City Lights Ball -JANUARY 27-29, 2012

San Jose, CaLifornia (near San Francisco)

DANCE COMPETITION, SHOWS AND DANCE CAMP.

NDCA and World DanceSPORT Series approved.

• Competition: Friday, Jan. 27 - Sunday, Jan. 29
  
• Evening Shows: Friday & Saturday
  
• Dance Camp (small group sessions): Friday - Sunday

PLANNING YOUR DANCING? CITY LIGHTS BALL IS GETTING READY.

SEND US YOUR EMAIL SO WE CAN KEEP YOU INFORMED DIRECTLY; CHECK BACK WITH THE WEBSITE AND FACEBOOK

Competition: Friday, Jan. 27 - Sunday, Jan. 29 2012 (expanded this year!)

Dance Camp: Group lessons during the competition. Camp is open to both competitors and non competitors; no partner necessary. See Dance Camp tab for more information on instructors and times. All instructors are National or US Champions!

Shows: During each evening, we will have a different show.

Friday night is Victor and Anastasia, World Professional Standard Finalists. They will dance to live music in a show not seen before!

Saturday night we will celebrate Ricardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko, World Professional Latin Champions. Sunday night will have Professional ShowDance (competition) and other surprises.

This year we will participate the Smooth Tour, sponsored by DanceBeat and Capezio. We have also expanded to three days (Friday - Sunday) with an expanded panel of judges. We will once again have a world class panel of judges and teachers in our Dance Camp (group lessons). Each teacher is a former National or World Champion. See Dance Camp for more information.

We need your contact info to send you personal messages about advance discounts. PLEASE CONTACT US so we can save your information. Forms are being mailed to professionals and amateurs. If you do not receive a packet in the mail, please contact us so we can put you on our mailing list.

Tickets for entry, and registration to dance as well as the dance camp can either be conducted through FORMS found under Competitor tab. Download the FORMS and fax or mail them in. Orders can also be placed online. Credit Cards are accepted.

We look forward to seeing you. Thanks for your interest in City Lights Ball 2012!

History of City Lights Ball:

City Lights Ball (CLB) was started in 1995 by Sherrie Paregian, in San Francisco. It was later held at the Regency Hall, a beautiful venue for an elegant, old-world look. Glenn and Barbara purchased CLB in 2007, and had their first CLB year at the Regency Hall again.

The shows that year included World Professional ShowDance Champions and Latin Finalists, Yulia and Max. In addition, Anna and Victor, World Professional Standard Finalists. Other special treats were watching local favorites Tomas and Aira.

In 2008, CLB was held at the San Jose Civic Center. To keep an elegant atmosphere, professional lights and drapes were brought in as well as a top quality dance floor, great vendors and another year of great shows. Max and Beata, World Professional Latin Finalist and Champion, as well as Benji (the then current winner) from "So You Think You Can Dance", and NYC favorites Ieva and Linus all WOWed us. Folks who attended, raved at the atmosphere and their experience. See Testimonials for CLB.

2009 was a year for change again. Each year CLB conducted a survey after each competition. Survey said that dancers (especially outside the Bay area) wanted to attend in a hotel. In addition, they said they wanted an affordable option. CLB changed the date from March to January, and moved to The DoubleTree Hotel in San Jose, California. Bravo! The results were fabulous. Saturday night tickets sold out two weeks in advance. Mirko and Alessia, the just retired and then current World Professional Standard Champions danced an unforgettable show. Dancers and spectators alike came from all over the country to see this rare US opportunity. (See Results from 2009.) CLB offered a dance seminar, featuring Mirko and Alessia, who signed posters and mouse pads, took pictures with students and taught us some fabulous tips for dancing. Those who attended got to watch them -- again.

2010 was a spectacular year. Attendance in all areas was up, with the Show selling out two weeks in advance. The show was once again a world-class event, with Michael Malitowski and Joanna Leunis dazzling the audiences (current World Champions International Latin). Pro/Am were offered more dancing opportunities with Rising Star, World DanceSport Series and fabulous scholarships. Special gifts were given that are likely to be repeated - a black recycle bag with healthy snacks and a private photo session with each dancer in a non-dancing shot. This was VERY popular!! The competitions in the evenings were very exciting, watching World Finalists and Semi-finalists along with many other very talented dancers in all types of dancing. Judges were a panel of only former US and World Champions, giving the highest caliber of adjudication. These same folks were available for the first ever City Lights Ball Dance Camp, with group and private lessons (after the competition) in Standard, Smooth, Latin and Rhythm dances. Prestigious names such as Luca and Loraine Baricchi, Bo Loft Jensen, Petter Eggleton, Charlotte Jorgensen, Joanna Leunis, Michael Malitowski, Wendy Johnson, Nicholas Kosovich, Ron Montez, Toni Redpath, Vebeke Toft, and Forest Vance. WOW!! The best session was perhaps the ending group Q&A session when dancers can find out what judges look for and hear from the best in the business. As Charlotte said, "I think you have something special here". It was quite a year. 

In 2011, CLB broke all records in entries! There were so many entries, we had to be creative to fit all dancing in the schedule. There were shows on both Saturday and Sunday evenings. Never before seen dancing together in a show, the Professional International Standard World Champions were joined by the number 2 and 3 finalists, giving City Lights Ball attendees an experience that will happen only once in a lifetime! Different shows took place each evening, with opening numbers including all the dancers and then individual couples dancing to their own special music. It was breath-taking. Tickets sold out far in advance again for each show, and both evenings were packed. The shows were videotaped in 3D and in regular film, and will be available in DVD and to be seen at future City Lights Ball events. The rest of the competition was also filmed in 3D, which will also be available for viewing in the future. Results are posted from last year until the next years results replace them. The Dance Camp was expanded to more topics with a Welcome Party to attend a session on "Ask the Experts". Our distinguished panel of National and World Champions (former and current) were available to answer questions that are on the minds of competitors. "What DO judges look for in a competition?". "What are the things that competitors could do to immediately improve their dancing?". The rest of the camp broke out in sessions on specific styles and topics of dance. As many have said, "It's the best panel of instructors that you can get in one sitting and SO worth the money!" Again, some of the best Trophies and medals for dancers available in the world were presented. Portrait/casual picture sessions were a gift given to many competitors with recycled dance bags and goodies. Mousepads of the show couples were a huge hit, with extras available. Competitive prize money and scholarships were given. Kids had their own special awards. Of course our signature chocolates and nuts, and candles on the tables, lite bouncy ball hand-outs and a fabulous floor and lights (the best there is!!). There was lots of laugher and fun for all in 2011 City Lights Ball.