The Findings of a Novice

By Uzo Wamuo

Since almost a year has passed, now is a good time to think back on all that I have learned from the world of dancesport and ballroom dance, from the most obvious conclusions that make me feel unintelligent to the little, intricate details that have changed my views on competitions. But in general, what I want to concentrate on is how much enjoyment I have experienced since I have entered the world of Ballroom Dance.

Going to Twin Cities Open, my eyes were opened to how differently professionals and collegiate competitors present themselves during performances. When viewing the various heats of rhythm, Latin, standard, and smooth, I noticed that once they stepped onto the dance floor, they maintained the feeling of elegance and class. Even when they would have to go through a tiring rhythm round of non-stop Cuban motion, hip swings, and articulated feet movement, their smiles and facial expressions were always perfect. Furthermore, the fact that the whole floor was used by all competitors made me realize that on the collegiate level, I still have a long way to go before I will ever as good as the professionals.

Later on throughout the week, I found out about two different subsections of ballroom dance: team formation and show dance competitions. It was intriguing to watch the various formation teams perform together in perfect harmony and see how they used different techniques to switch partners and continue with their dance. While watching the show dance, I was completely blown away by the theatrical stories of the dances and the difficult lifts of some of the couples. For me, it was interesting to see something besides the standard dance forms that I have witnessed for over a year, and it was also enjoyable to determine what type of style they were dancing.

Watching all of these professionals dance and enjoying all of their performances made me realize that I should work harder so that I can potentially compete at the same level as those I witnessed during TCO. Furthermore, talking to the judges opened my eyes to what they are expecting from both the professional and the collegiate level. Realizing that they still want to see basics in the smooth and rhythm styles made me more excited about practicing the basics and the use of them in my dances. Looking into the future, I know that I cannot be like any of the professionals that I saw at TCO, but I do know that it is possible to be at their level. What else can I say? I still have three years to go, and during this past year I've learned you can get a lot done in a short amount of time with diligent practice. It's possible that my goal to dance at a professional level may not be a far-off dream after all.