With MAC 2008 a mere two months away, the virtual box office for MAC 2008 is now open. We are offering significant discounts for USA Dance members and students for advanced purchases. For example, students and USA Dance members can save $10 per person for advanced purchases of tickets for the Championship sessions on Friday or Saturday night. Regularly, tickets for Friday or Saturday night are $35 per person, but if you are a USA Dance member or a student, you can get in for just $25 per person. If you attend both nights, that's a savings of $20 per person. The Championship tickets are the hottest tickets for the weekend, so we urge you to buy your tickets in advance. We will be capping admission for those sessions becausing seating is limited. Buy your tickets today!

Other MAC information you might find useful:

• Coming in from out of town and need a place to stay? On this link, you will find some suggestions.
• Not sure which age category you belong in for MAC 2008? The categories are all listed here on this link.

(Photo, r., © Igor Ofenbakh.)

---

DWTS last week: Helio Castroneves was a "great big dancing banana" (to quote Len Goodman), Marie Osmond was trying to pass off a country two-step as a jive and soap opera hunk Cameron Mathison got the boot. That leaves the three remaining women, Marie, Jennie Garth and Mel B. to surround Helio as the Last Man Standing. Will Helio make it into the final round? Although the strongest male dancer has now made it into the top 4, we know from Sabrina Bryan's experience that being a half-way decent dancer is not enough. Will the race car driver's fans come out of the woodwork to propel him into the final? Has his partner Julianne Hough garnered a sufficient fan base of her own to boost Helio's votes? We are heading into the season finale (which I am told is next Tuesday, Nov. 27), so stay tuned, and remember to vote for your favorite couple. We will convene at ACME Bar & Grill to watch the proceedings unfold, so do come on down and join us there.

---

Have you registered yet for the first-ever Big Apple DanceSport Challenge? This event is the Columbia University Ballroom Dance Team's first foray into hosting a dance competition on its own, and if you have not yet signed up, you have missed the regular registration deadline, which closed on Friday, Nov, 16. You can still sign up but you will incur a late fee at this point (late registration deadline is Nov. 23). The organizers of this inaugural competition have done a great job pulling in the couples for the competitive events, as there are at this writing 337 couples registered to compete. The Latin pre-bronze event has 88 couples signed up already! To my surprise, there are 18 couples signed up to dance the Paso Doble. And the event is boasting a quarterfinal round in the Championship Standard.

Even if you are not signed up to compete, the Big Apple DanceSport Challenge promises to be a terrific event to spectate. As a reminder (not that you need reminding), Yulia Zagroyuchenko and her new partner Riccardo Cocchi will be performing on Saturday night. For those who have been waiting to buy general admission tickets, you may have missed the boat. On-line sales for general admission tickets are currently suspended, although front row VIP seating is still available at $50 a pop. Make plans to be uptown at Alfred Lerner Hall, 115th Street and Broadway on Dec. 1 for what promises to be a great event.

---

Looking to social dance? With the upcoming Thanskgiving Holiday, the pickings are a bit slim, but if you are out by Farmingdale, LI, Club 56 is the place to be on Tuesday night, Nov. 20, starting at 7:30 pm. There will be a turkey giveaway, door prizes, a salsa lesson, complimentary hot buffet, and a great mix of salsa, cha cha, merengue and other hot latin dances. All this for just $8 per person!

Looking ahead to Friday, Nov. 30, all you hustle lovers out there may want to make your way down to Stepping Out Studios for Friday Night Fever, a hustle jam starting at 9:30 pm.

For other great social dance suggestions, check in with NJoyDancing News & Notes and Wayne's Dance Commentary.

---

That just about does it for this edition. See you at ACME on Monday night, and have a Happy Thanksgiving, everbody!

---

Yang Chen
President
Greater NY
USA Dance
(NYUSABDA)
www.nyusabda.org
www.nyusabda.org/forums-df
yang.chen@nyusabda.org