The Greater New York Chapter of USA Dance
 
A Sensational Evening of Ballroom Dance
April 17, 2008 ed.
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Greetings from the Greater NY Chapter of USA Dance!
[img:jr_blackpool]At the end of last month, March 24-29, in the British seaside resort of Blackpool, the finest junior ballroom dancers from around the world congregated to compete in Junior Blackpool, the youth version of the Blackpool Festival. As in years past, the United States sent a team of dancers who represented the United States in the various events as well as in the Team Match. To help raise funds to help this past year's team defray their costs in competing in this prestigious world event, Jonathan Wilkins has organized A Sensational Evening of Ballroom Dance to take place on Sunday, April 20 -- yes, that's this weekend -- at the 92nd Street Y on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. There will be lots of dancing, a buffet and some fabulous performances from our junior competitors. I understand that Jonathan and his partner Hazel Newberry will be on hand to demonstrate their fine routines. All this for just $75 per person in advance. It's all for a good cause, so come out and support our juniors.

Although we are helping Jonathan promote this fundraiser, our chapter is not organizing it. However, we do plan to hold a fundraiser on Long Island at the end of June to support the Junior Blackpool team for 2009, so please keep June 29 open for that event. More details to follow -- save the date.
Now, it has been a while since our chapter has organized a social dance so we're long overdue. We are planning to hold a social on Saturday, May 10, and it will be a fundraiser for Dance Parade. As noted in this space last month, we are getting a group together to dance down Broadway and on to Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. There are costs involved in participating, and we would like to print up t-shirts for our group to wear as we are dancing in the parade, representing ballroom and USA Dance here in the Greater New York area. So, please save the date and make plans to join us for the social on May 10.
Speaking of Dance Parade, the latest update from the organizers is that they have received permission from the City of New York to go across St. Mark's Place, one of the liveliest streets in the Village, if not the entire city. Traversing that thoroughfare on a Saturday afternoon would surely mean that a sizeable crowd of tourists and locals will be present to witness our own group of ballroom dancers doing a cha cha or rumba or maybe even a quickstep across St. Mark's Place. If you wish to join us, please let us know by sending us an e-mail with the subject line "Dance Parade" (minus the quotation marks) to rsvp@nyusabda.org. We need to hear from you so that we know how many t-shirts to order. The more the merrier . . . so e-mail us today and let us know that you'll be dancing with us on May 17. (Thanks to those who have already responded!)
[img:pris_lou]This week on DWTS: So we bid a fond farewell to Michael Jackson's ex-mom-in-law, Priscilla Presley. I missed Priscilla's rumba and Mario's samba (having arrived late at ACME), but of the remainder that I did see, I continue to be generally unimpressed with this field. As good as Kristi Yamaguchi is, I found her rumba lacking. Where was the hip action? Where was the sensuality? I know the judges gushed over her performance and even asked her to perform the rumba again on the results show, but frankly, it wasn't as special as all that. In my view, Jason Taylor remains the only dancer on the show that consistently dances well from episode to episode, and I would have rather seen his rumba again.

For me, the best dancing this week was on the results show (which I haven't been able to catch in recent weeks). Two junior couples, Dmitry and Michelle and Jaryd and Cara competed head-to-head in the 10 and under age category. Both were excellent. I first thought that Dmitry and Michelle, with their precision and energy, were going to take it hands down, but then Jaryd and Cara came on and their enthusiastic and spirited performance just stole my heart. It was a very tough call but Jaryd and Cara took it by two votes to three with Carrie Ann being the only judge that voted for Dmitry and Michelle. What a change of pace for the judges to be judging some real dancing. I do have a quibble with the fact that the kids each danced a different dance, and I question the validity of judging the two couples on different dances, but then I remind myself this is DWTS and they play by their own rules.
Looking to social dance? As always, check in with Wayne's Dance Commentary or NJoyDancing News & Notes for other great suggestions in the Greater New York area.
[img:juash_karag]On a somber note, we regret to report that Junior II National Champions Daniella Karagach and Leo Juashkovsky have ended their nearly five year partnership. Leo is taking a break; Daniella will continue to dance and is looking for a new partner. On an unrelated note, we hear that Slavik Kryklyvyy (did I get all the y's in there?) and Hanna Kartunnen are now dancing together.
That does it for this week. Good luck to all 1,080 registered competitors at MIT Open Ballroom Competition this weekend!
Yang Chen
President
Greater NY
USA Dance
(NYUSABDA)
www.nyusabda.org
www.nyusabda.org/forums-df
yang.chen@nyusabda.org