Fred Astaire Dance Studio Wins Big at World Championships
Five first place accolades and a third place rank Bloomfield Hills studio impressively high amongst national dancers.
Students and instructors from Michigan’s only Fred Astaire Dance Studio took home big honors from the annual Fred Astaire World Championships in Las Vegas last week, including five first place world champion wins and a third place.
Dancing among more than 700 people from more than 70 Fred Astaire Dance Studios nationwide gathered at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas, Michigan dancers really shined, says Evan Mountain, co-owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studio here with his wife, Lada.
The winners included the following:
- Cheryl Angelelli of Clinton Township – 1st place Showcase Performance (Angelelli is the Director of PR & Marketing for the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan).
- Charlene Proctor of Bloomfield Township – 1st place Smooth Open Championship and 1st place Smooth Open Scholarship (owner of The Goddess Network).
- Uda Shallop of Bloomfield Township – 1st place Top Female Bronze Student.
- Yuliya Sinevych and Tamerlan Gadirov of Waterford Township – 1st Place Professional Closed Rhythm (dance instructors).
- Yuliya Lukina and Viktor Tkachenko of Waterford Township – 3rd Place Professional Raising Star Rhythm (dance instructors)
- Tamerlan Gadirov of Waterford Township – 3rd Place Top Teacher (dance instructor)
“I am very proud of our students and instructors,” says Mountain. “It is exciting to seeing how our Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Bloomfield Hills, representing the metro Detroit area, can compete and win against some of the best ballroom dancers in the country. We have amazing dance instructors that raise our students to a higher level of dancing while making it fun.”
Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Bloomfield Hills is the largest ballroom dance studio in the state of Michigan. Opened in 2005 by Evan and Lada Mountain, the studio is part of a nationwide franchise that requires daily training for its teachers, who are dedicated to teaching dance full-time.
The studio’s mission is to enrich lives by building confidence, connection and community through ballroom dance. Private lessons, group lessons and dance parties are open to the public, featuring students ranging in age from teens to retirees and seniors.