An extraordinary event occurred at the Côte Saint-Luc Gymnasium on Saturday, September 24. The sixth annual La Relance ballroom dancing competition, presented by DanseSport Québec, was one professionally run operation.
The competition included several dancing styles, including Latin (cha cha, samba, rumba, paso doble and jive) and standard (waltz, tango, foxtrot, Viennese waltz and the quick step) ballroom dance routines. The competitors were from Quebec, Ontario, New Brunswick and even Vermont, with championship rounds in the youth, adult and senior categories. Competitors ranged in age from 11 to 60 and older.
Jean-Francois Rousseau, the president of Danse Sport Québec, was on the dance floor as well with his wife and dance partner Nathalie Ladouceur. They are the Ten-Dance Quebec Senior 1 champions.
When I walked into our gym, I barely recognized it. The folks from Danse Sport had totally remodeled the interior with spectacular lighting, a state-of-the-art sound system and a dance floor surrounded by tables for seating – each outfitted with golden tablecloth curtains. Councillors Dida Berku and Allan J. Levine joined my family with their spouses. Hats off to Alvin Fishman of our Parks and Recreation Department for being the liaison with this group for the past few months and working a 16 hour shift.
We did get the word out to local residents to attend, but I am afraid too late. They do not know what they missed. The dance moves were mesmerizing and I caught a few of them for you on video.
I also spoke to dance icon Jean-Marc Généreux, best known perhaps as the charismatic judge on the just cancelled CTV show So You Think You Can Dance Canada. He was in the house because his 15 year old son Jean-Francis performed earlier in the day.
