For the Reporter
The Youth Premier team of Pacific Ballroom Dance in Auburn took first place at the U.S. National Amateur DanceSport Championships in Provo, Utah last Saturday.
The team danced its Latin medley, “Reign of Fire,” in capturing the Youth Latin Formation category.
The team is comprised of 13 ladies and 12 young men ages 16-18 from around the Puget Sound area, including several from Auburn. Eight couples danced in the winning routine. John Graham of Maple Valley coaches the team with the help of assistants Brent and Katie Mecham of Sumner.
The team, which has been competing at nationals since 2005, beat the 12-time defending champions for the first time this year.
The winning piece is a medley of five international Latin dances – Cha Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble and Jive. Graham’s choreography and costuming of the medley reflect the music’s theme and conveys a dragon fight.
“It is so emotional and captivating,” said Heather Bryant, Junior Premier team director, “They performed it flawlessly at nationals. We are so proud of them.”
Pacific Ballroom Dance sent two teams to compete at the national competition in Provo on March 9-12. Its Youth Premier team placed second in the Youth Ballroom formation category. The Junior Premier team competed and placed second in Junior Latin Formation Division II and Junior Ballroom Formation Division II. The Junior Premier team of seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders debuted its Latin medley at the competition, with a game show theme. The studio also had several couples compete.
Pacific Ballroom Dance is a nonprofit, youth-focused ballroom dance studio whose mission is the build character in youth by providing a positive ballroom dance experience.
It hosts the Dancing Classrooms Greater Seattle program, the performing company with seven teams from ages 3-18, a robust adult program with weekly Saturday night dances and a skill-building academy.
To learn more, visit pacificballroom.org.