haklin and Sarah Ford

10th - Douglas Wallock and Nicole Piechowski

10th - Jay Morth and Heather Wudtrack

10th - Johnny Francoviglia and Kayla Sloan

10th - Vance Mabry and Samantha Simmons

Professional Rising Star Rhythm

1st - Erwin Rybczynski and Iwona Rybczynski

2nd - Christopher Wayne and Juanita Simanekova

3rd - Joel Thomas and Chloe Obrzut

4th - Tim Polaschek and Katherine Hutchinson


6th - Darren Franco and Tiffany Sullivan

7th - Troy Lerum and Whitney Irene

8th - Del Dominguez and Laura Flores

Professional Open Smooth Championship

1st - Mazen Hamza and Izabella

2nd - Adrain Dydynski and Hannah Dydynski

3rd - Eric Koptke and Chelsea Farrah

4th - Sergey Smolin and Anna Tomasini

5th - Mark Short and Alyssa Kark

6th - Igor Afonkin and Rachel Mercedes

7th - Chris Germain and Mila Popovich

8th - Matt Rivers and Maliwan Diemer


10th - Martin Pickering and Natalie Botes


11th - Vance Mabry and Samantha Simmons

13th - Nick Haklin and Sarah Ford

14th - Johnny Francoviglia and Kayla Sloan

15th - Jay Morth and Heather Wudtrack

16th - Douglas Wallock and Nicole Piechowski

Professional Open Rhythm Championship

1st - Emmanuel Pierre-Antoine and Liana Churilovka

2nd - Nazar Norov and Irina Kudryshova

3rd - Andrea Paramonov and Natalie Paramonov

4th - Ilya Velednitskiy and Mirya Ilchenko


6th - Aaron DeSoto and Iryna DeSoto

7th - Andrei Abrashin and Mariia Gavylova

8th - Erwin Rybczynski and Iwona Rybczynski

9th - Christopher Wayne and Juanita Simanekova

9th - Slash Sharan and Meghan Anderson

11th - Joel Thomas and Chloe Obrzut

11th - Tim Polaschek and Katherine Hutchinson


14th - Darren Franco and Tiffany Sullivan

15th - Troy Lerum and Whitney Irene

16th - Mateo Catalan and Anna Strojek EPhotos from the Twin Cities Open by Karin Lynn Photography


Volunteer ReportBehind the Scenes at the twin Cities OpenBY SETH WESTLAKE

or money; everyone who commits to

being a volunteer does so selflessly. The

reward for their efforts, beyond the

thanks of the competition’s organizers

and patrons, is the knowledge that

they’ve helped involve more people in

the appreciation of dance.

Time and time again, we owe thanks

to the many volunteers out there.

Without promise of payment or a sever-

ance of any kind, amazing people come

forward to work on the most gargan-

tuan of tasks. The registration for hun-

dreds of competitors, as an example, is

nothing short of fifty man-hours.

Seeing the beautiful results of their

labors come to fruition is a sight that

too many people, including myself, take

for granted. The next time you talk with

someone volunteering, make sure to

thank them for the hard work. When

the competition organizers recognize

the volunteers with a round of applause,

clap even harder, because without these

people, there would never be anything

to applaud for. E

Seth Westlake is the Publicity Manager

for the University of Minnesota Ballroom

Dance Club and a dedicated member of

the competition team.

world-class competition stage has

become increasingly complicated. The

size and complexity of an event such

as the Twin Cities Open will, ideally,

inflate—much like the value of a dollar.

It’s with this growing complexity that

organizers must compensate by arrang-

ing for more volunteers to be part of the

process.

What draws people to this kind of

work, and where do more volunteers

keep being found? The first step in

answering these questions starts with

understanding the power of the ball-

room community. Hundreds of partic-

ipants reside in the Twin Cities, most

of whom are committed to sharing and

promoting dancing. Giving up their

free time and energy, these people cer-

tainly aren’t doing this for the glamor

STANDING IN THE GRAND BALLROOM

of the Hyatt Regency Hotel, I watch

as the equivalent of my entire college

tuition walks by in the form of twen-

ty-some beautifully crafted ballroom

dresses. Professional dancers from

every corner of the United States stride

past me in perfectly measured steps,

side by side with their partners. Every

spectator, including myself, has fallen

to the hypnotic spell. A moment such

as this, one that reaches the peak

of human awe and inspiration, is a

moment seen and produced in only

the best of competitions. However, as

a spectator or competitor, you’d never

stop to think about the work it takes to

produce it. The cost in dollars and man-

hours is only truly realized by the peo-

ple behind the scenes. Competitions,

like ballroom dancers, require many

hours of preparation before even a sin-

gle event, but whereas dancers run on

food and water, competitions instead

run on volunteers.

The process of going from an empty

hotel ballroom to a bright, beautiful,

Photo from the Twin Cities Open by

Karin Lynn Photography

26 • • 1 Sep 2015 SHeeRDANCe.COM[FROM tHe COMMUNitY]

Christine Trask is an avid social dancer who loves to go new places and meet new people. Email her

at [email protected] if you’d like to do some dancing in Naples, Florida.

the love of Dance: part Onelearning About Maxine BarratBY CHRISTINE TRASK

STANDING IN THE DOORWAY of

Bravo’s, an Italian restaurant in Naples,

Florida, on the evening of June 12th,

taking in the delightful aroma of garlic,

I watched a sunny, glorious, ocean-blue

sky turn quickly into a rainstorm, com-

plete with crackling lightning. Shaking

off the cool raindrops, I gazed at my

surroundings—lavish, white Roman

columns and large ornate light fixtures

which cast a warm glow of welcome to

the room. My aunt Darlene was waiting

for me in a round, black leather booth,

and soon, her very dear, longtime

friend Liz appeared. We ordered our

favorite happy-hour drinks and clinked

our glasses in a toast dedicated to

friendship.

As an icebreaker, I suggested we

go around the table and each share a

story about ourselves. Aunt Darlene

shared the story of when she was sev-

enteen and wanted a summer job at a

popular Greek restaurant in Appleton,

Wisconsin, owned by two Greek broth-

ers. She applied for the job and was

told they didn’t want to take the time

to train her because they felt she would

SHeeRDANCe.COM 1 Sep 2015 • • 27[FROM tHe COMMUNitY]

leave them soon to go on to college.

Persisting, Darlene said, “You don’t

have to train me; I have waited on my

three older brothers and father my

whole life.” She was hired, and within

a couple of weeks, she was running the

restaurant and training the waitresses.

My new friend, Liz Elledge, shared

her story of being eleven years old in a

small New York town, when she and her

father made a bargain that if she kept

up her grades, he would pay for her

attendance at the elite eastern school

of Wellesley College. Liz’s father said,

“You will have to make all As, and I will

have to make a lot of money,” to which

Liz replied, “I will if you will.” They

shook hands on the deal, and Liz pro-

ceeded to earn her degree at Wellesley

in the field of psychology, teaching and

counseling for many years.

The love of dance inspired me to tell

a story about an article I wrote for the

September 2009 issue of the Minnesota

Dancing Times. The article was about

meeting Carole Bradley, the owner of

Maudie MacBride’s Prom and a profes-

sional dancer in the movie Bye Bye Birdie

featuring Janet Leigh, Dick Van Dyke,

and Ann-Margret.

Each of our anecdotes led into

another fun story. When Liz told us

that she was friends with Maxine

Barrat—a famous show-biz ballroom

dancer who was a personal friend of

Ginger Rogers—I excitedly asked Liz to

arrange a meeting.

Exchanging hugs, we left the restau-

rant quite full and happy, and Liz

suggested I read Dancing with a Star: The

Maxine Barrat Story by Kristin Baggelaar

prior to meeting Maxine.

In the book, Baggelaar portrays

Maxine as a young ballerina who

danced every chance she could. In her

early teens, Maxine would go to Radio

City Music Hall to watch and learn

from Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire.

Maxine set out to fulfill her child-

hood dream of dance and found her

perfect dance partner in international

costume designer Don Loper. Their

unique Brazilian dance move to

“Tico-Tico no Fubá” at the glamorous

Monte Proser’s Copacabana—the top

entertaining supper club of the 1940s—

became an international hit.

This “Tico-Tico” dance was even fea-

tured in the 1943 film Thousand Cheers,

a Gene Kelly movie made to boost the

morale of World War II soldiers and

their families. I purchased the last VHS

from Amazon, and it has become one

of my favorite classic movies.

Baggelaar describes Maxine as

a humble, fun-loving person who

surrounded herself with friends that

included Clark Gable, Fred Astaire,

Ginger Rogers, Katharine Hepburn,

Gene Kelly, Kathryn Grayson, Mickey

Rooney, Judy Garland, Eleanor Powell,

Lucille Ball, Red Skelton, Lena Horne,

and others. Even Mrs. Brady of The

Brady Bunch, Florence Henderson, had

only kind things to say about Maxine:

she once said she hoped everyone

would know Maxine.

I was fortunate enough to meet

the warm, beautiful Maxine Barrat.

Be sure to read the October issue of

Sheer Dance to find out about my special

interview with Maxine! E


Dahl Dance Center turns tenHow i learned to love Ballroom in Four AnecdotesBY JOSEPH CAREY

studio, but the studio didn’t want it, so

in six short weeks, April and Gary got

Dahl Dance Center started.)

I sign up for a class, and I get hooked.

We perform. We go to social dances.

We go to Star of the North in the Cities

and to one of the last Twin Cities Rebels

west coast swing competitions. Being

a ridiculous high schooler, I ask April

to come teach at a high school dance,

which she readily indulges. (Taking

classes with April taught me about

being a dancer, but just as importantly,

her willingness to come and teach at

something as small—and arguably a lit-

tle obnoxious—as a high school taught

me about being a teacher.)

Fast-forward a couple of years. The

Luther College ballroom team is just

getting started. We have less than no

clue what we’re doing. I send April a

panicked note trying to figure out how

we can learn enough to compete—and

how we can afford to bring in the

knowledge we need. I ask if one of her

students might consider doing it for

the pittance we can afford.

Back to Rochester: Dahl Dance

Center is booming. They have rented

the space next to theirs and expanded,

adding three studio spaces. April,

beyond teaching, is busy helping

cofound the Tango Society of Rochester,

which has incubated at Dahl Dance

Center. The studio is preparing for

WHEN SHEER DANCE EXECUTIVE

Editor Mary Beth Beckman first

approached me about writing about

the tenth anniversary celebration at

Dahl Dance Center, I was ambivalent.

Dahl Dance Center, in my hometown of

Rochester, Minnesota, was and is hugely

important to my growth as a dancer,

but on the other hand, I was worried.

Though I’m back home now, I had been

away for eight years, intersecting only

occasionally. I wasn’t convinced my

anecdotes could do justice to the good

the studio has done in Rochester.

But what the hell?

I first hear mention of Dahl Dance

Center during a piano lesson, of all

things. My piano teacher is Gary Dahl’s

mother, and when I mention that I’m

interested in lessons, she tells me

her son and his wife, April, have just

started a studio. I decide to support

people I know and try it out. (I later

found out they had literally just started

the studio—April had been running a

very successful program at another


an annual cabaret fundraiser. Despite

this busyness, April answers my note,

then gives me a call. Not only does

she have ideas but she’s going to come

down herself—and keep it affordable.

(Saturday morning lessons with April

taught me about being a competitive

dancer, but going out of her way to

help lost college kids, basically at cost,

taught me about humility.)

Forward again. Same bit, different

school. The fledgling University of

Northern Iowa ballroom group sends

an officer and me up to Rochester.

April has agreed to meet with us to

help us get connected in our area and

answers some questions and panics we

have. I drive, but the address is differ-

ent. Dahl Dance Center has moved—

partially to get a full long wall but also

because business is booming. April

and Gary are preparing to dance with

the Beyond Ballroom Dance Company

in Minneapolis. They’re also helping

run a major new fundraiser in town,

Dancing for the Arts. The Tango Society

of Rochester has spun off into its own

fully grown organization. (Despite

being based far enough away that there

was no way we could end up bringing

her in to teach at UNI, April gave us two

hours of conversation. She also threw

in a little time working on our dancing

and an incidental lesson on generosity.)

Present day. I’m back in Rochester.

Dahl Dance Center is doing as well as

ever. They are regularly bringing in

high-level coaches across the styles of

dance—an opportunity the Dahls had

when they were younger and want to

pass on to Rochester. The most recent

Dancing for the Arts fundraiser raised

$100,000. They are expanding and have

hired two new staff members. They’re

looking forward to celebrating their

ten-year anniversary as a studio on the

September 5th with a trip up to the

Caves.

I ask April how it looks now com-

pared to how she thought it might

look in ten years, back in 2005. Is it

drastically different? Close to what she

expected?

Somewhere in between, she says.

On the business front, she has been

honored and humbled by the opportu-

nities that have presented themselves.

For her own dancing, it’s been unex-

pected: Argentine tango has opened up

a lot of doors, as has Rochester itself.

The best part has been the change in

her teaching perspective:

“Just for me to see how dancing

changes people’s lives. When I started

this ten years ago, that wasn’t so much

in the forefront of my mind. It was: I

was going to teach people to dance

because I really love dancing. And now,

when I look at the impact it’s had on so

many people’s lives, it’s always amaz-

ing to me. That’s become more of the

focus.”

(Hopefully I still have space for this

one more lesson.) E


Mastering the inner GameBY KYLE CONDIFF

PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, regardless

of sport, play at their best when they

think less about what they are doing.

Sports psychologist W. Timothy

Gallwey argued that the cause of this

effect is the conscious mind’s tendency

to get in the way. The premise of his

1974 book The Inner Game of Tennis is

that a quiet mind allows more efficient

performance. The inner game in the

title involves avoiding distractions to

maintain in-the-moment awareness of

the outer game, which is the activity or

sport being played. Although the title

mentions tennis, Gallwey mainly uses

the sport for anecdotes and examples

in order to discuss the inner game as

applied to any activity.

Gallwey gives the name Self 1 to

conscious thoughts and calls the sub-

conscious Self 2. He analogizes Self 1 to

a coach, commanding and criticizing,

and Self 2 to an athlete who already

knows the motions and listens to the

coach for directions. In activities like

tennis, where there is little time for

reaction, Self 1’s job is to maintain

awareness and supply Self 2 with

updated information, and Self 2’s job

is to move the body.

If Self 1 does not trust Self 2 to do

its job and tries to micromanage, then

awareness is lost. A tennis player must

be aware of the locations, momenta,

and spin of the ball and the racket,

and trust their body to respond the

way they have practiced. In ballroom

dance, each dancer must be fully

aware of their partner’s position as

well as their own, and on the dance

floor, there is too little time to simul-

taneously focus on technique during

each movement. Movements must be

learned and practiced by Self 2 before

they can be applied in the outer game

with awareness.

According to Gallwey, new tennis

students commonly come to him

frustrated because other instructors

have told them specifically what they

are doing wrong but they are unable

to fix it. In essence, Self 1 knows what

the problem is and unsuccessfully tries

to force the body to move correctly.

Gallwey’s solution is to help Self 2

learn on its own by supplying Self 2

with imagery of correct technique.

He tells his students to watch his

racket strokes and then watch their

own racket strokes in a mirror. This

technique of visualization has become

a common tool in sports training. It is

especially relevant to ballroom dance,

where movements are frequently too

complex for Self 1 to comprehend and

control all aspects, and where the goal

is often to be visually appealing.

Self 1 must also refrain from judg-

ing the success or failure of outcomes.

Such judgment provokes emotional

responses. If Self 1 notices a failure,

then it may doubt Self 2, leading to

timid hesitation or wasting energy

with tenseness. If a tennis student

continually hits the ball into the net

and judges it as a failure, the student

will begin to either second-guess

themselves or overthink their strokes

in hopes that consciously controlling

everything will work. On the other

hand, if Self 1 notices success, then it

may try to determine how to replicate

the outcome, which can have similar

consequences. Simply observing what

your body is doing, without judgment

or preconceived ideas of what you are

doing wrong, allows your body to make

adjustments without interference.

The inner game requires Self 1 and

Self 2 to work together, each doing its

own job. Since Self 1 is the part we are

conscious of, its job of maintaining

impartial awareness is what we should

think of in any activity we perform. Self

2 is the part that must learn the move-

ments, and since it operates at the sub-

conscious level, we must help it learn

by providing the imagery and feelings

of movement without overthinking or

attempting to control everything. E


Falling into DanceBY CHELSEA VISSER

this move proved a bit more difficult

than originally anticipated.

I was paired up with someone

named Grant, who was nearly a foot

taller than I was and had a little more

dancing experience under his belt. As

we went through the cuddle, me spin-

ning towards his side, I tripped over

his shoe and went tumbling backwards

against him, nearly taking both of us

out.

I apologized profusely, and he

waved me off—we would get another

chance.

Step, step, rockstep, step, turn—oh,

god.

I tripped again, just barely man-

aging to catch myself. I’m pretty sure

he laughed again, me bright red with

embarrassment, and sent me along

to the next person in line as we all

switched partners. That’s it, I decided.

Dance isn’t my thing.

I tell that story a lot when I’m

talking about ballroom dance. My

friends tell me they’re clumsy, or they

can’t dance, or they’d make an idiot

out of themselves. I tell this story, and

they laugh, and then I continue with

this:

Even after that—even after stum-

bling and tripping and getting my

feet stepped on in turn—I went back.

I tried again, and again, and again, and

again, and now I wouldn’t give this up

for the world. E

I’VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT

how I first discovered ballroom dance:

Welcome Week, demonstrations, a

post on the Facebook page, et cetera, et

cetera. I don’t think I’ve mentioned my

first time dancing, and that’s the story

I’m going to tell today.

The University of Minnesota

Ballroom Dance Club puts on an event

every year in the first days of the semes-

ter. My freshman year, it was on Labor

Day. I had been planning on going to

the State Fair but had never actually

bothered getting tickets. Ballroom

seemed like an interesting enough way

to spend my afternoon, so that day, I

swung my Welcome Week bag over my

shoulders, walked across the bridge to

the student union, and followed the

music down the stairs to the Great Hall.

There were tons of people crowded

into the room, including a few faces I

recognized from the last few days. We

all stood, shuffling around nervously,

as the club members running the event

first made every move look effortless

and then broke down the steps beat

by beat. We all box-stepped around

the floor, one-two-three, in a stilted

imitation of a waltz, stepping with the

wrong feet. There were a lot of giggles,

a lot of apologies.

We learned rumba next, switching

one-two-three for slow, quick-quick.

Cue more stumbling.

My most vivid memory of Fall into

Dance was the last dance: swing. I had

gotten the basic down pretty easily—

step, step, rockstep—and was pretty

excited to be doing something even a

bit faster than a waltz. That’s where

things started to get a bit tricky.

The cuddle is a pretty easy swing

move and looks pretty impressive for

its simplicity. However, for someone

like myself, who, as has been men-

tioned at least once or twice before, is

not exactly what one would call graceful,


Show Off Your MovesUpcoming Dance Demo OpportunitiesBY YVONNE VIEHMAN

EVER WANTED TO DANCE ON A REALLY

big floor just for the sheer fun of it? No

airline tickets to purchase, no entrance

fees to pay, and no judges to critique your

performance.

Join us at the Mall of America on

Wednesday, October 28, 2015, from 7:30

to 8:30 p.m. as we take to the rotunda

floor and dance the night away.

We’ve got opportunities for dancers to

perform cha cha, rumba, swing, bolero,

mambo, west coast swing, waltz, tango,

foxtrot, Viennese waltz, quickstep—

whatever your dance craving, we’ll pro-

vide the space!

Bring your friends, family, smiles, your

boundless energy, and your costumes,

too!

The dancing doesn’t stop at the MoA!

Here are opportunities during the holi-

day season to demonstrate your abilities:

• Sunday, November 29, 2015

1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - Rosedale Mall

• Sunday, December 6, 2015

1 p.m. and 2 p.m. - Maplewood Mall


Rosedale Mall


Maplewood Mall

Contact Yvonne Viehman at

[email protected] or (763) 553-1202 for

more information. We’re also in need of

on-deck captains and costume assistants.

Thanks for volunteering your time

and talents! E

Photos from the Twin Cities Open by


BALLROOM DANCING CRITIQUED ALL DAY.SOCIAL DANCING, GAMES, AND MUSIC ALL EVENING.

BEGINNERS WELCOME (AND PREFERRED)

24 OCTOBER 2015

MORE INFORMATION AT MNBALLROOMBLAST.COM

Dance your heart out.Get critiqued by pros.Have a blast.

DANCERS

North Star BallroomSaint Paul Student Center2017 Buford AveSaint Paul MN 55108

WHERE

SPECTATORSSee some great dancing.Enjoy the games.Rock out.Admission is $5 per session.

Day Session: 9 AM to 5 PM• Critiqued dancingEvening Session: 6 PM to 10 PM• Dance performances• Social dancing & games

WHEN

MINNESOTABALLROOMBLAST


the Mystery of DanceBY JULIE JOHNSTON

lacking in a social sphere, I didn’t

find many occasions to dance “Hava

Nagila (Let Us Rejoice)” on a regular

basis. My further adventures included

soul line dance. The class consisted

of fewer than a dozen white people

standing out amongst much more

rhythmically inclined black attend-

ees. Next to their moves, I imagined

myself looking like Elaine from

Seinfeld, whose dance was described as

a “full-body dry heave set to music.”

For several years, I contented

myself with an occasional dance

event and my extensive collection

of dance movies (some of them old

enough to be in VHS format)—until

February 2015, when this mysterious

desire for dance led me to a Dance

Lite class, introducing me to the joy

of partner dancing. I’ve never been

a quick learner, and some physical

challenges keep me from being

naturally graceful. However, I’m

persistent, and within a short time,

I received a glimpse of what a waltz

could feel like if paired with a strong

lead. In that dance, I experienced

a short interval of what felt like an

effortless glide across the floor, the

feeling of letting go and putting my

trust in someone else to lead. Unlike

many contributing writers in Sheer

Dance who start ballroom in their

college years or earlier, I begin this

endeavor of partner dancing at over

fifty years old.

While learning ballroom dance, I

have come across many documented

benefits of partner dancing for those

with impairments or who are more

mature in age. One example is Dance

for PD, a joint project between the

Mark Morris Dance Group and the

Brooklyn Parkinson Group, aids peo-

ple with Parkinson’s disease. Patients

learn from movement experts how

they can use their senses and brains

to control movement.

Additionally, an Albert Einstein

College of Medicine Study, indicated

those over age seventy-five have a sev-

enty-five percent reduction in demen-

tia due to dancing frequently (even

better than those who do crossword

puzzles). In short, benefits of dance

include:

WHAT IS IT ABOUT DANCE, so akin

to walking—after all, it’s just moving

your feet—that can make the heart soar,

inspire self-confidence, reduce stress, and

more? I may not be able to answer what it

is about this mystery of dance, but I’d like

to share my story.

As far back as I can remember, I’ve

always wanted to dance. It didn’t even

matter what kind of dance. But being

a child of divorced parents, out of town

every weekend, I was unable to partici-

pate in anything that involved weekend

commitments or practice time. Divorce in

itself can develop trust issues in a child,

a lack of trust in those who should have

your best interests in mind.

As a child, my most prized possession

was a Dancerina ballerina doll. At twen-

ty-four inches tall with a knob on the top

of her head, in the middle of her pink

crown, you could make her do pirouettes

or walk on her toes. (They are now consid-

ered vintage if sold on eBay.)

For one year in my early teens, I par-

ticipated in dance line for school. We

performed at halftime for one basketball

game; the rest of our time was practice

after school. A strict budget meant we had

to sew our own costumes. My sewing skills

produced the required patriotic red skirt

and blue vest that went over our white

turtlenecks—all made out of unbreathable

pleather. Fortunately no photographic evi-

dence exists of this era.

As I grew into an adult, I tried a variety

of dance through community education

classes. My dance opportunities consisted

of sessions of tap, ballet, and some swing

classes, but I was never partnered consis-

tently with someone who was a strong

lead. I signed up at community classes

touted as no partner required and spent most

of the time dancing with the instructor,

and a great deal of time standing around.

Following that, I did three years of

Jewish/Israeli dance. Practicing a folk

dance style meant I could dance with no

partner. However, being introverted and



• Reduction in stress and depression

• Increases in energy and serotonin

• Increased mental capacity through

exercising cognitive processes

• Creation of new neural paths due to

rapid-fire decision-making

For myself, I’ve discovered the fol-

lowing benefits:

• I get to buy new shoes.

• It’s fulfilling to my nature as

a lifelong learner.

• It increases my self-confidence.

• As an introvert, it provides

connection to others that enjoy

the same interest and a topic

to start conversations.

• As a single person, I experience

human (nonsexual) touch and

its proven benefits.

• I invariably find some reason to

laugh at myself.

• It creates a greater

awareness of posture.

• Listening to a song at work that I’ve

danced to can whisk my stressed

mind to a place of enjoyment.

My dancing has increased from once

a week to an average of two classes and

one variety dance each week. I enthu-

siastically administer two meet-up

groups where I encourage others to

join the fun.

But within the mystery of dance

can be greater lessons you may not

expect to learn. You may think you’re

learning cha cha, waltz, rumba, etc.,

but you may be learning much more.

For myself, I feel like in addition, God

is teaching me spiritual lessons. With

me, he tends to use life as an example

when he needs to get through to me.

This unconsidered area regarding

spiritual advantages came through

a Facebook post from KV Ministries:

“Life is a dance that demands rhythm

and balance. We can get so self-aware

that we lose our sense of being God-

centered, which ultimately leads us to

become self-centered.”

Cindy Taillefer shared her experi-

ence of learning ballroom dance in

response: “It involves an intentional

putting of your trust in someone else

to lead you—and that person’s pur-

pose is to create beauty through your

movements.”

In light of that, I hope to grow in

learning the greater life lessons God

wants in my relationship with him

regarding surrender and trust:

• Trust in someone else, through

knowing them, to have my best

interest in mind

• The advantage in allowing someone

who knows more to lead

• Surrender of my independence (and

the pressure of it) to allow someone

stronger to be in charge

Dance is a large part of many

cultures and celebrations in life.

Armenian folk dance is considered an

expression of love and yearning for the

homeland as a central theme of their

dances. Hebrews 13:14 states: “For this

world is not our permanent home;

we are looking forward to a home yet

to come.” If I, too, am just passing

through, like the Armenians, I choose

to enjoy the pleasure of dance as I long

for my homeland in heaven.

So remember next time you’re danc-

ing with someone of a more mature

age: they may step on your toes or put

an elbow in your ribs as they learn,

but remember you’re young and you’ll

heal. For me, I could be increasing my

neural pathways, longing for home,

learning to trust, or learning even

more of the many advantages to this

mystery we call dance. E



Meet the University of MN Ballroom Dance Club Officers!

THIS FALL, THE UNIVERSITY OF Minnesota Ballroom Dance Club is

welcoming in a new officer board.

These dedicated individuals volunteer

their time to improve the Ballroom

Dance Club and bring a fun and wel-

coming ballroom dance environment

to the U of M campus. All of the

officers, in addition to holding these

elected positions, are full-time stu-

dents and active members of the Twin

Cities dance community.

Hannah is rarely seen without a smile on

her face and loves to spread the good news

of ballroom dance. Originally from South

Dakota, in addition to her role as vice

president, Hannah is a member of the com-

petitive ballroom team. Her favorite styles

of dance are American rhythm and smooth

and international standard.

Hannah AlyeaVICE PRESIDENT

Rosemary has served as the travel coordi-

nator for the Ballroom Dance Club for the

last four years. When she’s not dancing or

volunteering in the dance community, she

can usually be found working on her PhD

in mathematics, playing oboe in the campus

orchestra, reading, or hiking.

Rosemary O’ConnellTRAVEL COORDINATOR

When she’s not busy dancing, volunteer-

ing, or studying, Alexzandra will likely be

found—coffee in hand—spending time

with her friends, conquering video games,

discovering new music, and whipping up

delicious meals and desserts. She wants to

travel the world, dance as often as she can,

and be happy. She’s also a member of the

competitive ballroom team.

Alexzandra engerTREASURER

Rachel is a senior majoring in microbiology

with a minor in Spanish. She spent the past

summer working in a virology lab and learn-

ing Portuguese. This is her second year as the

safety and facilities officer for the Ballroom

Dance Club, and she enjoys the musicality

and fun dancing offers. When not dancing,

you can find her doing research, learning

about microbes, or reading a book.

Rachel MarusinecSAFETY AND FACILITIES COORDINATOR

Lizzie can be found furiously taking notes at

officer meetings or finding a fun way to be

sure that the university’s dance community

is always in the loop. When not attending

to officer duties, Lizzie is often making silly

faces at her teammates across the floor, chat-

ting with prospective members of the club, or

dancing ridiculously by herself to the music.

elizabeth WeaverSECRETARY


John is a senior at the University of

Minnesota and will graduate this year with

a B.S. in computer science. Though he enjoys

programming, his primary focus is how to

improve human-computer interaction. John

is currently the fundraising coordinator for

the Ballroom Dance Club and treasurer for

the university’s sailing team. Additionally, he

was recently awarded the Goldwater schol-

arship for his research on using cell phones

for indoor navigation. While away from

these activities, John can be found hanging

out with friends, eating grapes, or napping.

John O’learyFUNDRAISING COORDINATOR

Kevin is a senior at the University of

Minnesota studying computer science with

a focus on the theory of programming lan-

guages. In addition to dancing with the club’s

competitive team, Kevin enjoys learning for-

eign languages and practicing photography.

Kevin ViratyosinWEBSITE COORDINATOR

Jackson is a social and competitive dancer

with a great sense of humor who plans to

double-major in math and computer science.

He likes science and really enjoys a nice nap.

Jackson FossenMUSIC COORDINATOR

While Elizabeth just recently discovered

dancing as a hobby, she has loved every

minute of it. Elizabeth’s newfound passion

for dance was preceded by over a decade of

passion for music performance. Life outside

of dance for Elizabeth includes studying food

science at the University of Minnesota and

serving as a community advisor for UMN

Housing and Residential Life. She spends

her free time playing oboe, trying out board

games, and binge-watching Netflix with

friends (and her seven cats).

elizabeth WanningerDANCE COORDINATOR

This fall will mark the beginning of Seth’s

second year as publicity manager and his

third year with the Ballroom Dance Club.

Originally from South Dakota, Seth has made

a home out of the Twin Cities while he attends

the University of Minnesota. Currently work-

ing towards a degree in statistics, Seth hopes

to develop his career as a statistician and to

continue dancing competitively. E

Seth WestlakePUBLICITY COORDINATOR

Since first getting involved in ballroom his

freshman year, Joel has worked to promote

dance and personal development in every

area of his life. As president of the Ballroom

Dance Club, he’s overseen the development

of one of the strongest young ballroom

programs in the Midwest and nurtured

the ever-expanding social club. Joel is an

excellent student and Rhodes Scholar nom-

inee at the University of Minnesota who

enjoys studying anthropology.

Joel torgesonPRESIDENT


Photo from the Twin Cities Open by


Better Management in BallroomBY HANNAH ALYEA

gained a new understanding of my

responsibility to the Ballroom Dance

Club. I now appreciate that things

such as communicating and making a

goal clear and even recognizing when

someone has done something right are

values that I can relate to partnerships

in dance. How many times have clear

goals in a partnership been discussed?

Or letting your partner know that

double-reverse felt really nice? In my

experiences so far, it has probably been

more infrequent than it should be.

If you would like to better under-

stand how to use people skills in large

groups, or even partnerships, I recom-

mend First, Break All the Rules and The

New One Minute Manager. If anything,

they are a very insightful look into

enriching the power of success in

business or dancing. E

THIS SUMMER HAS BEEN A REAL

learning curve for me in the art of man-

agement skills. I have recently become

the vice president of the University of

Minnesota’s Ballroom Dance Club, and

it comes with the responsibility of mak-

ing sure everything in the Club runs

smoothly and that people are happy.

My initial thought of being a good

manager was that it was all about the

ability to tell people what to do and

have them do it without complaint.

First, Break All the Rules by Marcus

Buckingham and Curt Coffman and

The New One Minute Manager by Ken

Blanchard and Spencer Johnson were

recommended reads on my journey to

discover what a good manager really is,

which I was pleased to find were very

insightful and helpful learning tools.

First, Break All the Rules is full of pro-

cesses good managers use to produce

incredible results in sales, production,

and customer service, and also to

maintain top-notch performance in

their employees while keeping them

happy. It advocates for finding people’s

strengths and weaknesses and, instead

of trying to fix someone’s weakness,

utilizing their strengths in a way that

helps them achieve their full potential.

This really stuck with me as I

read, because many people (including

myself ) have probably, at one point

or another, tried to fix someone and

make their weaknesses disappear. But

why change someone to fit the every-

day mold? Why don’t we utilize more

of people’s strengths, acknowledging

that everyone has something they are

better at than others? We get so busy

trying to fix people that we miss out

on the chance to set people up for suc-

cess, which is where The New One Minute

Manager comes in.

One-minute management is all

about setting people up for success.

Now that strengths have been fleshed

out, the objective is to put people in a

place where they’re going to succeed. I

personally can be a huge micromanager

at times because I grew up with the

mentality of “if they can’t do it right,

do it yourself.” This book really opened

my eyes with the idea of giving people

the right tools for them to succeed.

It’s really hard for a fisherman to fish

without a fishing pole, and in the same

manner, it’s very difficult to expect

people to get things done if they don’t

have the tools required for success.

In one-minute management, a

manager’s goal is to set someone on

the right track but letting them solve

problems on their own. First, give them

the right tools for success (training, a

good team, supplies, etc.)and gently

nudge them in the right direction.

This process is done by communicating

and making goals very clear. The best

part? It should really only take about a

minute or two to lay out the plan for

success. This is followed by recognizing

when people are doing things correctly

(something that doesn’t happen often

enough in life) and, when something

goes wrong, a one-minute redirect to

get back on the right path toward the

common goal (much more encouraging

than being punished for doing some-

thing incorrectly).

But why is this girl going on and on

about management skills in a dance

magazine? Reading these books, I have

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