Everyone at DanceTeamUSA would like to extend their gratitude to all of the organizers and competitors that participated in the Amateur Dancesport Circuit for the 2004/2005 season. We hope that this would be the first of many seasons to come and that with everyone's help we will turn the Amateur Dancesport Circuit into North America's leading ranking system.

After close review by DanceTeamUSA it has been decided that only the couples that participated in no less then three (3) competitions this season will be eligible for this years' awards. Starting with 2005/2006 season, the name Junior Super Bowl will be changed to Amateur Dancesport Circuit and couples that participated in no less then 50% of the participating competitions will be eligible for the award at the end of the year. It has also been decided that the Grand Finale of all future Amateur DanceSport Circuits will be held at Grand DanceSport Cup, simultaneously making GDC the first event of the circuit.

World Culture and American Youth - Today, Tomorrow, Forever. Founded on a dream and supported by the world's premier coaches, choreographers and dancers, Dance Team USA is the future of American DanceSport.

Dance Team USA is dedicated to providing oppurtunities to American Youth in mind, body and spirit. From the classroom to the dance studio, Dance Team USA educates and trains America's youth on the world stage.

Zuzia Odziomek is a 9 year old student in the Primary School "No.2" in Sulojowek, Poland. Her passion is dancing and with her partner Lukasz Baka, they achieved the highest grade in her age class, grade C. Zuzia is a happy, beautiful girl, full of dreams.

In December, doctors found an extensive brain tumour, which will stop Zuzia's dreams from ever coming true. Zuzia's parents have sent copies of all her medical documents to several hospitals in the USA, Canada and Sweden with the hope of those hospitals will be able to help. Currently Zuzia is under some very expensive treatment. She has already had two chemo treatments but this type of tumour is very resistant to treatment.

Only an expensive operation outside of Poland can possibly save Zuzia's life. Zuzia's parents are not just interested in the operation, because at this stage of the illness it may not be possible. They would also be grateful if somebody could help with treatments such as: Immunotherapy, Geneotherapy, Laser treatment, etc.

As co-organizer of the Celtic Classic, on behalf of myself and Tommy Shaughnessy, we would like to thank Jhanna Volynetts and Al Chmerkovskiy and all of the members of DANCETEAM USA. They have generously donated $1,000.00 to the fund for Zuzia, a little 9 year old Polish dancer who is very seriously ill, her family need both medical and financial help. We are delighted that with this donation from DANCETEAM USA, the total raised is now 5,000.00 euros.

If any of your friends, contacts or personal experiences could help Zuzia, please post here or email me.

Source: DanceScape.com

DanceTeam USA is an educational and charitable organization formed in June 2002 with a three-fold mission: (1) To recruit, support and train world-class American DanceSport athletes (2) to raise youth awareness and participation in the sport nationwide and (3) to involve our athletes in the community through charitable and benefit performances.

The founders of our organization — Sasha Chmerkovskiy, Jhanna Volynetts, Sergei Nabatov, and Max Chmerkovskiy — all share a profound and passionate commitment to raising the level of US DanceSport competition. We hope to build a broad network of like-minded supporters who share our dream of educating and training American youth for leadership on the world stage. Further, we hope to share the physical, intellectual and developmental benefits of this type of training for our young people with parents, educators, business leaders and the community at large.

There is a growing interest in DanceSport, competitive paired dancing that is often compared to “figure skating on a wood floor.” The United States Amateur Ballroom Dancers Association (USABDA) reports that more than 300 colleges across the US currently host DanceSport teams, including Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Ohio State and the University of California system. This is an increase of 500 percent in just the last five years.

DanceSport was recently recognized by the International and US Olympic Committee as a non-medal event and has earned exhibition status for the 2012 Olympic Games. To be considered a sport by the International Olympic Committee, DanceSport had to meet stringent requirements including active competition in at least 75 countries and on four continents. In 2001 DanceSport athletes participated for the first time in the World Games, the competitive venue for Olympic-recognized games that have not yet been awarded medal status.

Presently, Europeans dominate the sport, carrying nearly every world and international title. The best coaches, trainers and choreographers are European, and there exists internationally an infrastructure and support network that doesn’t exist today in the US. It is our goal to build a supportive structure in this country that will produce world-class athletes to represent our country in global competition.

DanceTeam USA seeks to recruit, sponsor and train a highly-qualified competitive dance team and create the infrastructure capable of supporting and producing Olympic-caliber athletes for this sport.

It is our intention to create a “dream team” of the best of US DanceSport athletes, and to supplement their training with intensive camps taught by the world’s best trainers and choreographers.

Toward this end, we have begun to gather America’s premier coaches, choreographers and trainers — including amateur and professional champions -- with the goal of creating a pool of talent, know-how and creativity that will drive the growth and development of the sport in the coming decade. At present, the US has few high-caliber trainers compared to other countries. In Great Britain, for instance, there are some 40 top trainers for nearly 200 competitors; in the US today, there are perhaps six for nearly 1,000 competitors. We will serve as a meeting ground for the talents of world-class trainers around the globe, while promoting and extending the talents and capabilities of our young athletes here.

Further, our board, coaches and advisors will participate in developing protocol and procedures for a formalized training structure, including best practices, eligibility standards for admission to the team, coaching expectations and qualifications, schedules and the like. Our non-profit organization would additionally support this structure with public education, public relations, marketing, promotions and fi.ind-raising.

Once the structure is in place we seek to select 10 young adult couples in a nationwide talent search. We seek to work with youth between the ages of 10-18, half of whom would perform Latin and half of.whom would perform Standard routines. Dance Team USA would enhance and supplement their on-going training by arranging and paying for master classes, seminars and training camps as well as competition entry fees, travel, hotels and meals for some of the most prestigious events in the world, including:

September: US Open, Miami
October: International, UK
November: Dutch Open, Netherlands
December: World Masters in Innsbruck, Austria
January: UK Championships
February: Celtic Open, Ireland
February: La Classique du Quebec, Canada
May: Blackpool, UK, the “Wimbledon” of DanceSport competitions
June: Italian Open in Chervia, Italy
August: German Open in Mannheim, Germany

The dancers would be an elite group, the best of the best, and would receive personal attention and instruction in form, style, choreography and presentation that they can bring back to their schools and perfect in their daily training. DanceTeam USA would coordinate and oversee their training, choreography, costuming and competition schedule. Further, we would have a personal care assistant on staff, a medical professional who would work with the athletes on breathing, focus, conditioning and resiliency.

We hope to inspire other young adults to see themselves in the achievement and image of the DanceTeam, and to motive others to participate in the sport. We anticipate tapping our DanceTeam couples as ambassadors of the sport, acting as spokespersons and role models to interview with the press and to interact with youth and their parents nationwide.

Although interest and participation has increased in competitive college-level DanceSport and in social settings, we haven’t seen any increase in after-school or weekend programs for youth ages 10-18 who could be growing into competition and/or coaching in the future.

Like many sports, DanceSport involves discipline, goal-setting, working effectively with others, endurance and coordination. Additionally, DanceSport creates a posture, a grace and an elegance that sports such as soccer cannot provide, and which are so desirable in our society. As part of our work with DanceTeam USA we seek to promote DanceSport as a good, safe sport activity that is a viable alternative to team sports, and which builds character while supporting a healthy lifestyle.

DanceTeam USA will provide free performances to senior centers, nursing homes, hospitals, organizations for the disabled, and other facilities to educate, entertain and give back to our community. We believe the art, drama and excitement of our DanceSport performances will be well received, and that our young athletes will gain immeasurably from the experience.

Further, DanceTeam USA expects to work in close collaboration with other organizations involved in the sport, including:

• The United States Amateur Ballroom Dancing Association. USABDA, also doing business as USA DanceSpor&, USABDA is an affiliate member of the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) and is recognized by both the USOC and the International DanceSport Federation (IDSF) as the National Governing Body of amateur DanceSport in the US. Formed in 1965 and based in Virginia, USABDA organizes local, regional and national DanceSport Championships, selects DanceSport Athletes to represent the US in the World Amateur DanceSport Championship and World Games, and provides some scholarship monies.

• International DanceSport Federation (IIDSF), formed by professional DanceSport competitors in Europe, the organization is the World Governing Body of DanceSport and a member of the International Olympic Committee. They sanction and organize international competitions.

• The National Dance Council of America (NDCA) was formed in 1948 as a non profit educational organization. It formulates the rules by which NDCA recognized competitions and championships are granted, and it has the exclusive right to select the professional couples and judges who will represent America in all World Professional Championships.

• International Dance Organization (DO) controls and administers many World Class and World Cup events throughout Europe.

• American Dancesport Organization (ADO). Based in Coral Gables Florida, this organization publishes DanceSport Magazine and finds training and networking opportunities for American DanceSport competitors at the Blackpool Dance Festival in England — the Wimbledon of DanceSport.