The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Ballroom event on Valentine’s Day
FAIRFIELD >> TV’s “Dancing with the Stars” or not, there’s quite a fascination with ballroom dancing — with its grace, beauty and skill all set to music. And fans come out to Premier Ballroom Dance’s monthly events in Bridgeport even in the dead of winter.
But Valentine’s Day brings The Big Show for ballroom dance when Fairfield University’s Quick Center for the Arts hosts From the Heart! Ballroom Extravaganza at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Six of the world’s greatest dance couples, including reigning Cabaret and Theater Arts world champions Shane and Shannon Jensen from Stamford, headline the show.
Tickets are $45, $40 and $35.
After offering an early glass of bubbly to attendees, the Quick Center will host two 50-minute presentations of sensuous rumbas and Viennese waltzes, dramatic tangos and sambas, cha-chas and paso dobles.
A second Connecticut couple is Marko Urosevic and Ashley Mokris of Trumbull, the new National Ballroom champions in American-smooth style of all Fred Astaire studios in America following a recent triumph in Orlando.
They also won New England Dancesport and American Star Ball.
The other couples are Shane and Shannon Jensen, the reigning Cabaret and Theater Arts world champions and masters of American rhythm; Marat Gimaev and Alina Basyuk from Moscow, who are the only ballroom couple ever to win Russia’s Athlete of the Year award; Jorge Torres and Maria Blanco, who danced at Bob Beslove’s Premier Ballroom Dance in September and are recognized by many aficionados as the greatest Argentine tango partners in the world; Israel’s powerful Latin team of Tal Livshitz and Ilana Keselman, who in their first competition in America won the bronze medal at the United States National Championship; and International Latin stars Pavel Stepanchuk and Gabrielle Sabler, who recently renewed their partnership.
The audience is invited to a Meet and Greet With the Dance Stars at the conclusion of the show.
Tickets are available at www.quickcenter.com or by calling the box office at 203-254-4010.