The weekend before last was the California Balboa Classic, a new Balboa event in Los Angeles with classes and dances. Originally intended as a small event for locals, word about this one spread like wildfire and the workshops sold out within a week or two, even after an entire extra class track was added! And people even flew in from other states! I’m SO excited about this new event – I’ve felt for a long time that LA needs a dedicated Balboa event, and I’m so glad that the response was so good.

Like the hams we are, Chris and I entered the Open Balboa and Swing contest – “Balboa” and “Swing” here referring to their 1930s & 40s meanings where Balboa was only closed (chest-to-chest) position, and Swing is anything that separates from your partner.  I had a TON of fun with this contest – there were several rounds where we were told to demonstrate musicality, showmanship, etc. A lot of Balboa contests tend to emphasize one end of the spectrum or the other, but it was nice to have both in this one.  I just hope it didn’t go on too long for the audience!

Here are the videos I could find – they’re linked from Facebook instead of YouTube, so I hope they work for you.

Open Balboa & Swing Classic Finals – Warm-up

Open Balboa & Swing Classic Finals – Chris & Beth Spotlight

Open Balboa & Swing Classic Finals – Fast Battle

And finally, Chris and I got to take home these GORGEOUS glass trophies! First Place, and the couple featured in the photo are 2 of our dance heroes, Hal and Betty. We stole several of their moves for the Fast Battle, and I will proudly display this in honor of them and all of our old-timers.