When I step onto that dance floor, I feel free. Ballroom dancing is a partnership sport. My partner and I must work as one. Once my feet steps onto the dance floor, we’re being judged; how we present ourselves is the first thing that catches the judges’ attention. All the competitors look so different in their own unique way.

My dresses are all covered with Swarovski crystals (also called rhinestones) like many other dancers’ dresses. Rhinestones and ruffles are seen a lot on the dance floor. Fringes are also very popular in the ballroom dancing world. When I dance, I play around with my dress which catches the judges’ eyes making them know I’m having fun. That gets me points.

Competitions are my favorite thing about ballroom dancing. The audience watches and knows that I want to win. I enjoy myself which is the most important thing about this sport. My mom says she never sees me happier than when I’m dancing. That’s because I dance for me. My partner and I must remember we’re not on the dance floor alone when competing so we have to have good floor craft, making sure we avoid bumping into others. My coach always says, “It’s like a maze.”

Before my partner and I can compete against other couples, we work hard practicing at the dance studio. Practicing for hours is hard work, but if we want to win, we’ll practice. My coach says we push ourselves too hard, but it’s all worth it when we compete. We’re always one step closer to winning that first place.

I slip and slide; I make mistakes. I’m not perfect and neither is my partner. Yet we never give up. If one of us messes up, the blame is on both of us; that’s just how ballroom dancing works.

The judges look at our posture, balance and control. We know the first thing judges look at is our timing, “The music is boss,” my coach says. We need to dance with energy; there’s no time for giving up. Our frame, shapes, lines and holds need to create a look as if we were going to pose for a picture. Foot/leg action must be clear, and for every dance it’s different. There’s a total of 10 dances I perform—all different in musicality and steps, creating different moods which calls for different expressions and emotions. Cha-cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive are the Latin dances. There are also standard dances, which include Slow Waltz, Tango, Viennese Waltz, Foxtrot, and Quick Step.

The Paso Doble is the liveliest dance that tells a story. The boy acts as the bullfighter and the girl as his cape. The dancers take strong steps forward and have artistic hand movements. Samba, unlike the Paso Doble, is very fun and bouncy, where the dancers are expected to use a lot of hip action. Dancers need to change character fast from one dance to another.

Does the overall performance catch the audience and judges’ eyes? Does it interest them into watching my partner and I? I usually wink at the audience so they catch my attention. It gets them to cheer for my partner and me. Even though the audience doesn’t choose the winner, I know that they enjoyed my performance and that makes me even happier then winning that first place trophy.

Ballroom dancing is in my blood. I spend more hours at the dance studio then I do at home. I have been dancing since I was a little girl. I traveled to many places such as Baltimore, Miami, Tampa, Los Angeles and England to perform. I can’t see my life without it. With the popularity of Dancing With The Stars, people think they understand the world of ballroom dancing. It’s not just about the entertainment; each dance tells a story and the dancers work really hard to make sure the audience can capture the meaning.