The Blue Ballroom 2009

Aug 5, 2009

The Blue Ballroom

Current mood:blissful

The Blue Ballroom.

During the Spring of 2009, I worked briefly for Ken and Roseanna Richards at the Blue Ballroom in Wilmington, Delaware. If you've never been to Blue Ballroom, then it is definitely worth the visit. It is the most elegant modern dance facility that I have ever seen.

My old partner and I had contemplated the move to Delaware back in September '08, but shortly thereafter the Blue Ballroom experienced a terrible fire. The fire damage has been documented on the Blue Ballroom website, also worth the visit: www.blueballroom.net

Similar to the Titanic, on it's maiden voyage, this newly built ballroom, with its two story chandelier, opulent crystal lighting and textured wallpaper, was almost completely destroyed after it's christening. The facility had a monumental task of rebuilding, nearly from scratch. I'm still amazed that their dedicated work crew managed to rebuild so quickly, with improvements that rivaled their first rendition.

I'm very grateful for the time I spent there. I experienced many life lessons that I am truly thankful for. In addition, I had one really positive dance experience. Ken used me for Variety's Ballroom Blitz, a fundraiser for Variety's childrens' charity. The event was filmed by the Delaware Film Company. The Blitz itself ran in a contest format, similar to Dancing With the Stars.

After all the excitement, and what proved to be a very costly and challenging stay, Roxi and I were very happy to return to DC in May of this year. Ken offered me the opportunity to remain on his staff. He gave us a great deal of energy during our transition home. He informed my dance director, Ron Bennett, of our time and progress in Delaware, along with our principle dance coach, Dan Calloway. We were very surprised by the news! The memories of Blue Ballroom will never be forgotten. Ken sent us a heartfelt letter that we received shortly after we arrived home. Roxi and I were truly surprised. We plan to keep it with our photos and memories of our Blue Ballroom experience, something to remember, always.