It has officially been a year since our students and instructors at Dance Amadís Ballroom have started participating in competitions! In honor of this occasion, we want to take some time to shine a spotlight on our dancers and their recent achievements. On July 23, we had the pleasure to travel to Charlotte, North Carolina, to participate in the 2022 North Carolina Open dance competition with our students, Lilianna and Ruzanna Tarannik. This competition was organized by Igor Litvinov and was held at Embassy Suites Charlotte Ayrsley.

Dancers from all over the southeast traveled to Charlotte to show off the skills and techniques they had been practicing. Hundreds of students from twenty five studios from different states arrived to participate in the competition. The night was filled with group dances, rhythm and smooth competitions, delicious food, and performances from professional dancers. Not only was this an opportunity for the dancing community to compete with their peers, the North Carolina Open also served as a fundraiser for Ukrainian dancers. The Open is part of the Fordney Foundation, a non-profit that provides sports grants to young dancers.

It is inarguable that Lilianna and Ruzanna, the mother-daughter duo, were the stars of the student dancers that night. Lilianna placed first in the Closed Pro-Am American 3 Dance Smooth Championship and Scholarship. Additionally, she placed first in the Closed Pro-Am American 3 Dance Rhythm Championship and Scholarship. Her mother, Ruzanna, came in second in the Closed Pro-Am American 3 Dance Smooth Championship and Scholarship, as well as second in the Closed Pro-Am American 3 Dance Rhythm Championship and Scholarship. Both the mother and daughter tied for first place for Top Female Bronze Student and second for Overall Student in the entire competition. Additionally, our co-owner and instructor, Gemine Amadís, won the Top Teacher award of North Carolina Open 2022.

Thanks to the hard work and dedication of our students, Dance Amadís Ballroom won Top Studio at the 2022 North Carolina Open. And the craziest part? Both Lilianna and Ruzanna have only been dancing for a year and a half! Not only is this a testament to the dancers’ skills, but it is also a reflection of the dedication of the owners and instructors, Germine Amadís and Mila Loguntsova.

In our short history as a dance studio, we have seen so much growth and watched our students grow into confident, skilled, and award-winning dancers. We could not be any more proud of our students and how far they have come, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for us here at Dance Amadís Ballroom!