World-Class Seminars Come to Dance Fest
By the Dance Fest Team
The final preparations have been made for this year's wonderful Dance Fest held at Dancers Studio on March 7th and 8th. It will be another year of record participation from around the Upper Midwest, including competitors of all ages and skill levels. This competition is a powerful and fun window into ballroom dance, introducing hundreds of spectators and couples to dancesport each year. It is also an excellent tool for local competitors to get one final practice in before Nationals.
This year, we are very excited to announce that we will be holding five free forty-five-minute seminars for the spectators and competitors at Dance Fest. These seminars will be taught by some of the finest instructors in the country, including national professional champions and finalists. The seminars will be accessible to all skill levels and will focus on both beginner and advanced topics. Spectator tickets to either a day or an evening session will cost only $10—less than going to a movie!
Seminars at Dance Fest
Saturday, March 7th
10:00 a.m. - American Foxtrot
American foxtrot will be taught by one of the country's best coaches and choreographers, Mariusz Olszewski. Mariusz has coached and choreographed for two professional world American smooth champions, US Rising Star smooth champions, US amateur smooth champions, Ohio Star Ball Rising Star Latin champions, and Polish amateur and professional Latin champions.
2:00 p.m. - International Cha Cha
Elena Bersten, the daughter of a former Russian champion, has toured as a dancer around the United States and in Europe. She has won numerous awards for her dancing abilities and won many prestigious Russian championships and titles. At the age of eighteen, she won the Russian formation team competition. She and her husband, Gene, are the co-owners of Dance with Us America, one of the best studios for Latin instruction in the Midwest.
4:00 p.m. - Arm Styling
Arm styling will be taught by former three-time US professional theater arts champion Jennifer Foster. Jennifer and her husband, Robert, are also repeated US finalists in the cabaret and American rhythm divisions. Highlights of Jennifer's career include being invited to compete in England at the Blackpool Cabaret Invitational and being a finalist at the World Cabaret in Holland. She has owned several successful dance studios and has had many students whom she has trained to become regional and US champions in their own right.
Sunday, March 8th
10:00 a.m. - International Foxtrot
Lisa Vogel Galvin's top accolades include: 2007 United States National Rising Star Champion; 2008 Professional Open Champion of French Open, Mexico Dance Sport, and Caribbean Open; 2007 World Open Professional American Smooth Finalist and 2008 Bronze Medalist; and 2008 United States Open Professional American Smooth Finalist and Silver Medalist in 2009. Lisa has toured across the United States and performed on Broadway, as well as having been a featured performer in consecutive years of PBS's national television broadcast of America's Ballroom Challenge.
2:00 p.m. - Hair and Makeup
Although Jana offers a variety of unique, creative services, she is an expert in the world of dancesport hair, makeup, and styling. She creates stunning original hair and makeup looks that showcase the style and personality of every dancer she works with, each look an elegant work of art designed to perfectly complement all aspects of a performance. A picture is worth a thousand words, so keep flipping through this issue to see more examples of Jana's amazing work.
If you're free Saturday, March 7th, or Sunday, March 8th, you should come check out these amazing seminars. Fun times, top-notch dancing in an exciting atmosphere, and top-level dance instruction for only $10 is hard to beat.
We hope to see you there!