What dancers (locally famous) inspire you?

[KevinL]

I've been wondering what dancers, local to your area, inspire you to dance, or perhaps dance better? Why that person, or those people? What makes them inspirational?

(The idea here is to list dancers that most others won't have heard of, I'll start another thread for nationally famous dancers...)

Kevin

[Pacion]

Oooohhh! I like this subject! I can't contribute from a ballroom perspective as ballroom isn't my dance area, but may I "borrow" it for the salsa forum please? :D

[etchuck]

Maybe move both to General Dance Discussion.

I guess I'm fortunate to say we have the USABDA Amateur American Smooth Dance Champions living in our backyard. They've been very cordial and helpful to all the ballroomers in the area even before they won their championship.

Back to someone else on the list...

Salsa: I don't know if I have inspiration in salsa per se, but the brother and sister who organize the salsa dances at Fred Astaire come close to me on that.

Swing: I definitely don't have as much of an inspiration/role model for that yet.

The one person for whom I've looked up to is this fellow who essentially founded the entire ballroom community in this area about 15-18 years ago to be as vibrant as it is today. He'd be embarrassed if he knew I wrote about him, especially in front of a public forum. I'm not sure whether history will be accurate in giving him any credit, but I really believe without him, the college clubs around here would not be interested in ballroom or club dancing at all. He was recently diagnosed with a neuromuscular degenerative disorder so he obviously can no longer dance (oh yeah, he's in his early 40's, and his dx [diagnosis] was a bit over 2 years ago when he could still walk without assistance). Good friends with many of the people I first met around here in the dance community, there's an odd cloud that hangs over us because he's not among us dancers. Essentially, he's the person I generally dance for, and at least all the friends among that circle that are no longer here but still pray for him wherever they all are. Seriously, if you were no longer able to do what you loved doing for over 20 years...

[dancin_feet]

My instructor inspires me on a daily basis. Not only is he an excellent dancer, but he understands his students and can work to their strengths and weaknesses to bring out the best in their dancing.

Plus he is also under enormous pressure at the moment because the only other male instructor has an injury which means that my instructor is having to pick up the slack for all of his routines, etc. With only 7 weeks to go until they are all presented.