What a successful weekend for Team Aria! We had 8 Open level couples travel down to compete in a variety of events and when I say successful, I really mean it. Almost all of our couples made it to finals, with many even placing on the podium! If you see any of these couples in the studio, make sure to give them a huge high-five. Aria Ballroom was well represented last weekend!
Adrian and Gabrielle in their Minions Cabaret costume.
Adrian Secchia and Gabrielle Smith
In addition to dancing the Adult Novice and Pre-Championship Latin last weekend, Adrian and Gabrielle performed their iconic Minions routine in a packed and powerful Adult Cabaret event. The Minions routine rocked the house, with audience members whipping out their phones, waving their hands in the air and clapping in time with the music, and jumping to their feet for a standing ovation. The roar of the crowd was deafening, and Adrian and Gabrielle performed the routine without a hitch. Out of 8 couples, they placed 3rd and earned a spot on the awards podium.
Blake Mechum and Katelyn Maner
Blake and Katelyn are a new addition to Team Aria and we’re so happy to have them. In the Adult Championship Smooth they made the Quarter-Final but in the Youth Pre-Championship Smooth they made the final and finished 6th! They are such talented, beautiful dancers and we can’t wait to continue working with them over the next few months as they prepare for National Championships in March.
Kora posing with Isaac and Sara after their 3rd place finish.
Isaac Eugenio and Sara Wilcox
If there was picture in the encyclopedia next to the entry “Loves Dancing”, it would be Isaac and Sara. This couple danced in so many categories, it was truly difficult to keep track! They compete in both Latin and Standard, in the Adult and Youth age categories. From the very first heat of the competition on Friday morning, nearly to the last event on Saturday night, you could find Isaac and Sara on the dance floor. They are one of our aspiring 10-Dancers, and they really did Team Aria proud this weekend. Their most notable achievements were placing 4th in the Adult Novice Latin and earning a podium spot by placing 3rd in the Youth Pre-Championship Standard.
Kai Matthew and Vlada Denysovets
Although Kai and Vlada are another one of our Team Aria 10-Dance couples, they were unable to compete in the Latin categories this week due to Kai being injured. They competed in Standard, however, on both Friday and Saturday. Their dancing was really beautiful. In addition to making the Semi-Final of the Adult Championship Standard, they made the final of the Youth Championship Standard and garnered a podium spot by placing 3rd. We can’t wait to see their improvement over the next few months as they get ready for National Championships next March, and we definitely missed watching their Latin. Hopefully they’ll treat us to their Latin next time they compete in Provo.
Landon Heal and Mercedes Mechum
Another newer addition to Team Aria, Landon and Mercedes were on the dance floor just as much as Isaac and Sara! Landon and Mercedes are so passionate about dancing and they truly are a joyful addition to our team. They competed in Latin and Smooth, two styles that compliment each other beautifully. And I can say without argument that their dancing was exquisite! Among their most notable achievements were placing 6th in the Youth Pre-Championship Latin and WINNING the Youth Pre-Championship Smooth! We’re so proud of the progress this couple has made and we can’t wait to see them continue to improve.
Leo Liu and Nicky Lin
Debuting a new look for this competition, Leo and Nicky came out strong and finished even stronger. Also a 10-Dance couple, Leo and Nicky competed in the Junior 1 and Junior 2 categories in both Standard and Latin. They danced the best they had ever danced, shocking all of us watching from the side. Some injuries took their toll on Nicky by the time they reached the last event of the competition, preventing Nicky from dancing her best in the Junior 2 Latin. But they made the final and placed on the podium of all three of their other events. In the Junior 2 Championship Standard, they placed 3rd, while in the both the Junior 1 Championship Standard and the Junior 1 Championship Latin, they placed 2nd. Leo and Nicky work so hard and are so dedicated, and we are so proud to see their hard work pay off.
Lucas Leonard and Kate Dickson
Lucas and Kate did a lot of dancing this weekend, as well! They prefer to specialize in the Standard/Smooth side of things. Currently they’re gearing up for their last year dancing at the Youth age category at National Championships and they are working hard to make a splash. Although they competed in a number of events this weekend, they were able to keep their energy up throughout the weekend and the many rounds. A huge congratulations to Lucas and Kate and we can’t wait to see your improvements over the next few months!
Beautiful Vicky Lin dancing her heart out!
Vicky Lin
Vicky Lin danced with her new partner in both Standard and Latin as well, competing in the Junior 2 and Youth Championship Latin and Standard, as well as the Youth Pre-Championship Latin and Standard. Vicky, like her sister Nicky, is a 10-Dancer, but she and her partner really excelled in the Latin events. In all three Latin events, Vicky and her partner made finals and even managed to earn a podium spot! They placed 3rd in the Youth Pre-Championship Latin, 6th in the Junior 2 Championship Latin and 5th in the Youth Championship Latin! Vicky has improved her dancing dramatically over the last few months and we can’t wait to see what improvements she makes between now and National Championships in March.
It was a wild and crazy weekend with so many couples to keep up with! If you would like to see some video highlights of all these couples, visit us on our Facebook and Instagram pages. Just search for Aria Ballroom on Facebook and @ariaballroom on Instagram. Give us a follow, a like, and scroll through our videos. You’ll like what you see!
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