98th River City Mini Match to be held this coming Sunday, May 27th

[LorraineC]

Now that ABC-TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” has crowned a winner â€" SuperBowl champ Donald Driver if you missed it â€" let’s turn our attention to a local contest that will be happening this coming weekend.

The River City Mini Match, started in 1989, is the longest running Ballroom Dance Competition event in Jacksonville.  The competition will include all ages and levels of Ballroom dancers.  You will be able to see pro/am couples (students dancing with their teachers), amateur couples and professional pairings as well.  So if you’ve ever been curious about ballroom dancing at the competitive level, this will be a great introduction.  Mini Match organizer, Rick Vance, estimates that over 90% of the competitors will be from the Jacksonville area. Guest judges for the event will be Joseph Hasson and Amber Reich.  The couple will also be performing.

For all the youngsters out there, the event will include a performance by 11 year old Mikayla Ambria Golden and 10 year old Willie Lee Bracelet, the flagship students of The Golden Bracelet Foundation.  Mikayla and Willie have been training with their instructor, Rebeca Ovadia, for the past 4 years and thanks to the help of the Golden Bracelet Foundation, this will be the first competition for the young duo.  They will be performing a salsa showdance, which is a choreographed routine set to a certain music selection, and also performing in heats for cha cha, rumba and swing.  Rebeca’s hope for the pair is to compete in August at the Bolero’s Grand Challenge, then in October at the First Coast Classic in St. Augustine. 

Started by USA Dance’s North Star Chapter, The Golden Bracelet foundation is a haven for underprivileged children with a passion for Ballroom Dance.  The program allows for students to learn and practice Ballroom fundamentals alongside a Certified Ballroom Dance Professional.  Michael Singleton, the President of the local USA Dance chapter that started the foundation, says “We (USA dance) hope to do more for other underprivileged kids through the Golden Bracelet fund.”  If you’d like to nominate a child, send a letter of request for acceptance into the program to USA Dance at 2664 Sam Houston Pl., Jacksonville, FL 32246.”  Donations for the Golden Bracelet Foundation can also be sent to the same address.  If you are interested in learning more about USA DANCE, they hold a monthly social at Bolero’s Grand Ballroom on the 4th Sunday of every month, which means there is one right after the Mini Match.  Everyone is invited! It’s $10 for non-members and $8 for members.

So come check out what the Jacksonville Ballroom Community is up to at the River City Mini Match!  I'll be there to report back on all the happenings at what promises to be a fun event.

DETAILS:
Date:   Sunday, May 27th
Location: The Brooklyn Royal (aka The Dance Warehouse) 365 Park Street, Jacksonville
Time: Doors open at noon, and the competition starts at 1:00. 
Tickets: $ 30. 

For more information, call (904) 710-3740 or visit www.minimatch.us