2014 DANCE WITH ME SUMMER INVITATIONAL: THE BIGGEST IN-HOUSE COMPETITION IN DANCE WITH ME HISTORY!
Dance With Me Family has been preparing for this year’s Summer Invitational for the past few months! With over 3000 dance entries we are proud to say that this was the biggest in-house competition in Dance With Me history!
Held in Stamford, Connecticut, students began checking in on Friday evening and had to wake up as early 4:00 AM to get their hair and makeup done to be ready for the competition. That is what we call dedication!
Some of the highlights included appearances by Dancing with the Stars professionals and DWM co-owners Maksim Chmerkovskiy, Val Chmerkovsiy, and Tony Dovoloani who came to support our students. Might I add that the Mirror Ball Trophy from this Season Eighteen of Dancing with the Stars made an appearance as well! Dance With Me also had Corky Ballas a Latin World Champion dancer, and father to Mark Ballas from Dancing with the Stars host the event!
The most touching moment of the weekend was watching the wheelchair dancing performance choreographed by John Nyemchek, one of the judges of the competition. These ladies were spun across the dance floor like princesses with the assistance of their instructors, ending their performance with nothing but a huge smile on their faces…leaving the audience in tears. It was not only an inspiration to everyone who was watching, but showed you how there is no limit to who can dance.
Let’s not forget the Dance With Me administrative competition! Dance With Me gave each non-dancing staff member the opportunity to experience a real live competition up close and personal. With no previous dance experience these ladies, and man, trained very hard with the guidance of their instructors, were fitted into their very own competition dress, given the whole hair and makeup package, then sent out to get their dance on in the ballroom. It was amazing witnessing what these ladies accomplished in such a short period of time. They not only looked like professionals but danced like professionals as well.
What added extra excitement to this event was the fact that Staffan Alm, the marketing manager of Dance With Me, entered the competition and learned the routines just an hour before dancing! Talk about courage… especially for a guy! He’s going to tell you all about his experience a little later on our blog…
Not only did the students and administrative personnel compete, but there was also a professional competition among the Dance With Me instructors. Some of which learned their routines right on the spot with absolutely no previous preparation! Good thing all of our teacher’s are required to be syllabus certified in all four ballroom dance styles.
There were a number of amazing showcase performances throughout the event by students and teachers. From traditional ballroom to contemporary and hip-hop, the audience was able to get a taste of the diversity present throughout each studio.
When you come to a Dance With Me event there are a few things you can expect. There will be twists, and there will turns. The energy will be endless, and memorable moments will be made. The team camaraderie is undeniable and you will get a sense of why we call ourselves the Dance With Me family.
In fact, during the Silver Latin Scholarship on Sunday night, there was problem with the hotel power and all the lights went out! The crazy part is that the music and microphone power still worked, so everyone in the ballroom took out their cell phone flashlights and we kept the competition going without skipping a beat. We even turned it into a big party led by Val, Corky, and the Dance With Me teachers!
Don’t miss out on an opportunity to add a little bit of flare to your life. Dancing gives you structure and poise, while boosting your confidence so that you can take on any competition without a doubt in your mind. It helps build long lasting relationships and stays with you for the rest of your life!
Check out the photos and videos below and tell us what you think the comments.
We can’t wait to see you at our next event!
Please open a studio down south. Like Florida. St. Augustine is the most beautiful little town in the South. We need a DWM studio here.