Ballroom!: Obsession and Passion inside the World of Competitive Dance

by Sharon Savoy

Overview

Dreams are made and broken every year in the dazzling Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England. Fierce competition, brutal politics, and stunning artistry are all on the program at the world's most prestigious competition, known to ballroom dance enthusiasts simply as "Blackpool."

Sharon Savoy's lifelong love affair with dance manifested itself early on. At the tender age of 16 she left home to train under George Balanchine at the School of American Ballet in New York. An accomplished ballerina, her desire to dance more expressively and with a partner led her on the path that culminated on the competition ballroom circuit. There, her passion and artistry led her to become a four-time champion in exhibition style. But, as with all obsessions, her success came with a cost.

In this spellbinding book, Savoy offers a backstage pass to a world where rhinestones and high heels accompany explosive athleticism and staggering talent. With emotionally absorbing and energy-packed prose, she provides an insider's close-up view of all the players who compose this glamorous world that is part dance, part sport, and part art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780813040837
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	10/31/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	184
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Sharon Savoy won her first World Exhibition title at Madison Square Garden in 1984 and twenty years later ended her competitive ballroom exhibition career by winning the 2004 World Exhibition Dance Championships. She is a four-time Blackpool Exhibition Champion, a three-time World Champion, and three-time Star Search winner. She has performed in film, at the Kennedy Center, during the Sydney Olympics, and around the world.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Competitive Dance Categories ix

1 Thoroughbreds of Dance 1

2 The Invitation 7

3 Humble Beginnings 19

4 Puberty, Pas de Deux, and Partnering 25

5 The Inspiration of an Exhibition Number 31

6 The Arrival 45

7 Tuesday Morning: Our First Rehearsal 52

8 Tuesday Evening: The Amateur Latin Event 57

9 Wednesday Morning: Our Second Rehearsal 68

10 The Pound of Flesh 76

11 Nerves 83

12 The Look 86

13 Wednesday Evening: The Professional Latin Championships 93

14 Following Footsteps from the Past 101

15 Thursday: D-Day 113

16 Invitational Dinner 125

17 Friday Morning 130

18 Friday Evening: The Professional Modern Event 135

19 Reflections, Regrets, and Resilience 145

What People are Saying About This

“Gorgeous lines, exquisite beauty, and drama delight—and that is just in the dressing room. . . . Ballroom! takes the reader on an extraordinary journey moving with Sharon in and through her competitions and life as a performer. A great read and a glorious ride.”—Dance Track Magazine

“Offers an enlightening inside view of the politics, biases, stresses, and strategies that characterize the competitive ballroom dance scene. . . . Terps of all stripes will relate to Savoy’s struggles with partners, costumes, the development of choreographic ideas, musical choices, performance mishaps, and the extreme discipline required of professionals in all forms of dance.”—Backstage

“Originally trained as a professional ballet dancer under George Balanchine of the prestigious School of American Ballet, Savoy segued into the world of ballroom dancing after being sidelined with an ankle injury, and she never looked back.”—For the Love of Books

“An incredible story of what it takes to make it in our world of glitz and glamor. . . . Through reading this book, people will see dancers in a new light.”—Elena Grinenko, World and National Champion

“Reminds us all that passion and dedication will attract the circumstances and guidance necessary to see a heartfelt desire come true.”—Denis Tremblay, two-time winner, Blackpool Dance Festival, British Professional Rising Star Latin Championships

“A great story, told with emotion.”—John Kimmins, founder, National Dance Council of America

Editorial Reviews

“This memoir by four-time exhibition-style Blackpool champion Savoy . . . offers a backstage pass to a world that is part dance, part sport, and part art.”—Dance Studio Life

From the Publisher