You may have watched the Dancing With the Stars TV series, but if you want the real thing attend a professional ballroom dance competition. The events are eye popping, heart pounding competitions in ballroom and Latin dancing with professional dancers that look like lean and bronzed Greek gods and goddesses. This is true art for high stakes prize money. Every major city hosts professional ballroom competitions and the dancers go on to compete in the U.S. national championships and some to the World Championships in England. It is well worth it, put this on your bucket list.
The U.S. National Ballroom Dance Championship is from September 5 to 10, 2022 at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. The event is recognized by the U.S. Dance Council, U.S. Olympics, and the World Dance Council.
In November 15 to 20, 2022 the prestigious Ohio Star Ball Championship takes place in Columbus, Ohio. The event was formerly broadcast on national PBS-TV.
The next World Ballroom and Latin Championships will take place at the Blackpool Dance Festival from May 20 to June 20, 2023 in Blackpool, England.
Current U.S. ballroom and Latin champions are:
- Professional International Ballroom – Iasruslav and Lillia Birliei from California
- Professional American Ballroom – Roman Malkhasyan and Galina Dedkind from Florida
- Professional International Latin – Troels Bager and Ina Jeliazkova from New York.
- Professional American Rhythm – Andre and Natalie Paramanov from Florida.
Ballroom dances include waltz, foxtrot, tango, Viennese waltz, and quickstep. Latin and rhythm dances include rumba, cha cha, mambo/salsa, samba, jive/swing, bolero, and paso doble.
