Karina was in Tampa, Florida recently to judge at the Millennium Dancesport Championships.
The Millennium Dancesport Championships is the largest ballroom competition in America and among the biggest dancesport events in the world. This year the Millennium Dancesport Championships boasted over 15,000 entries.
“It’s great to be on both sides, dancing and judging,” Karina said during a television interview promoting the competition.
Michael Chapman, founder and organizer of the competition for 15 years, said “People come to the Millennium because it’s glamorous and exciting. The competitors are the best in the world, our ballroom décor is absolutely stunning and our shows feature the most talented performers in the industry. This year, we take inspiration from the Orient as we celebrate the Year of the Dragon with a dazzling Shanghai nightclub theme. You’ll see lion dancers, martial artists and world-class dancing.”
During the week-long event, pro/am couples (professionals with their students like on DWTS) and youths competed during the day, while professional couples and daytime finalists took to the floor in the evenings. More than $125,000 in cash and prizes was at stake. The competition was held at the Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina. Visit m2dance.com for pictures and video of the competition.
Next year, the Millennium will host the first World Professional Latin Show Dance competition making it an Olympics of ballroom dance.
For all the popularity of television dance shows, the competitive ballroom world remains almost exclusively the territory of participants and their entourages. Whether due to lack of awareness or ticket prices that can top three figures, even the most diehard fan of “Dancing with the Stars” has probably never watched an actual dancesport competition.