Ballroom Dancing Classes

I attended a local Ballroom Competition – California Star Ball on Saturday Nov 27th, 2010 at the LAX Radission Hotel.  This competition is run by the owners of the Westmor Dance Studios – Gitte Svendsen and John Morton, and were celebrating the 50th anniversary of their competition.  Needless to say both Gitte and John are well known in the Los Angeles competitive circuit and have long been a supportor of ballroom competitors.  This is evidenced that their studio is the cheapest for dancers to practise – $5 floor fee per person on their practice nights or for any other time for any length of time …  unheard of.  Also, if you are a competing dancer, you will get a discount for that evening’s sessions or days ticket.  Another nice thing that you don’t normally get at other competitions.

http://www.californiastarball.com/index.cfm/page.htm

http://www.westmorstudio.com/

The California Star Ball competition is held every year during the Thanksgiving weekend and as it was our first time there, we didn’t realise that parking was going to be such a nightmare.  So for those of you planning to compete or attend this event next year, go earlier than expected as the parking lots around the hotel is full of cars from regular people who have just left LA for the Thanksgiving weekend and if you try to valet park at the Radisson Hotel – be prepared to lie and say that you are checking into the hotel.  Otherwise, you will have to walk in the cold for several long blocks before finding a parking lot that is available. 

 Then when we got into the hotel, early of course as my BF wanted to make sure that we were first at our front row table to get the front row seats.  I know I know but listen, we were not the only ones.  There were other couples ahead of us and for safety reasons, I started asking what table numbers we had to make sure we didn’t trample each other getting to the front spot.  Luckily for us crazy people, we were all in different tables.  I know this was to see Mirko and Edita :-) Mirko Gozzoli and Edita Danuite who are currently #2 in the World Pro Standard circuit.

We went there specifically to see Mirko and his new partner Edita as we had never seen him live before.  Of course, checking out the Pro/Am and Pro competitions were also a bonus.

What was memorable about this night for us was the Amateur Senior Standard – this was so competitive they had heats.  While the other divisions were mainly uncontested or straight into the finals.  These seniors – firstly looked very young, had spunk, energy and lots of training as I recognised a few of them from my time in the Bay area about 10 years ago and they had been competing in the seniors division too.  Just with different partners.  Anyway, the top seniors then turned around and competed in the Amateur Championship level too.  Amazing ….. where did they find the energy?  I guess all that good training and adrenalin keeps you going.  The seniors did great with the young ones and in fact won 6th, 4th and 2nd place.  Love it!

The Pro standard event was also enjoyable.

What was disappointing was the Amateur Rhythm event with only 2 couples.  There was one Pro-Am Smooth lady that caught my eye, she was the only person who was really and genuinely (or carrying a good fake) feeling the music and dancing to this.  Even more so than the Pros.  It was nice to see her win her division, wish I knew her name as I didn’t want to pay the $25 for a program.  In the Pro-Am Latin, a few of the Pros were not up to par, there were a couple  that caught my eye …. Russian names of course.  There were 2 Pro Latin ladies competing.  One had a terrific sexy outfit, however, her technique was questionable.  We could not figure out what she was doing with her volta action??  Anyway, the other Pro lady was terrific and we enjoyed watching her dance with her student.

This is a good competition if you want to test run and prepare for the larger competitions or if you are local and don’t want to spend buckets of money travelling.  The judging panel for standard was really good …. Glenn Weiss, Victor Veyrasset, Steve Cullip so you would get exposure to top level judges without it being too crowded, intimidating or not having anyone else to compete with.

The show with Mirko and Edita was enjoyable but a bit of a let down for me.  I’ve seen Mirko with his old partner Alessa in the Superstars DVD and on several youtube videos etc.  I have always enjoyed his spirit and fun and love of dancing. So I expected that to be even stronger live.  However, as with some things when you walk in with a high level of expectation …. expect disappointment.  I was not in love with the choreography and only liked one of the music choices.  Often a lot of these top competitors are not necessasarily great at putting on a show.  It’s a different skills set altogether.  I was definitely bothered by Edita’s rather stiff neck and lack of technique when it came to doing the fast turns – instead of using her center, it was muscled in an attempt to create speed.  I know the standard ladies like to hold their left sway and posture when it comes to turning but when it’s a free style exit etc, just spot for so your neck does not look too stiff.  Her open work was stiff.

Mirko Gozzoli and Edita Daniute 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6OZUfMzBIw

Mirko Gozolli with his old partner Alessia Betti when they were #1 in the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0tIE7X1Nq0&feature=related

It was a long evening we got there at 6pm and didn’t get out until 1:30pm at least.  Make sure you eat well before attending and evening competition, stock up your bag with snacks or try to sneak in a sandwich or salad.  Otherwise you will be subject to the hotel’s $2 cookies, $6 sandwiches, $8 small salad, $4 fruit salad prices.  Bring a coat with you, I was freezing even with my long coat.  Don’t expect to get a chance to dance in between the competitions.  Besides, the warm-up time is for the competitors and you will only get whacked by these guys as they are so focussed on their routine so you may as well stay out of their way and give them the floor.

Last night at the Embassy Ball Dancesport Championships 2010, I was reminded of the reasons why I never got into the ballroom competition circuit – the corruption and injustices that run rampant in that scene never sat well with me and did not serve to motivate me.  However, I continue to attend some ballroom competitions because seeing world level dancers always inspire me to work harder on my own dancing and strive for better execution.

At the Dancesport Worldcup Professional International Standard event last night, we were all stunned when Victor Fung and his partner Anastasia Muravyova who had danced very well, were placed at #3 when they clearly were #2.  But when we saw who they lost to, the entire room, many of us locals, there to support Victor - a local Orange County boy, we were so stunned we didn’t even know how to react.  And yes, I have been around the block, I have competed, been to many competitions, many of my teachers and coaches were competitors and have friends who competed.  I have seen many results that just make me scratch my head and know it’s a very subjective system of judging.  Prone to corruption.  And yet, I was still shocked.

Victor Fung with  Anastasia Muravyova at Blackpool this year was #3 in the world and Victor has been consistently in this spot for several years with his old partner, Anna Mikhed.  Sometimes #2.  Well, last night Victor lost to his old partner Anna Mikhed who was dancing with her new partner  Giampiero Giannico.  Giampiero had not competed for 3 years and his highest placing at the world level was perhaps in the top 13 with Anastasia Muravyova, Victor’s current partner.  Giampiero with Anna Mikhed placed #5 at Blackpool this year.  Blackpool is the most prestigious Ballroom Competition in the world.  International Standard is very much a man’s dance, and the world rankings are determined most often by how well the man is dancing, the ladies may change but the ranking of the couple is usually stable because it’s very much the man that determines how well they perform. 

Victor Fung and Anastasia Muravyeva

We were looking forward to seeing Victor Fung again in his homeground, hopefully dance well (he always does, he’s such a pro) and be rewarded with a fair placing.  All night, he looked classy and effortless.  His old partner, Anna Mikhed was also on the floor with her new partner and I have seen her dance twice with this new partner Giampiero and I have not enjoyed it.  She no longer has the beautiful light quality and classy style of dancing she had with Victor, it was frantic and brutish and her partner just did not have any finesse.

Giampiero Giannico and Anna Mikhed

Some of it I’m sure is due to his unfortunate lack of neck and thus, his topline (frame and head) is just not attractive.  But a lot of  of it is due to his style of dancing.  Now this is subjective because clearly other people like it.  I just don’t.  In fact I was enjoying watching Paolo Basco and Sylvia Pitton (last year’s Amateur World Champions and just turned pro), Urs Geisenhainer and Agnes Kazmierczak (now representing Poland, they used to dance for USA) more than Giampiero and Anna.  The Paolo and Sylvia, Urs and Agnes all placed below Giampiero and Anna.

Because I am friends with Victor’s parents, I was one of the few people who really know what happened in the breakup of the partnership between Victor Fung and Anna Mikhed.  Victor’s parents are just really good people.  Somewhat rare if you live in LA, but ever since I ran into them several years ago, I fell in love with them and have tried to help support their studio ClubOne in Orange County, CA (Costa Mesa) as much as I can living 2 hrs away.  Victor is very much a product of this parents – good hearted, high integrity, dedicated, caring, hard-working, quiet, introverted and classy people.  There’s not a mean bone in his body.  He focusses on his dancing and tries not to get caught up in the politics of his profession.  

Here’s the back story on the perfect storm that happened at last night’s ballroom competition.

Anna Mikhed apparently is not all that she seems.  We all thought she was so sweet, elegant, demure and just loved her dancing with Victor.  Their dancing together had a refined beauty about it and they were becoming known as America’s sweethearts in the ballroom dancing circles.  What we didn’t know was that she is very emotional, neurotic and dramatic.  This is quite consistent with many competitors.  However, Victor is nothing like that.  His dad is a retired engineer, his mom a math tutor and marathon runner.  They were brought up to work hard, be professional and be smart …. all the good stuff good Chinese parents instill in their children.  Victor and his parents are just so professional, I never heard one sniff of the partnerships problems Victor was going through with Anna.  Until I read online that their partnership had broken up so I called up Victor’s parents and asked what happened.

Well, last year, when Victor and Anna were taking training in Florida with their coach Loraine Barrichi (former world champion), Anna had a fit in the middle of coaching with Loraine and announced that she was quitting and left.  Leaving Victor in Florida wondering what the hell was going on and what to do.  Apparently she had done this several times to Victor and he would wisely leave her alone for a week or so and she would come back and be ok.  This time, she had a fit at a world renown coach and judge, in front of everyone who was at the studio and then she proceeded to email her other coaches (all very well known world champions, coaches and judges) that she was quitting.  She didn’t have the courtesy of discussing this with Victor, just left him high and dry and stranded in Florida just before upcoming major competitions.  Victor and Anna have been working very hard climbing the ranks and had just broken through to #2.  Anna was very lucky because she was no where until she partnered up with Victor and has had a very short run to the top.

Through it all, Victor and his parents showed their class and their heart.  They did not share this with the world.  

Victor’s parents tried to counsel Anna.  They loved her like their own daughter.  They told her “If the partnerhip is not working, quit the partnership but don’t quit the industry.  This is your career, if things are not working out, then find another partner”.  They were very concerned about their son but they were also concerned about her future.  Eventually Victor decided he had to continue and tried out with Anastasia at the advice of his coaches and then partnered with her.  Victor even went to the extent of telling his coach to convey to Anna that he knows a boy in New York who would be a good partner for Anna, someone kind who would take care of her.  Victor didn’t want to say it directly to Anna because he didn’t think she would listen so he told this coach to give that advice to Anna.

Victor Fung with old partner Anna Mikhed

I found out last night that Anna, had gone to one of her coaches and said “I want to beat Victor and find me a partner I can do that with”. So she partnered with Giampiero.  Who used to partner Anasatasia and had not competed for 3 years.  Don’t you just love this?  Giampiero originally from Italy, is very good at wining and dining and apparently have been busy courting a lot of the Italian judges.  There were a lot of Italian judges on the floor last night.  Poor Victor didn’t stand a chance and never saw that coming.  He is not into self-promotion, does not do the wining/dining/shmoozing stuff (this is why I like the boy, I’ve always hated that stuff too), nor does his parents.  He has gotten so far on his merit of dancing and he has said to us, he just focuses on improving his dancing and cannot get caught up with what other people are doing.  Smart boy.   But that is not how it works.

When I was competing, I was always amazed at how the game was played.  Make sure you take lots of lessons from the judges that are going to be judging up at upcoming competitions.  That will ensure a good placing.  There are many competitors that refuse to play that game (myself included, unless the judge is a good coach and can really solve my movement problems).  I can’t say if I paid the price because I just didn’t do enough of the ballroom competitions, but I think it does help.  I had always heard the rumblings though as I took training from studios where a lot of the teachers were competitors at a high level.  A lot of schmoozing goes on and plenty of injustices.  Again, all the more reason for me to not buy into that whole scene and only use ballroom competitions to motivate myself to work harder at my dancing regardless of how I was marked by the judges.

So last night was a shock, but if you had been following what was happening behind the scenes, then it would have been predictable.   The injustice saddens me.  Why does the universe reward bad behaviour?  I hope Victor will continue on his classy journey and hold his head up high and not let this discourage him.  I’d like to believe that it will all play out right in the end.  This is just a setback in the journey of life, a catalyst to change the directions of the players involved to get them on the right path.

Last night at the Embassy Ball ballroom competition, I was inspired by the quality of the dancing I saw, by the dancers’ dedication, their energy, their willingness to put themselves on the line, for very little monetary reward but for the love of dance.  I prefer not to be inspired by the judging.  It’s the dancers that I give my heart and my support to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJaPHJH4ah0

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