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This week thousands of dancers will be covered in feathers and jewels that reflect the multi-colored lights in the U.S. National Amateur Dancesport Championships. Competitors will strut onto the floor of the J. Williard Marriott Center ready to perform, have fun and compete to win.
The Dancesport Championships will be hosted March 6–9 and will highlight ballroom, Latin, smooth, cabaret and rhythm styles of dance. Competitors of all ages travel from around the country to compete at this competition.
Karson Denney, one of the BYU Youth Dancesport Team directors, said the variety this competition has to offer is his favorite thing about Dancesport.
“My favorite thing is to see the diversity in all the ages of Dancesport, from little 8-year-old kids, to college competitors, to even seniors,” Denney said.
Scholarships are up for grabs from the National Dance Council of America, making this competition an important event for top competitors.
“It is the competition for amateur dancers in the country,” Denney said. “All the top amateur competitors will be here in the Marriott Center.”
Melissa Lee, a film major at BYU, is competing in the open Latin and smooth competitions as well as the BYU class event, paso doble. Her enthusiasm for Dancesport is shared by many of her fellow classmates and competitors.
“The energy on the floor is so fun,” Lee said. “It’s so unpredictable … because it’s spontaneous; even if it is choreographed, you can’t always do it that way.”
Tickets are between $8–$16 depending on seating and are good for the entire day. They can be purchased in the BYU Marriott Center Ticket Office.
