DanceSport is...art, sport, competition, achievement, partnership

Director and Founder Marilyn Takahashi Fordney, author and educator. Marilyn Takahashi Fordney

Marilyn is a Japanese-American who began taking ballet and tap dancing at the age of 12. She continued taking lessons, tried out at auditions, and joined a summer dance troup. Her career then headed towards the medical assisting field where she worked, became an instructor, and subsequently wrote textbooks. Her books have won four national awards and continue to be used to train people for medical insurance billing and coding and administrative medical assisting jobs. In recent years, she began to competitively dance in ballroom competitions both International and American styles and worked up to the silver level. In May, 2002 she established the Fordney Foundation for DanceSport for amateur youths ages 6 to 25.


Deák Orsolya and Birta Zsolt

 

image 1

Fordney Foundation for DanceSport:

International and American Ballroom Dancing and DanceSport Competitive ballroom dancing began in Paris in 1909 where the first world championships were held. Perhaps you have seen ballroom dancing on television or as part of a movie film story. It has evolved into a sport which is recognized around the world as DanceSport. Rigorous training is required to achieve precise steps and form. Individuals pursuing this art form must achieve flexibility, agility, and understand and learn musical rhythm. Today it is a multibillion dollar industry and is especially popular with Europeans who dominate DanceSport. In DanceSport competitions, judges critique artistic presentation and technical excellence.There are two major styles of ballroom dance--International and American. The International style has two categories--Standard and Latin. Standard consists of waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, fox trot, and quick step. Latin consists of samba, rumba, cha cha, paso doble, and jive. The American style has two categories--Smooth and Rhythm. Smooth consists of waltz, Viennese waltz, tango, fox trot, and quick step. Rhythm consists of samba, rumba, cha cha, and swing.