- Freddie Brock
37th Ohio Star Ball – November 20 – 24, 2014
At this 37th year of the Ohio Star Ball (OSB) held at the Hyatt Regency in Columbus, Ohio, Alex Havasi and Marilyn Fordney gave awards to the winning participants of the Fordney Foundation Junior and Youth Dance Series. This was Fordney Foundation’s first year participating in this famous and gala event. We are very proud and excited to not only be a part of this wonderful event but to also congratulate all of our winners for their hard work.
Marilyn Fordney and Alex Havasi of the Fordney Foundation Interviewed by Donna Edelstein – Ohio Star Ball
First, we would like to thank the team captains: East Coast – Melanie LaPatin and Eugene Katsevman and West Coast – Melissa Dexter and Ron Montez. We appreciate their efforts to coordinate the dance teams so effectively.
And here are our winners, we congratulate them all.
10 Top Latin
Loren Silverman and Monet Pinkett
Jackson Bayhi and Ashley Mattingly
Erik Linder and Rickie Taylor
Mitchell Itkin and Natasha Shevchenko
Kevin Zavernieiv and Sasha Pevtsov
Aleksandr Borisov and Masha Yakhkind
Tyler Li and Angelica Lowe
Jonas Terleckas and Ruby Castro
Kristers Smits and Sophie Shvartsman
Kinsley Lin and Michelle Yiu
10 Top Standard
Justin Lin and Sasha Dubinsky
Erik Linder and Rickie Taylor
Samuel Hacke and Katarina Hermanova
Kinsley Lin and Michelle Yiu
Jonas Terleckas and Ruby Castro
Brandon Klavansky and Nicole Klavansky
Robert McShinsky and Peyton Munson
Aleksandr Borisov and Masha Yakhkind
Tyler Li and Anjelica Lowe
Patryk Przybysz and Gabriela Giraldo
East Coast Latin Team
J1 Giovanni Castellon and Carolina Carvajalino
D’Angelo Castro and Amanda Carbajales
J2 Kristers Smits and Sophie Shvartsman
Daniel Lougin and Sofia Lougin
YA Kevin Zavernieiv and Sasha Pevtsov
Ariel Milshtein and Adelina Ishkayeva
East Coast Standard Team
J1 Volodymyr Babiy and Natalie Zoladkiewicz
Jonas Terleckas and Ruby Castro
J2 Alexander Borison and Masha Yakhkind
Brandon Klavansky and Nicole Klavansky
YA Justin Lin and Sasha Dubinsky
Samuel Hacke and Katarina Hermanova
West Coast Latin Team
J1 Loren Silverman and Monet Pinkett
Matteo Laudati and Kennedy Eaton
J2 Jackson Bayhi and Ashley Mattingly
Brandon Keck and Kaylee Christiansen
YA Mitchell Itkin and Natasha Shevchenko
Jacob Murillo and Sydney Tormey
West Coast Standard Team
J1 Tyler Li and Angelica Lowe
Daniel Tsurik and Victoria Gribmen
J2 Kinsley Lin and Michelle Yiu
Erik Linder and Rickie Taylor
YA Robert McShinsky and Peyton Munson
Eric Ascione and Grace Anderson
At OSB, the main attraction is professional dancers from all over the world who compete for titles in the styles American Smooth, American Rhythm, International Ballroom and International Latin. This year Aida Moreno, a producer for PBS was on site filming America’s Ballroom Challenge that will air in three Friday 9 PM segments (April 24, May 1, and May 8). So mark your calendars!
For the last 14 years of OSB, the World Pro/Am DanceSport Series is held where one dancer is the teacher dancing with an amateur student. There are also amateur dance competition events where both partners are amateurs. More than 13,000 dancers arrived and to accommodate all of the competitions, OSB has grown from a 3-day event to a 6-day event.
The Fordney Foundation Junior and Youth Dance Series East Coast versus West Coast team match was held on Friday afternoon. This turned out to be a very exciting event for the parents, friends, dancers, event organizers, dance coaches, dance instructors, judges, and everyone watching who began yelling for their team, whistling, stamping their feet, and clapping. The scores were very close and these were periodically given out as the teams danced. In the end, the East Coast won by a .3 margin leaving a big challenge to the west coast for next year. Annual cash awards and congratulations were given out to the 10 top Latin and 10 top Standard based on accumulated points over a 12-month period. Finally each member of both teams was given cash awards and congratulations for a job well done. Two individuals interviewed Marilyn and these are posted on YouTube. There are photos with comments of some winners on Facebook.
Friday and Saturday nights in Battelle Hall competitions were held for professional dancers, show dances, and professional finals and these events were filmed by PBS. In fact, two of the dance scholarships (Shannon Jensen with her husband Shane and Travis Tuft) that our foundation gives every year to Brigham Young University, professionally competed and won top awards. Everyone experienced a special treat at the end of Saturday night when 7-year-old David and his mother, Alla Novikova, stepped onto the floor and danced ending their performance with a standing ovation. Thank you to the organizer, Sam Sodano, for creating the Ohio Star Ball for dancers all over the world.
Thought Of The Week:
Life is a beautiful thing and there is so much to smile about.
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