---

The National Dance Council of America (NDCA) is, according to its website, "the Governing Council of NDCA Sanctioned Events . . . . Its purpose is to provide, on a nation-wide basis, a united inter-association agency to represent the interests of those in the dance profession and other dance-related entities and organizations and to act as the agency for cooperation with similar councils in other countries." USA Dance is an affiliate member of the NDCA. The NDCA sanctions a great many competitions across the country, and for professional and pro-am competitors, NDCA is a familiar acronym. The NDCA was founded in 1948 as a not-for-profit educational organization in New York City. To celebrate, the NDCA will be holding a gala at the Roosevelt Hotel in midtown Manhattan, on Saturday, January 5, 2008. Tickets are $150 per person and include cocktail reception, dinner and an evening of spectacular shows and dancing. The performances will feature such ballroom luminaries as Riccardo Cocchi and Yulia Zagoruychenko, Arunas Bizoukas and Katusha Demidova, José Decamps and Joanna Zacharewicz and many, many more. For information on how to get tickets, read this post.

---

With the holiday season in full swing, tickets to the NDCA Gala would make great stocking stuffers. Come to think of it, here are some other hot tickets that the ballroom dance enthusiast in your life might really appreciate:

• Tickets to the MAC's championship events on Friday and Saturday evening. Advanced purchase recommended, as seating will be limited. Click here to buy tickets now on-line.


• What's better than MAC championship tickets? Watching the championships from the VIP section. Details on the VIP program are available on this link. All proceeds go to benefit the MAC Scholarship Fund.


• For the tango fan in your life, how about tickets to Tango Fire, at the Joyce Theater, (running from Dec. 18 through Jan. 6)?


• And for the Dancing with the Stars fan in your life, how about tickets to the live DWTS show? The DWTS tour kicks off on Dec. 18 in Seattle, Washington. It comes into our area at the end of next month. For more details, check this post.

---

Fans of "So You Think You Can Dance" may be glad to know that the auditions for the next season of the show will be happening a month from now, starting in Dallas, Texas on January 17. It looks like the auditions will be skipping New York City, and the closest city to us will be Washington, DC on February 21, so hopefuls in New York may have to travel a little if they want to try out for SYTYCD in 2008. The full schedule is posted here.

---

Clarification on the Dance NY closure: I have been told that some people believe that Dance NY is closing at the end of this year. That is not the case. Dance NY will remain in its current space, open for business, through March 2008. Dance NY will be relocating in New York City, so stay tuned for news about that. In the meantime, DNY is hosting a holiday party tonight, from 6 pm to 11 pm. There is also a Saturday night dance at DNY on Dec. 22. And, if enough people express interest in a pre-New Year bash at DNY (and pay in advance), there will be a pre-New Year's Eve party on December 29. You can sign up and pay at tonight's holiday party or at the Saturday night dance on December 22. More details on this post.

---

For those out by Farmingdale, LI, the Hot Latin Tuesday at Club 56 will be hosting a holiday party on Dec. 18, featuring a Bolero lesson by Patti Panebianco, hot buffet and a visit from Santa and his lovely elves. For more details, follow this link. And for other dance events and ideas, consult NJoyDancing News & Notes and Wayne's Dance Commentary.

---

Ballroom in NYC: Boom or Bust? Adam points out on the Forum that, with all the news of studios closing in New York City, is there in fact a "ballroom boom" inspired by DWTS or is it in fact a "ballroom bust"? Eric responds that the high rents and costs in New York City are to blame, but Adam counters that if there is a boom, the studios should be able to afford the increased costs. What do you think? Are the studio closures in New York City a reflection of a decline in ballroom or just the reality of how hard it is for businesses to stay open in this increasingly expensive town? Get on the Forum and share your opinions with us.

---

That does it for this edition. Happy Xmas shopping!

---

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