DANCESPORT
DanceSport
Details
our dancesport career
Vaughan & alison dancesport highlights
Since 2001. Over 20 Years Experience in DanceSport and ProAm.
Trained by Penny De Kauwe [Fellow, Examiner ISTD] & Anthony Hurley.
London Trained by Anne & Richard Gleave CBE [Ballroom] and Michael Stylianos and Lorna Lee [Latin American]
Competed throughout Australia and Internationally inlcuding Singapore, Malaysia, Canada, USA, London
B.B.M Grantee of U.K Scholarship for Ballroom Dancing
NSW Champion, South Pacific’s Champion, Australiasian Champion
2012 World Professional 10 Dance Representative for Australia
2013 World Professional 10 Dance Representative for Australia
2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Australian Professional Ballroom, Latin & New Vogue Finalist
2015 World Professional 10 Dance Representative [Scratch]
2016 World Professional 10 Dance Representative for Australia [Retired]
Accredited Coach with DanceSport Australia [Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing London]
MAKE THE IMPOSSIBLE. POSSIBLE.
F.A.Q'S
You. You can!
DanceSport is open to everyone from all walks of life.
Everyone starts in the first division – Recreational.
There are age categories from Junior to Masters 3.
In the very beginning you simply need to have one Private lesson per week.
As you get better and your success grows you’re going to want to add more lessons.
You only need Dance shoes to start, no fancy Tails or Gowns yet! They need to be earned and are required in higher levels when you elevate through winning competitions.
You’ll also be instructed to register with the governing body DanceSport Australia.
The saying goes “where focus goes success grows.”
1000%. Although our Studio’s primary business, like all studios, is teaching Social Ballrom dancing – that is really just the gateway drug to Medals and then Competition.
No one wakes up one day and sudddenly decides to compete having never Ballroom danced before.
It is a passion that warms from the experience of learning through Group Classes, Private Lessons and Medals.
But once you start…its REALLY HARD TO STOP!
Great question!
Well, let’s start off by saying that there are lots of studios that teach DanceSport but some [not all] of the coaches have never actually competed.
This would be like having someone try and teach you 5-star cooking who can only make an omelet but, you know, they watch YouTube.
Vaughan and Alison have been involved in DanceSport for over 20 years, starting their very competition in 2001!
Their guide, coach, confidante, and who became like a second mum – the late Penny De Kauwe was their teacher and mentor.
She spent a decade learning from Alex Moore who wrote the Ballroom Technique. Needless to say she was a top-tier technician.
We understand the discipline and level of training it takes to ascend the ranks of the very difficult DanceSport competition.
Whatever your DanceSport goals we can help you get there, after all, “every champion was once a beginner.”
All champions were once beginners.
WANT TO KNOW MORE...
HOW DOES DANCESPORT & PROAM WORK?
DanceSport is the competitive world of the artistic side of Ballroom, Latin and New Vogue Dancing.
You compete in organized competitions judged by qualified adjudicators, rank ordered first to last place. As you win competitions you ascend the ranks.
DANCESPORT
RECREATIONAL
Everyone Starts Here.
The bar is low to start DanceSport. Although committment is required of time and money it’s easy to begin but you do need a partner if you want to take it more seriously.
You don’t need a partner to start as you can compete in Individual events by partnering other students from the studio.
The quicker you develop good habits of practice and partner-work in the beginning the quicker you’ll see results. Start off on the left…no wait…right foot!
DANCESPORT
C, B, A [OPEN] GRADE
The Real Competition Begins.
Now we seperate the wheat from the chaff. You can certainly partake if you show up enough but you won’t elevate by just showing up. Those who are more committed, practice more, and do the work will be rewarded by winning.
You have to win and then earn enough winning points to move from C-B-A and as you go higher the quality of dancing is exponentially better. So the competition gets harder.
Those who become champions in the highest divison get opportunities to represent Australia at the World Championship level, the same goes in the Professional division.
Most competitors spend their competitive lives in Amateur and once you get to the coveted A” Grade” you can start travelling internationally, to any country, and compete! #awesome
DANCESPORT
PROFESSIONAL
Prestige and Career.
Not everyone will become or wants to be a Professional dancer. The opportunities are truly “sky is the limit” and the lifestyle is amazing if you do it right. It’s certainly not easy but it beats working a job you despise.
When each day you can spend creating, moving to music, coaching and celebrating the wins of your own career but way more awesome is the wins of your students.
If you have big dance dreams like competing on the world stage, teaching internationally, lecturing, examining, adjudicating, running a dance studio, getting paid to dance, creating your own or participating in Broadway like musicals this level is what you aim for!
If you’re serious you can do it!
dancesport photos
It's always to soon to quit!
PROAM
WHAT IS IT?
When Partner's Aren't Around.
ProAm is Professional [Teacher/Coach] and Amateur [Student/Competitor] dancing together in a seperate ProAM Competiton or Championship.
This has opened up a wonderful world of dance for those who can’t find or don’t want to follow a DanceSport pathway.
Generally speaking ProAm is an Invite by the Professional as there is a training, lesson, and practice schedule involved along with expenses for the competition.
Having said that it is less expensive than DanceSport competition overall and without the normal partnership hassles, although competitions are less frequent.
PROAM
LEVELS
Medals Help Determine Level.
Like DanceSport there are level divisions [like Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Open] and Age Divisions.
ProAm actually has a lot less barriers to entry than DanceSport does. ProAm isn’t judicious like other dance forms can be. You don’t need to worry about body-image, agism, skill level to start.
Routines are based upon your ability, competitive level and to showcase your best dancing.
PROAM
COMPETITIONS
Want To See The World?
If you love performing or simply love music and the chance to dance in full regalia, you’ll love ProAm.
You get the chance to wear full DanceSport attire and compete in a fun and serious way.
Competitions are national and also international.
We have travelled from Syd-Mel-London for ProAm.
There are no boundaries for ProAm except the limits you place on yourself.
tO START PROAM YOU'LL NEED TO BE CONSISTENT in our group CLASSes and/OR private LESSON's. then you'll need an invitiation from the professional to join.
Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On!' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.
blackpool dance festival senior proam.
#1 PROAM BLACKPOOL CHAMPIONS
We are blessed to have such committed ProAm students who set a very high standard on the world stage.
CONGRATULATIONS MARIE!
BRING OUT YOUR BEST DANCING
WHY YOU SHOULD START COMPETING?
We always focus on healthy competition. You are the only competition you really need to out perform each time.
Achievement
There's a wonderful sense of achievement and accomplishment when you've earned your way through the ranks. It's not easy but it as always worth it.
Best Dance-Self
It's not about beating other people, it's about beating your lowest performing self. Striving to be the very best you can be both on and off the dance floor.
Results
The habits, disicipline, focus and tangible skills you acquire last your entire life and flow into everyday activities. You'll be a high-performer in the arena and also in your place of work.
