The Fred Astaire Dance Studios World Championships took place last week! Some of the best dancers in the world competed in a series of challenging ballroom dances, each with the goal of earning first place in their division. The championship took place at the beautiful Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the beauty of the surroundings was surpassed only by the beauty of the couples who took the floor for five straight days. The week was a visually stunning and exciting gathering, and each round held a new surprise.
A common theme between the winners was how much practice went into their success at the championship. Many of the division winners spoke to how often they were in the studio, and the average was between five to seven days a week! That kind of commitment yields results, and our winners worked hard to earn their trophies and medals. But this was where the similarities ended. Couples ranged in age, experience and length of time dancing together; it seems nothing can get in the way of a determined dancer. There were several couples, like Mischa and Galina, winners of the Open American Smooth Championship, or Heratin and Anastasia, winners of the Open International Standard Championship, who have been dancing – and winning – together for decades. On the other end of the spectrum were dancers who have been together less than 18 months, such as Charlene and Viktor, who won the Smooth Open Championship despite only having three months of practice together before the championship. There were dancers who began studying ballroom dance only a year ago, dancing next to professionals who had years of experience under their belts. The competition floor is the great equalizer, and it made all of our competitors shine. A full list of winners can be found below.
In between rounds, competitors got to see the sights around Las Vegas. The desert during the summer is simply stunning, and between casinos, theaters and botanical gardens, there is no shortage of places to visit. The marvels are simply never-ending. And the nightlife in Vegas is nothing to sneer at either! The dancers who still had any energy left took time to hotel-hop and view the legendary décor of the hotel lobbies all up and down the Las Vegas Strip. Of course, the Bellagio itself had plenty of ways to keep dancers occupied. Between the hotel’s nightclub, premier restaurant, botanical garden and spa, dancers didn’t even have to leave the hotel to get a well-rounded and relaxing taste of Vegas! After the competing ended, there were several professional shows mixed in with awards, to dazzle and inspire attendees. These pro shows capped off the weekend nicely!
The legendary Bellagio Hotel has seen many events like this one, and it will likely see many more. But this years’ FAWC was one for the books, thanks to the couples who came ready to give all they had in the name of dance. The unrivaled strength and skill we witnessed over the course of last week will not soon be forgotten. Thank you to everyone who came to compete, and to everyone who supported the championship or the dancers! We’re already looking forward to next year, and to the Fred Astaire National Championship in September!
Here are the 2016 winners!
Top Newcomer Students:
Top Male Newcomer: Rafael Castro Houston Woodlands TX
Top Female Newcomer: Barbara D’Avilar Boyton Beach FL
Top Bronze Students:
Top Male Bronze Student: John Swartz Brandon FL
Top Female Bronze Student: Uda Shallop Bloomfield Hills MI
Top Silver Students:
Top Male Silver Student: Michael Lahue Montville NJ
Top Female Silver Student: Wini Kniejski Greensboro NC
Top Female Silver Student Wini Kniejski and Award Winning Teacher Sasha Tsyhankor
Top Gold Student:
Top Male Gold Student: None
Top Female Gold Student: Josie Lee Redondo Beach CA
Top Over All Amateur Couple and Junior Awards:
Top Over All Amateur Couple: Ron Pipley & Martha Keller Houston Memorial TX
Top Over All Junior: Ariane Southern Brookfield WI
https://www.facebook.com/FredAstaireFranchisedDanceStudiosInc/videos/10153807871473004/
International Style 10 Dance Champions
Winner: Kharyton and Anastasiya Khomenko Madison West
American Style 9 Dance Champions
Winner: Mykyta Serdyuk and Anna Krasnoshapka Madison West
Top Pro Ballroom Teacher Awards
5th Place: Ruslan Meshkov Ft. Lauderdale
4th Place: Kage Hart Ocean Side
3rd Place: Tamerlan Gadirov Bloomfield Hills
2nd Place: Calin Panainte New York East
1st Place: Christian Lange Southbury
Top Pro Latin Teacher Awards
5th Place: Christian Lange Southbury
4th Place: Vova Cheberko Willoughby
3rd Place: Iegor Likhachov South Barrington
2nd Place: Masa Razic Belmont
1st Place: Jonah Schneider Carmel
Top Pro Smooth Teacher Awards
5th Place: Maria Gavrylova Palm Beach Gardens
4th Place: Ben Seifert Houston Woodlands
3rd Place: Sasha Tsyhankov Greensboro
2nd Place: Fabian Sanchez Birmingham
1st Place: Ilya Abdullin Princeton NJ
Top Pro Rhythm Teacher Awards
5th Place: Hector Flores New York Midtown
4th Place: Aaron DeSoto Chicago North
3rd Place: Kelle Chancellor Brandon
2nd Place: Vard Margaryan Redondo Beach
1st Place: Fabian Sanchez Birmingham
Top Over All Teacher Awards
5th Place Sasha Tsyhankor Greensboro
4th Place Kelle Chancellor Brandon
3rd Place Vard Margaryan Redondo Beach
2nd Place Christian Lange Southbury
1st Place Fabian Sanchez Birmingham
Top Studios Awards
Runner Up Studio: Greensboro NC
Top Studio: New York Midtown
Professional Divisions
Showcase: “Drumbone” Houston Woodlands
Closed Bronze/Silver Rhythm: Tamerlan Gadirov and Yuliya Sinevych Bloomfield Hills
https://www.facebook.com/FredAstaireFranchisedDanceStudiosInc/videos/10153806362588004/
Closed Bronze/Silver Smooth: Christian Lange and Talia Barrington Southbury
Showdance: Aaron and Iryna DeSoto Chicago North
Closed Mixed Novice: Jhondarr Lopez and Karen Lopez Houston Woodlands
American Rising Star Smooth: John Campbell and Jaki Brockman New York West
American Rising Star Rhythm: Ryan Lockhart and Danelle Newman San Diego North
Professional Open Cabaret: Misha Azarov and Tetyana Makarenko Destin
American Open Smooth: Mikhail and Galina Zharinov Miami Beach
Open International Latin: Hayk Balasanyan and Emilia Poghasyan Montville
American Open Rhythm: Ilya Velednitsky and Mariya Ilchenko Milwaukee Downtown
American Closed Novice: Dillion Heggie and Hannah Ringley Houston Woodlands
Open International Ballroom: Kharyton Khomenko and Anastasiya Khomenko Madison West
Championships (Pro-Am)
American Smooth Bronze Closed B Division: Anita Itzel and Andreas Luetzner West Palm Beach
American Smooth Bronze Closed C Division: Karen Scott and Vladimir Kosarev Coral Gables
American Smooth Bronze Closed A Division: Lori Rosenthal and Fabian Sanchez Birmingham
American Smooth Bronze Closed Amateur B Division: Ron Ripley and Martha Keller Houston Memorial
Bronze International Ballroom B Division: Anita Itzel and Andreas Luetzner West Palm Beach
Anita Itzel and Andreas Luetzner from West Palm Beach
Bronze International Ballroom C Division: Rhonda Liesenfelt and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
Silver International Ballroom B Division: Antoinette Bee and Ben Seifert River Oaks
Silver International Ballroom C Division: Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
International Ballroom Open Senior: Ingrid Totten and Elmar Schmidt Brookfield
Silver International Ballroom A Division: Antoinette Bee and Ben Seifert River Oaks
International Ballroom Open B Division: Motomi Kawamura and Calin Panainte New York East
International Ballroom Open A: Colleen Lee and Kage Hart Oceanside
International Ballroom Open C: Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
Bronze International Latin A Division: Antoinette Bee and Ben Seifert River Oaks
Bronze International Latin Junior Division: Jennifer Saad and Alain Sawaya Beirut
Bronze International Latin B Division: Vicki Barbera and Jonah Schneider Carmel
Bronze International Latin C Division: Pam Swerdlick and Plamen Danailov New York East
Open Smooth B Division: Charlene Proctor and Viktor Tkachenko Bloomfield Hills
https://www.facebook.com/FredAstaireFranchisedDanceStudiosInc/videos/10153812590873004/
Open Smooth C Division: Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
Open Smooth A Division: Alina Sakura and Adrian Dydynski Park Ridge
Open Smooth Amateur A Division: Frank Lacson and Jennifer Fan Rancho Bernardo
Open Smooth Junior Division: Ariane Southern and Slash Sharan Milwaukee Central
Open Smooth Senior Division: Elaine Waxman and Mikhail Zharinov Miami Beach
American Smooth Silver Closed B Division: Wini Kniejski and Sasha Tsyhankov Greensboro
American Smooth Silver Closed A Division: Anastasia Schulte and Kostadin Bidjourov Upper Montclair
American Smooth Silver Closed C Division: Elaine Waxman and Mikhail Zharinov Miami Beach
American Smooth Silver Closed Junior Division: Ariane Southern and Slash Sharan Milwaukee Central
American Smooth Gold Closed C Division: Ingrid Totten and Elmar Schmidt Brookfield
Scholarship (Pro-Am)
American Smooth Bronze Closed B Division: Anita Itzel and Andreas Luetzner West Palm Beach
American Smooth Bronze Closed C Division: Karen Scott and Vladimir Kosarev Coral Gables
American Smooth Bronze Closed A Division: Dewi Haliman and Adrian Dydynski Park Ridge
American Smooth Bronze Closed Amateur C Division: Bob and Wini Kniejski Greensboro
American Smooth Bronze Closed Amateur B Division: Dr David Sibley and Lori Rosenthal Birmingham
Bronze International Ballroom B Division: Anita Itzel and Andreas Luetzner West Palm Beach
Bronze International Ballroom A Division: Dewi Haliman and Adrian Dydynski Park Ridge
Bronze International Ballroom C Division: Rhonda Liesenfelt and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
Silver International Ballroom A Division: Antoinette Bee and Ben Seifert River Oaks
Silver International Ballroom B Division: Antoinette Bee and Ben Seifert River Oaks
Silver International Ballroom C Division: Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
International Ballroom Open Ballroom B Division: Debra Sutton and Sergey Barsukov St Petersburg Central
International Ballroom Open Ballroom A Division: Colleen Lee and Kage Hart Oceanside
International Ballroom Open Ballroom C Division: Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
Bronze International Latin A Division: Antoinette Bee and Ben Seifert River Oaks
Bronze International Latin Junior Division: Gabriella Avila and Jonah Schneider Carmel
Bronze International Latin B Division: Anita Itzel and Andreas Luetzner West Palm Beach
Bronze International Latin C Division: Murray Sackman and Masa Razic Belmont
Silver International Latin B Division: Vicki Barbera and Jonah Schneider Carmel
Open Latin Scholarship A Dvision: Erica Green and Vova Cheberko Willoughby
Open Latin Scholarship B Division: Lynn Magnesen and Tykhon Zhyvkov Redondo Beach
Open Smooth B Division: Charlene Proctor and Viktor Tkachenko Bloomfield Hills
American Smooth Silver Closed B Division: Wini Kniejski and Sasha Tsyhankov Greensboro
American Smooth Silver Closed A Division: Alina Sakura and Adrian Dydynski Park Ridge
Open Smooth Amateur A Division: Frank Lacson and Jennifer Fan Rancho Bernardo
Open Smooth C Division: Linda Gill and Ruslan Meshkov Ft Lauderdale
