For much of my life I was an athlete, which gave me both physical strength and an understanding of body mechanics. After my shoulder began telling me that a professional career wasn’t in the cards, I turned to my “other” first love …music. Spending countless hours in dive bars and at chili cook-offs and such, playing music for other people to dance to, I always thought that theoretically at least, I’d be able to dance.
So, when my then-fiancé expressed an interest in ballroom dancing, I did my homework. I mention this because I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked if I started dancing just to meet women; I didn’t. Well, the fiancé is now out of the picture, and after the standard mourning period I decided to go back to dancing. Elite Ballroom almost became like a home-away-from-home for me. I recently performed in my first showcase, and I didn’t even drop Inga on her head during our tango number!
Robertas and Inga’s passion for dance is infectious, and their genuine interest in their students’ progress, regardless of ability level, is what makes them such wonderful teachers. In my case, they’ve given me a passion for dance, and a desire to always be better.
Doug Hughes
Durham, NC
