2005 Embassy Ball

Embassy Ball

Hard To Tell The Men From The Boys!

Report by: Didio Barrera

Photos by: Jonathan Marion

Embassy Ball has always been a competition that welcomed and showcased dancers from all over the world, but this year with the support of the IDSF (Grand Slam) and the WD&DSC (World Cup Pro Standard and Latin) events as well as the first ever World Championships in professional American Style and Pro-Am World Championships, it has become the biggest window for US dancers to the world in 2005.

The IDSF events alone were huge and attended by almost every major player in the World. The quality of dancing was of such a degree that some very high officials even commented during the events that should the IDSF dancers contest many of the top professionals in the world, the professionals might come up short. These very strong statements make me wonder if are we no longer able to tell the men from the boys. Or are we just blowing some political steam? To get the scoop and find out whom and what they ware talking about click on my article entitled, "Is It Really Hard to Tell the Men From the Boys?"

Moving on to the event itself, the IDSF standard in particular was fantastic. Domenico Soale & Giola Cerasoli took the Grand Slam once again home to Italy, but did they really deserve this honor or should there have been an upset? And why have Federico DiToro & Genny Favero been dropped? To learn this and more click on my report based on Len Goodman's lecture "It's a Jungle Out There" (form the BDFI lecture series hosted at the Embassy Ball) or you can read world-class dancer Giampiero Giannico's take on this event by clicking on his name.

The Professional Latin World Cup too was a major hit of this competition. Headliners, Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis' presence made this event perhaps the best of the weekend. Their performance made me wonder if the world is going to allow this couple to be World Champions now when they are hot and brilliant or, once again stealing from Len Goodman's lecture, are they just rowing to a dead end? For my thoughts on this check out "Have Them While They're Hot!" Jean Mark Genereux, former Latin Canadian champion will also have his thoughts on this event, so be brave, click on his name too.

The IDSF Latin Grand Slam won by Riccardo Cocchi & Joanne Wilkinson from Italy was not as fierce as the last two events, but it held its own. Many in the audience were left wondering why USA's own Eugene Katsevman & Maria Manusova did not prevail at this comp, especially being on home territory. If you care to hear what I think on this matter click on "Is It Stale?" Luis Van Amstell, Former ProWorld Latin Finalist, also has a take on this one, so click here to get the whole story.

In comparison to the other events, the Professional Standard World Cup was a bit sad but still of wonderful quality. Jonathan Wilkims & Katusha Demidova from the USA won this competition easily in my opinion, but where are the guards? Yes go ahead and click on Where are the Guards to get my humble opinion or better yet click on Greg Smith former world standard finalist to get an expert opinion.

The World American Style Rhythm and Smooth competition and the Pro/Am world Titles were well attended. The majority of the participants in the Professional Rhythm & Smooth were from the US, with the occasional couple from Canada, but in the Pro/Am events, especially in the Standard, there were many participants from other parts of the world. To get a view of what went on and how this world championships got on click on Keith Todd's "The World Pro/Am."

This weekend of dance was the best I have seen here in America this year, not only in quality but also in attendance. I believe the venue will be changed next year to better accommodate an event of this proportion and this will definitely be a welcome change. I want to congratulate the organizers, Mr. & Mrs. McDonald, Mr. Sam Sodano, Mr. John Kimmins, Mr.Tetsuo Kezuka & Ms. Cheiko Yamamoto for the wonderful hospitality and the fun after-parties and gatherings they provided for us almost every night as well the wonderful job of keeping an event of such magnitude totally under control with such tremendous professionalism and care.

The BDFI sponsored two days of seminars here at Embassy Ball concurrent with the competitions. For a report by Gary Edwards, click on his name. The International DanceSport Judges and Trainers Association also sponsored a day of lectures on exhibition dancing and lifts.

For those of you that want to see what I am talking about, you can subscribe to the 2005 Embassy Online Videos. See ad on the right of this page and here you can see the full archived footage from our livecast of the 2005 Embassy Ball, sponsored by Arthur Murray International.