"Ginger Rogers did everything Fred did, only backwards and in high heels."
- Bob Thaves
My love for ballroom dancing borders on irrational. It's hard to explain the euphoria of swinging and swaying across the floor in standard, or the feeling of power and elasticity in Latin. If I had any drug experiences to compare ballroom dancing to, ballroom would probably win out.
Click here to see pictures on Flickr of me dancing.
I have competed at the Championship level in International Standard since spring 2004. My last partner and I consistently topped the national collegiate circuit, were winners or finalists in local competitions, and placed at the top of the quarter-final in national competitions including the USA Dance Nationals, the NDCA Nationals, and the Ohio Star Ball. We were the 2004 California International Standard state champions. My partner recently moved to New York so I'm looking for a dance partner again. (If you're looking, I'm 5'5" without heels, 115 lbs, slim and athletic.) I haven't danced International Latin for a few years; when I stopped I was dancing at the Novice level. I'd be interested in picking it up again at some point, but my current strength is definitely Standard. I've also competed a few times in American Smooth and may be interested in pursuing Championship Smooth competitively.
I come from a dancing family: my mother is a professor of dance in Utah and my sister and aunt have performed with Ballet West. I began dance training at the age of five with modern dance, following that with ten years of lessons in classical ballet and Broadway-style jazz at the acclaimed Janet Grey Studios in Salt Lake City. I've augmented my movement training over the years with yoga, karate, rollerblading, biking, swimming, and a variety of other physical activities.
I started partner dancing in high school during the mid-90's swing revival. When I came to Berkeley for college in 1999, I joined UC Berkeley Ballroom Dancers and started taking their newly-formed DanceSport classes under the instruction of Ava Kaye. I joined their competitive team in 2000 when it was re-organized. I've made many friends and also met my boyfriend of over five years while ballroom dancing, and am active in the Bay Area ballroom community.
I've held many officer positions in UCBD, including instructional secretary, webmaster, team manager, team captain, and competition coordinator. I designed their website and have taught countless lessons for them. Unfortunately, after six years of team membership and five years of officer service, I quit UCBD in August 2005 in protest of the team's mismanagement. I'm now an officer in charge of teacher training for the Stanford Ballroom Dance Team and also volunteer my time teaching ballroom dance at low-income primary schools.
In summer 2003, I had a temporary partner in Seattle, Washington, where I was doing a research internship at the University of Washington. Under the instruction of Alexandria Hawkins and Olga Foroponova we danced novice and pre-championship Standard in the USABDA Northwestern Regionals and the Seattle Star Ball, and were finalists in all events we entered, despite having danced together for only a few weeks. I didn't dance in fall 2003 because of a foot injury. In March 2004, I found a partner in the Bay Area, and we danced championship Standard in all of the major Bay Area competitions and also traveled to larger competitions in Los Angeles, Minnesota, Miami, Utah, Vancouver, and more. We split in summer 2006 when he moved to New York.
Competition Results
College competitions:- 1st 2004 Berkeley Classic
- 1st 2004 San Jose State Competition
- 1st 2005 Harvard Invitational
- 1st 2005 Cardinal Classic
- 1st 2005 Berkeley Classic
- 1st 2005 San Jose State Competition
- 1st 2006 Cardinal Classic
- 1st 2005 Winter Frolic
- 1st 2005 Summer Spectacular
- 2nd 2006 Winter Frolic
- 3rd 2004 International Grand Ball
- 3rd 2004 Galaxy Dance Festival
- 2nd 2004 Autumn Classic
- 1st 2004 California State Championships
- 4th 2005 San Francisco Open
- 5th 2005 Emerald Ball
- 4th 2005 Desert Classic
- 4th 2005 International Grand Ball
- 2nd 2005 Autumn Classic
- 2nd 2005 California State Championships
- 24th of 43 2004 Usadance Nationals
- Solid Quarterfinal, 2004 Ohio Star Ball
- Solid Quarterfinal, 2005 NDCA Nationals
- 19th Of 48 2005 USA Dance Nationals
- Top of Quarterfinal, 2005 Ohio Star Ball
- Solid Quarterfinal, 2006 NDCA Nationals
I make many of my own ballroom costumes. I've made half a dozen costumes and have sold several, both with rhinestones and without. I also make practice skirts and syllabus costumes. If you would like to buy a costume, email me at the email address listed at the bottom of the page.
Here are the ones I've worn myself, in the order I've made them.