The origins of the oldest ballroom dance, the waltz, first appeared in 16th-century Europe. Since that time, ballroom has danced across many centuries with impressive styles and techniques while gliding across the globe. Today, it is a phenomenon attracting thousands who are dedicated to perfecting the 10 international dances that comprise ballroom with five Standard (or Modern) and five Latin dances. The audience for ballroom dance also continues to grow, and there are now millions of viewers watching Dancing with the Stars, which recently launched its 33rd season.
PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Chapter IJ, whose mission is to promote educational opportunities for women, featured a ballroom dance international award-winning team on October 1 at their program at San Antonio Village Clubhouse in Santa Barbara.
Among the participants are Cyndi Chilcott, who placed first in the World Cup in her division of International Latin Dance. Dancing since age 5, she has received 14 gold medals in competitions. When not dancing, Chilcott is the Santa Barbara Office Manager for Advanced Surgical Associate,s and she also trains five days a week.
Another honored guest at the event is Vasily Golovin. Born in St. Petersburg, Golovin has competed internationally for 20 years and won the Russian National Championship, European Championship, and Latin World Championship gold medals. He is currently the International Latin Champion and has represented the United States in Ballroom Dancing.
Coming up next month, the Hilton in Santa Barbara will host the California Star Ball National Ballroom Competition from November 30 through December 1, where the Chilcott/Golovin team will be performing.
Gene Kelly once said, “You dance love, you dance joy, and you dance dreams.” The Incredibly Joyous Chapter IJ is celebrating his words!
Joye Lytel is the Santa Barbara chapter of PEO (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Program Chair.
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