Windy City Open...Watching the Pros!

NOTE!  There are many photos here, it's a rather long post, but I urge to bear it out and read the entire post; there is a beautiful surprise at the very end, a lovely inspiration for all of you. 

Two of my competition photos were available yesterday!  This is the Bronze Open Scholarship dance on Friday evening.  We're dancing International Standard Tango.  International Standard is the most classic style of ballroom and includes the dances Waltz, Slow Foxtrot, Tango, Viennese Waltz and Quickstep.  In Standard, the partners never break out of the hold position to do any arm styling or independent movement.  Partners must be in perfect synchronicity while maintaining body contact at 5 specific points of contact.  A very specific rib-to-rib connection is most critical.  In this position, the partners must also maintain a broad distance from the chest up....this distance is what gives the dance it's dynamic appearance.  

I'm VERY pleased with our posture and position in this photo.  I love that it conveys the image of motion in a still photo.

I did all of my dancing on Friday and on Saturday my friend Karen, who is a Gold level amateur (pro/am with her instructor) Latin competitor, and I went to see the professional competition and the feature performance by Yulia and Ricardo, World Latin Dance champions.  

I live close enough to Chicago that I decided to drive to and from the comp on Friday (didn't stay in the hotel like I usually do) so on Saturday, I picked up Karen and we drove back into the city through a pounding rainstorm.

We had time for dinner, which was a delicious Pizza Marghuerita with arugula topping.  There is a fine dining restaurant in the hotel...but it was booked so we had dinner in the bar..........

which gave us the opportunity for some Karen-and-Lisa style silliness.

At every comp, girls must find time for a little ballroom vendor shopping.....and I picked up some of the 'nuts and bolts' dance accessories; shoe protectors and clear bands to help keep the shoes tight on our feet.  Oh, yeah....of course I picked up a little bling too...............

Can anyone tell me what kind of material this is?  It has a coating that you can see in the pic.  I would love to make my own jewelry, but I don't know what this backing material is.

Heel protectors and bands to keep shoes on!

Then it was time for the comp!  We had GREAT seats....on the edge of the dance floor.  We could reach out and touch the pro dancers if we wanted to!  

Comps run for three to four days and nights and Saturday night is the pinnacle of the event. There is continuous high level of energy throughout the comp, but Saturday night's event is super charged.

Here they are.......

The PROS!

These are the photographs I took of Saturday's show. I am very new with digital 35mm photography, so bear with me!  Lighting is very elaborate at comps and I had no idea how to adjust for it.  

American Rhythm dance

American Smooth

Latin

Our friend, Jessica Sartori-Wharton, dancing a Paso Doble with her partner Rudolpho, who is Karen's coach.

More American Rhythm

Jacob and his partner; I met Jacob while I was having my hair done.  He was the stylist's assistant and he added a little extra shimmery highlights to the makeup I had done myself.  He gave my eyes some extra POP!

Rhythm

American Smooth.  This style consists of the same dances as Standard, except for Quickstep, which is International Standard only.   In this style, dancers can break out of hold and dance independently, use expressive arm styling and shaping.

Latin

This is Tatianna......WOW.  Her movement was so sharp, crisp and fast.  She and her partner took first place in American Rhythm Professional Championship.

Latin

Smooth

Latin

Smooth

Smooth

Latin

Latin

Smooth

A couple of "swoosh" pictures.  (Hey Sheila @Ephemera....this one's for you.  Want to rate the 'swoosh' factor on this one?)

The capstone of the evening was the performance by feature performers Yulia Zagoryechencko and Ricardo Cocchi.  They're World Latin Dance champions and they are breathtaking.

Her dress is stoned with Swarovski crystal in the image of the Chicago skyline!

Paso Doble!  A most dramatic dance

For the final dance, Ricardo and Yulia danced a Rhumba, the dance of love, bathed in pink light.  

I hoped that I have conveyed to you the drama, energy and excitement of the ballroom competition world.  Its intoxicating and it brings me so much joy.  

I have one final special thing to share with all of you;

So you Think You CAN'T Dance?

Do you think you are too old?

Here is proof that dancing WELL and even spectacularly is possible at any age.  The dancer in the photos below is a beautiful and talented 65 year old lady.  She is fit, fabulous and an amazing dancer.

You wish you could dance?  You can dance....just do it.....

Amazing control and strength

The abs required to maintain this straight as a board position while the guy is spinning is incredible.

Yeah...she really is 65.  She was amazing.