98th River City Mini Match
This past Sunday, at the Dance Warehouse on Park Street, 13 local Ballroom Dance Studios came together for the 98th River City Mini Match.
Established in 1989, The Mini Match has all the glitz and glamour of the bigger dance competitions, without all the pressure and stress that goes along with them. This competition emphasizes fun, evident by official Rule # 5, which states: “The most important rule of all is to have fun and enjoy yourself. Anyone caught not having fun will be severely tickled with ostrich feathers!†That theme was echoed by judge Amber Reich, who says the number one thing she looks for is the dancers presence on the floor â€" do they look like they enjoy being out there.
Zeljko “Jake†Lukic, owner of Z Studio, commented that the Mini Match “…is a great opportunity for beginner and advanced dancers to get experience, practice and get ready for bigger competitions.†Felix Solis, owner of Classic Ballroom Dancing on Amelia Island, has been dancing for 33 years and looks to the Mini Match as a way for his students to keep their performances fresh. “It’s a smaller venue but great exposure.†One of Felix’ students, 80 year old Bee Jay Lester, has been dancing since the 1950’s and looks forward to the Mini Matches as a great way to keep in touch with her dance friends.
I also had a chance to meet up with Mikayla and Willie, the flagship students of the Golden Bracelet Foundation. This was their first competition. If Mikayla’s attitude is any indicator of their future, they will go far. Mikayla told me that for her, “it’s a lot of fun to compete because (she) like(s) to win.†Their coach, Rebeca Ovadia, was “proud to watch their progress.†This young pair showed they are true professionals â€" even a music snafu at the beginning of their dance didn’t shake their focus.
Most of the couples competing were pro/am (student paired with teacher). They were scored by two judges, Amber Reich and Joseph Hasson, with awards going to the overall top score in each dance. In addition to 31 smooth heats(waltz, tango, foxtrot , Viennese waltz) and 42 latin heats (rumba, cha cha, hustle, west coast and east coast swing, bolero, salsa, mambo), there were 5 showdances.
In the professional division, Daniel Nicolaescu and Tetyana Boyeva of Kaluby’s Dance Club took the top prize in the Future Stars Division for rhythm and Michael Housel and Amber Miller of Dance Tonight took top honors for smooth in the Open Professional Division.
In addition to a buffet, participants and guests were treated to a floor show by the judges.
The next River City Mini Match (#99) is scheduled for September 23rd , with the 100th Mini Match scheduled for January 27, 2013. For more info, visit www.minimatch.us