By ELIZABETH SUMMERHAY
Victor Veyrasset and Heather Smith won their fourth consecutive National Professional Standard Championship Saturday night in the Marriott Center.
Veyrasset set a record with his ninth championship title. Smith and Veyrasset’s dancing dominated the competition. They placed first in all five dances: Waltz, Tengo, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot and Quickstep.
“A fantastic final and a fantastic audience,” said John Kimmins, the master of ceremonies and president of the American Ballroom.
BYU students enrolled in dance classes were able to compete in Silver Country Western and Gold Bar Standard competitions Saturday night.
Julie Roblyer and Zac Lovingier won the Silver Country Western. Kimmins joked that a hat must have been required because both the first and second place winners had cowboy hat on.
“I think it was the hat,” Lovingier said. “I don’t think it was skill.”
“It was a lot of fun and it turned out great,” Roblyer said.
Chris Witt and Rebekah Powell won the Gold Bar Standard.
The Utah High School Championships were very exciting. With true school spirit, each school showed up with their school mascots, baronets and some student government leaders and cheerleaders.
Pleasant Grove won, Alta placed second and American Fork placed third and Mountain View placed fourth.
The highlight of the high school championships was came during the ninth and final dance when some members of Alta’s team ran across the stage and started dancing with some of Pleasant Grove’s team. Soon, every member from every team was on the dance floor having fun.
“The spirit in this team match is fantastic and you should all be commended,” Kimmins said.
Dave Wells and Jaclyn Shell won the United States National Cabaret Championship with a dance to the song “Someone Like You.”
Brent Keck and Keeshalene Kirchhausen, members of BYU’s Ballroom Dance tour team, won the Amateur Latin Competition. They won it by turning tightly, quickly and often.
Following a special performance by the ballroom dance company, a flag ceremony and the 24 competing couples initiated the professional championships by circling around the dance floor in true Olympic fashion. Then, all the competitors danced a Waltz for the audience.
The Ballases performed a wonderful showcase before the final round of the professional championship. The crowd showed their appreciation with an enthusiastic standing ovation at the conclusion of their showcase.
Smith and Veyrasset along with the second place couple will be able to represent the United States in the 1996 World Professional Standard Championships.
