The sixth Latin and Ballroom dance championship will be held this Saturday and will feature 300 participants ranging from a five year old to a 67-year-old
Ballroom dance
DanceSport India, co-founded by dancer Shannon Benjamin in 2008, is geared up to host the sixth Annual DanceSport Association of Maharashtra’s (DSAM) annual Latin and Ballroom dance championship. It will feature 300 competitor dance athletes across age groups: from a five-year old dancer in the juvenile category to a 67-year-old dancer in the senior and teacher-students category.
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Representational picture
DanceSport is a competitive team sport that includes ballroom dancing, which is a part of the Asian Games. Participants come from all over Mumbai, Pune, Nashik as well as from other parts of the country. The dancers will be dressed in specially designed costumes and the event will feature dance forms like Salsa, Jive, Cha Cha, Bachata, Rumba, Samba, Waltz, Quickstep, Tango, Viennese Waltz and Argentine Tango. A number of professional dancers will showcase their talent as well.
Shannon Benjamin showcasing his dance moves
The panel of judges include Zjen Fong Chua and Evon Chong, top DanceSport couples from Malaysia; Richard Tholoor, an acclaimed Salsa dancer from Bangalore as well as well-known dance teachers from Mumbai and Pune. Over the last six years, the event has seen an increase in the number of participants as well as their categories.
The winners of the senior level category are rewarded with a chance to compete at the Asian Games and have international associations giving away Latin shoes.