As usual, Carrie Ann Inaba doesn't mince words.
Fans of the reality show Dancing with the Stars, on which the frank and engaging choreographer is one of three judges, might think the show demonstrates ballroom dancing at its best. But Inaba says anyone wanting to see the genuine deal should head to the national ballroom dancing championships this weekend at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel.
"TV has a tendency to dumb down and simplify," says Inaba, who will be an honorary judge of the competition. "What you see on our show is a watered-down version of ballroom dancing. The first goal of any television show is to entertain."
Not that the three-day event, which is under the auspices of USA Dance, will lack either glamour or entertainment value.
About 1,100 dancers, ages 7 to 70, will step off in the four major ballroom dance styles: International Standard (such as the tango and quickstep); International Latin (cha-cha and paso doble); American Smooth (waltz and fox trot); and American Rhythm (East Coast swing and mambo).
At stake are not only the championships, but the right to represent the U.S. in the World Games, which will be held in China in June.
"I am honored to be part of the ballroom world," Inaba says. "It's visually stunning, and the dedication and artistry needed to be a top dancer are profound."
Inaba's background is in commercial jazz choreography, which is related to competitive ballroom dancing in roughly the way that the Harlem Globetrotters are related to the Los Angeles Lakers. Both teams know their stuff and perform many of the same maneuvers, but they serve different purposes.
But Inaba thinks that each field could learn from the other.
"I've always believed that our worlds could greatly benefit from merging a little," she says. "The discipline and rigor of ballroom dance could help the commercial world. And, the commercial world's emphasis on performance could help ballroom dance build a larger audience."
Clearly, the latter already is starting to happen. Shows such as Dancing with the Stars , So You Think You Can Dance? and Superstars of Dance have given the art form a new cachet. The phenomenally popular Dancing with the Stars, originally spun off from a British dance show, has become one of the most-watched shows in the U.S.
A new atmosphere
