Over the weekend, I was invited to adjudicate a ballroom dance competition in Vancouver, British Columbia. The 7th Annual Vancouver Challenge Cup was a finely tuned mixture of serious competitive dancing and lots and lots of fun for the audience as well as officials.
I live and teach in Seattle. Since Vancouver is just a little over 2-hour drive, I try hard to never miss an opportunity to visit Vancouver, I love the city! I have been coming to this competition with couples for about 4-5 years, and to see how far the competition had come is refreshing.
Clara, David, and Michel, the organizers, were responsible for the fun and positive but classy aura of the event. There is always a set of circumstances and the reason why an event becomes successful.
In all cases, I think it starts with people, their attention to detail, and care towards all parties involved in the event- beginning with the volunteers, competitors, audience, and officials. Everyone is welcome and well taken care of at Vancouver Challenge Cup.
The audience was in for a real treat during both Friday and Saturday night sessions. Lots of general dancing gave the floor to BC’s social dancers and gave the competitors enough time to catch their breath in between rounds.
Now, the real deal was the Jack and Jill events. We had two- a Waltz and a Cha-Cha. It is tough to put into words how the Waltz event went. I couldn’t stop laughing for a long time. It was like a fun play put on by Ballroom Dancers. Everyone danced with everyone, and it was just beautiful to see.
Let's look at the other side- the competitors and local professionals. You guys rock! The Ballroom Dance community of British Columbia comes together and helps to bring the local competitions to life. Those events are of vital importance for all ballroom dancers of all levels and ages.
The Professionals presented elegant dancing on the floor and worked tirelessly to prepare the young dancers to take on their Ballroom dance journey. There is so much love for dance here, admirable!
From the adjudicator’s perspective, I can say that you, competitors, made it difficult for us to decide who the winner should be. Strong dancing, we love to see that!
And, oh! My fellow adjudicators, you guys were such a fun bunch of people to be around. You are professional, energetic, passionate, full of life and lots of funny jokes. It was a real honor for me to be a part of the panel with you and call you my friends. Thank you for being awesome.
I cannot wait to be back next year for the 8th Annual Vancouver Challenge Cup, how about you?
Once again, Congratulations to Michel, Clara, and David for putting together a beautiful, vibrant, and most of all, fun for everyone, Ballroom Dance Fiasco. Thank you, guys!
