Valentine's Day Dance

(February 14th) The University of Michigan Ballroom Dance Team held their annual ballroom competition. This year it had the fortune of falling on Valentine's Day. In between helping out with gathering the judges' score sheets, I was able to snap a few frames of the action. Even before starting to dance, many of the dancers had assumed the attitude and mindset.

The dances at the competition are divided into the Standard and Latin dances. The Standard dances include Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, and Quickstep. Here one of the Standard couples shows off a nice picture line.

The judges are looking for many things in the dancing. Posture, movement, and performance are some of the most important factors. It's hard to find anything wrong with this couple here!

The Latin dances include the Cha-cha, Rumba, Samba, and Jive. Each dance has a few dozen basic elements that dancers of all levels learn. Here the couple performs a New Yorker - one of these basic figures.

Sometimes behind the camera you can capture a bit of the fun that you see out of the floor. This couple chasing each other is a good example.

I actually did take some horizontal shots and some tight frames, just didn't like them as much as these others... In the end, the competition was a lot of fun and a great success for the U of M Ballroom Dance Team. Thanks to all the judges and team members who helped make the competition enjoyable for all!