This is a local Colorado event promoting amateur partnership dancing. Offering medal exams for Bronze and Silver dancers.
2023 Participating Student Awards
Congratulations to all Pro/Am and Am/Am students receiving their Journey Charts and Evaluators Achievement forms.
Carli Anderson, John & Yvette Boska, Karen Brunette, Bill & Amanda Casey, Matthew & Lindsay Fox, Pierre & Michele Gaudreault,
Cindy Moe, Jenny Zhu, Jenny Zhuo, Lisa Sinnott, Patricia Ross, Katy Quinn
2023 Full Bronze certificate of achievement honorees
Seven Full Bronze Certificates were awarded to these five amazing women.
Karen Brunette, Lisa Sinnott, Patricia Ross, Jenny Zhu, Katy Quinn
2023 Student evaluators
Thank you to these amazing dance professionals that worked tirelessly to provide feedback to the participating students.
John Sinnott, Tasha Sumpter, Kimberly Hernandez, Danny Hernandez, Todd Hansen, Brad Ackerman
2023 Volunteers
A tremendous thank you to these amazing individuals that helped make this event possible.
Dawna Haynes, Jenny Quinn, Cody Ackerman, Janell Bradberry, Jessica Davis
2023 Gold Star achievement ball Officiants
Thank you to these individuals that provided extraordinary talents that made this event a success.
Brad Ackerman - Organizer, John Sinnott - DJ, Sarah Ackerman - Assistant, Ed Larkin - MC
Our Mission
A collaboration of independent Ballroom, Latin, and Country Western dance teachers whose mission it is to help students realize their potential and give them an opportunity to demonstrate proficiency and be recognized for their journey.
The Event
The Gold Star Achievement Ball is a Colorado event open to local independent partnership dance teachers and their students. We offer amateur/amateur and professional/amateur divisions designed to help amateur dancers take their medal exams in Ballroom, Country Western and Latin dance.
Location
International Dance Club
2422 Busch Avenue
Colorado Springs, CO 80904
Ballroom Medal Exam
Ballroom Medal Exam
Ballroom partner dance consist of four Smooth Dances and five Rhythm Dances. When you first attend this event you will be presented with a Journey chart. The first level that you will enter is Junior Bronze. If you perform the dance to a standard level you will be awarded the evaluators score sheet with comments on your performance and a sticker that you place on the Journey Chart.
Country Western Medal Exam
Country Western Medal Exam
Country Western partner dance consist of four Smooth Dances and four Rhythm Dances. As with the Ballroom program you will first enter the Junior Bronze level. After completion the second level you will enter is Intermediate Bronze. If you perform the dance to a standard level you will be awarded the evaluators score sheet with comments on your performance and a sticker that you place on the Journey Chart.
Club dances Medal Exam
Club Dances Medal Exam
The Club Dances category consist of two styles of dance. Latin dance for dancers that enjoy Salsa clubs and Social Dance for dancers that attend Wedding, New Years Eve parties or Fundraisers. As with the styles about the third level you will enter is Full Bronze. If you perform the dance to a standard level you will be awarded the evaluators score sheet with comments on your performance and a sticker that you place on the Journey Chart.
Bronze Trophy Achievement Certificate
Bronze Trophy Achievement Certificate
The journey to receiving the Bronze Trophy is filled with experiences that are difficult to quantify in words. Partner dance is beautiful journey of self discovery, learning to be more empathic with the person you are partnering. The mind body connection increases the opportunity for more self awareness. The hours in the dance studio with your teacher are priceless learning opportunities. The social dance interaction with the dance community meeting the people that will become your new friends is the Journey to the Bronze Trophy. We can't wait to meet you as we all gather for the next Gold Star Achievement Ball.
Levels of Dance Offered for Medal Exams
Bronze Program
Bronze Program
Bronze Program
Amateur dancers studying the Bronze Program will take three medal exams to earn the Bronze Trophy Award. The first exam is call Junior Bronze, requiring you to dance steps 1-7 in the DVIDA Bronze Program. The second exam is called Intermediate Bronze requiring you to dance steps 8-11. Full Bronze dancers are required to dance steps 12-15. Once all 15 steps are danced to a standard level you will be awarded the Bronze Trophy Certificate.
Silver Program
Bronze Program
Bronze Program
Amateur dancers studying the Silver program are considered advanced dancers. The first exam is called Pre-Silver requiring steps 1-7 to be danced. Exam two called Intermediate Silver requires steps 8-11 to be danced. Full Silver requires steps 12-15 to be performed. Once all 15 steps are danced to a standard level you will be awarded the Silver Trophy Certificate.
Gold Program
Bronze Program
Gold Program
The Gold Program will be added at a later date.
Professional Teachers
Participation Information
This section is for independent professional dance teachers interested in participating with their students.
Evaluating – We request that you participate in evaluating at this event. We will ensure that you will not be evaluating your students but other students that are attending. Listed to the right is a sample evaluation form that you will use to record your thoughts and score of the students abilities. Please familiarize yourself with the flow of this form, the scruitineer team will fill out the top, the level designation and will calculate the score at the bottom. Your focus as an evaluator will be to score the needed sections and add personal comments.
Professional Courtesy – Professional conduct is paramount at this event. We must all agree that the overall health of the dance community is more important than anyone of us individually. We will handle all students and teachers with respect and honor, their contribution to the community is invaluable as we all make this possible.
Our Studio Partners Participating in April 2023
volunteers
Lead Coordinator - Jenny Quinn
Thank you Jenny for organizing and helping all of the volunteers for this event.
Participating Student Coordinator - Jessica Davis
Jessica will be providing information to students that need help with changing rooms and schedule of events. She will also help the principle with coordinating the flow of the event.
Scrutineers - Janell Bradberry & Cody Ackerman
Janell & Cody are volunteers tasked with supporting the evaluators. They supply each evaluator with the proper evaluation form needed for the student dancing. They confirm the form was completed correctly and make a copy. The original form is given to the student durning the awards ceremony.
Registration - Dawna Haynes
Dawna will be helping with the registration desk. When you arrive please check-in with her, this will let us know when everyone has arrived and we can begin. Spectators can purchase their session tickets at the door.
Principle - Dawna Haynes
The principle is responsible for helping students performing to be ready in the principles corner before their event begins. To help this process flow better if you are dancing, be in the principle‘s corner two heats before you are schedule to dance.
Evaluators - Final List of Evaluators will be announced soon.
These local Colorado Dance Professionals are task with evaluating all students participating in the Gold Star Achievement Ball. These amazing professional are all coming together to help further the progress of the partnership dance community.
Brad Ackerman - Dance Colorado
Todd Hansen - Independent
Danny Hernandez - Destiny Dance
Kim Hernandez - Destiny Dance
John Sinnott - Rhythm & Moves
Tasha Sumpter - All About Dance
Photographers - Jaye Lenchis
Jaye was born and raised in South Florida and has been enjoying living in Colorado for the past 5 years. She spent most of her professional career working in sales for corporate America but never lost her love for photography. Her career led her all over the United States but is now happily settled in Colorado Springs. Most recently she has opened a professional photography studio in historical downtown Monument, Colorado and enjoys photographing portraits including families and maternity.
Master of Ceremonies - Ed T. Larkin
Edward T. Larkin was born in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Ed has spent most of his professional career working with global businesses as a business/finance executive. Ed’s career took him to several major cities throughout the United States and in 2009 he settled in Denver. Since then, he has been ballroom dancing as a Pro-Am competitor.
Besides being an Emcee’s at various types of events, Ed is also a voice actor and an aspiring stage actor.
Disc Jockey - John Sinnott & Sarah Ackerman
The DJ will provide the music for all the participants. As students enter the floor and prepare for their event, the DJ will play a song that matches the dance style and proper tempo.
If you or someone you know would be a good candidate for volunteering at the Gold Star Achievement Ball please contact me directly.
Brad Ackerman 719-244-3092