June 14-17, 2012. The Yankee Classic Dancesport Championships, a fabulous annual event organized by Judy Hatton, and John and Cathi Nyemchek, drew thousands of Amateur and Professional Ballroom and Latin Dancers from New England, New York, Florida, Europe and Asia. The competition, which ran Thursday, June 14 through Sunday, June 17, included events in every International and American Ballroom and Latin category. Dance Fever’s ballroom and Latin competitive dancers and coaches took part in the competition, achieving phenomenal results.

On Thursday and Friday, Pro-Am Dancers took the floor. Congratulation to Irina Gabechiia, Mona Yaguda-Ross, Rita Rudyak, Richard Robbins, Irina Belenkova, Christine Lo, Emma Scheinmann, and Lisa Spencer, who competed in the Pro-Am category.

The International Professional Ballroom championship took place on Saturday night. Professional couples from the United States and Europe competed for top places in this event. Ronen Zinshtein and Mariam Izmaylova delivered an electrifying performance, placing third. The same evening, two of their competitive ballroom couples took part in the World Masters Youth International Ballroom Championship. Mark Frumkin and Nicole Palagashvili took third place. Oleg Moroz and Katherine Borkov were fourth. Both couples looked elegant and mature on the floor. The Amateur Latin Championship was another highly attended event of Saturday night. Joseph Odikadze and Tatiana Vasilyeva were semifinalists. Allen Rudman and Rachel Pope were finalists. Ron Garber and Liza Lakovistky placed third. Congratulations to our terrific competitors. Paul Holmes, one of Dance Fever’s frequently visiting coaches, celebrated his birthday on Saturday. In his honor, John Nyemchek and a team of dancers and judges joined in a fun dance called the wobble, clearly showing the unique spirit of the competition.

Sunday morning was devoted to the Junior events. The matinee session included “Open Singles” International Ballroom Single Dance events. Congratulations to Dance Fever’s single competitors; Aiperi Bazuralieva, Ariel Hirschhorn, Samantha Cordon, Nicole Shapiro, Sophia Ma, Monica Duan, Sasha Rozman, Caroline Labow, Zoe White, Jenny Lu, Molly Strout, Natalie Shammay, Taylor Chau, Naajaa Barnor, Lea Metzger, Kamila Sinkevych, Leyla Shapiro, Elana Yoffie, Leah Postilnik, Sharon Sokolovskaya, Sara Korotkevich, Miranda Milunsky, Alexandra Borkov, Katherine Stolerman, Denis Smotrov and Vivienne Kogan who took top places in the International Standard events.

Dance Fever’s competitive ballroom couples delivered outstanding performances as well. Lukas Lisovski and Angela Ilic, Michael Potagal and Margaret Potagal, Leroy Shaigorosky and Sophia Elkin, Victor Kratic and Alexandra Balchenkoff, Grant Bernice and Sofia Abdulina, David Labow and Mia Shursky, Justin Sapozhnik and Jessica Sapozhnik, Maxim Berezin and Laura Langman achieved well deserved results in their divisions. In the Pre-Championship Ballroom Dance events Justin Lin and Sasha Dubinsky placed second. Christopher Kantorosinski and Anna Jonczyk were second for their Viennese Waltz. The Junior Dancesport Circuit Ballroom Championship featured two of Dance Fever’s junior couples. Justin Lin and Sasha Dubinsky placed second; Christopher Kantorosinsky and Anna Jonczyk placed fourth. In the Youth Division, Beshka Asanbaev and Karolina Ioukhnikov placed first. In the Senior II Ballroom Pre-Champ Championship Alexander Voshchin and Masha Voshchin placed third showing elegant performance. They also took first in the Senior II Latin Championship.

Adult Pre-Champ events were also full of energy. Jeff Plotkin and Masha Maystrovskaya were fifth, Asher Tenn-McClellan and Lisa Lokshin placed sixth, Oleg Moroz and Katherine Borkov placed third. It was terrific to see three Dance Fever’s competitive couples in the final.

The afternoon started with the “Open Singles” Youth International Dance events. Our competitive latin dancers showed dynamic performance on the floor. Congratulations to Aiperi Bazuralieva, Chantal Cozzens, Vivian Popa, Casey Rolfes, Rena Branover, Samantha Cordon, Lily Gamburg, Sofia Garcia, Ludmila Zaytsev, Chloe Morgan Cozzens, Nicole Shapiro, Zoe White, Kristina Pekar, Sophia Ma, Olivia Notarangelo, Monika Duan, Aleks Copeland, Sasha Rozman, Rachel Gamburg, Joanna Mindinova, Victoria Kantorosinski, Molly Strout, Michelle Duan, Alair Nahabedian, Leah Metzger, Taylor Chau, Caroline Labow, Daniella Polihovsky, Naajaa Barnor, Esther Dashevsky, Kamila Sinkevich, Leyla Shapiro, Jenny Lu, Sara Korotkevich, Sharon Sokolovskaya, Leah Postilnik, Elana Yoffie, Miranda Milunsky, Katherine Stolerman, Alexandra Borkov, Karina Mironchik, Denis Smotrov, Natalie Shammay, Michele Rozman, Emma Scheinmann, Monique Gould, Elizabeth Zhorov, Sarah Vernovsky, Karen Garber, Michele Rabkin, Emma Frayberg, Danielle Muchnik, Christina Bychkov, Vivienne Kogan and Rebecca Shamristky. Stas Engelgart received the Top Teacher Award for his energetic performance in over one hundred heats. Sincere gratitude to the coaches and dancers including Giacomo Lucchese, Vasily Golovin, Tomas Vasicek, Stas Engelgart, Tatiana Vasilyeva, Joseph Odikadze, Jeff Plotkin, Allen Rudman and Daniel Shamis who helped single dancers achieve such terrific results.

Dance Fever’s competitive Latin couples also displayed energy, style and technique on the floor. Raymond Goldovt and Elizabeth Frumkin, Lucas Lisovsky and Angela Ilik, Michael Potagal and Margaret Potagal, Victor Kratic and Alexandra Balchenkoff, Gianvanito Montillo and Sylvia Montillo, Roman Barankov and Karmyn Speed, Grant Bernice and Sofia Abdulina, Benjamin Langman and Biana Fridberg, Peter Moiseev and Mia Kogan-Spivak, David Ratin and Lily Gamburg, Leroy Shaigorodsky and Sophia Elkin, David Labow and Mia Shursky, Justin Sapozhnik and Jessica Sapozhnik, Ryan Phelps and Madison Williams, Alan Stamper and Rachel Shmulevich, Donovan Kirrane and Eileen Melkonian, Jonathan Perez-Reyzin and Rachel Werner, Dominic Arduino and Karina Mironchik, Christopher Kantorosinski and Anna Jonczyk, Daniel Popovskiy and Rachel Goldstein, Richard Khazanov and Yasmine Langman, Maxim Berezin and Laura Langman took top awards. In the pre-champ division Matthew Lavitman and Olivia Agranovich took the title displaying excellent choreography, connection, and technique. Justin Lin and Sasha Dubinsky placed third. In the youth division the title went to Beshka Asanbaev and Karolina Ioukhnikov. Oleg Moroz and Katherine Borkov placed third.

Excellent performances by Dance Fever’s competitive dancers earned Dance Fever the Top Studio Award. Congratulations to the Dance Fever students and coaches who dedicate themselves to dance!