We look forward to sharing our thank you’s and some fun photos from our adventures on the road. You can always find full event photo albums on our company Facebook page. We understand not all of our supporters have access to Facebook, therefore we have this new section just for you! We always have so much fun “on the road” and look forward to sharing our memories.
Big congrats go out to the organizers Rosendo Fumero and Ruthie Perkins–the 51st annual Virginia State DanceSport Championships was bursting at the seams with energy and entries! 2015 brought the cold hard CASH with total prizes and awards over $100,000! “Best Of The Best” Club Dance Challenge had couples competing in Hustle, Salsa, and West Coast Swing–with the Grand Finale being held at the 2015 Ohio Star Ball. Virginia State DanceSport Championships hosted a wonderful Open Professional Showdance/Theatre Arts and Challenge of Champions. 2015 VA became a member of the United States Championships Circuit! We look forward to this event every year–and hope it is on your “MUST” competition calendar!!!
New dates, new venue, and a Dance for the Cure Gala! There was gourmet food, fantastic shows, and two cars to win?! Ron Bennett, Garry Gekhman and Irina Sarukhanyan worked tirelessly which was evident in the beautiful décor, special guests, and many local social dancers attending. After the competition concluded dancers were able to participate in various workshops to help their dancing for the next competition on their schedule. We had a beautiful vendor location just steps off the hardwood, spanning the entire width of the ballroom. This particular ballroom was the last room Owner, Julie Wilson competed and performed a professional showdance in–so many sweet memories were revisited. This competition is always a “MUST” to kick off the competition season. We look forward to and wish all dancers a prosperous year!
We had a WONDERFUL time at Ohio Star Ball again this year. Big thank you to Sam Sadono and Ron Clark!!! The competition was fierce and everyone came game ready. It was so wonderful walking into the ballroom and seeing so many couples with head to toe perfection. There was also a healthy and enthusiastic crowd cheering everyone on. It was thrilling to participate in the filming of America’s Ballroom Challenge. Mary Murphy, host of the show, filmed a segment of the show in our booth located in the Franklin Ballroom, so we eagerly await the broadcast! This will hopefully spur even more interest and participation in our sport! Broadcast dates on PBS are: April 24, May 1, May 8, 2015, 9PM – 10PM ET/PT. We will be watching, hope you will too!!!
Encore Ballroom Couture was proud and excited to have been chosen as the fashion and ballroom styling specialists for the 1st Annual DC’s Dancing Stars Gala. The gala had 12 or more local celebrities competing against each other to win a mirror ball trophy. The event was hosted by Chris Cooley and Clinton Portis of the Washington Redskins. Judges included Jonathan Roberts from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars, Chris Bukowski from ABC’s The Bachelorette, and Gary Clark of the Washington Redskins. There was special performances by Julia Nixon who earned the role of Effie (replacing Jennifer Holliday) in the Broadway musical “Dream Girls”, as well as a Helen Hayes award for Best Actress in a Musical. RHA a pop singer and DC native who has performed at the White House, Kennedy Center with Stevie Wonder, Lincoln Memorial, and Warner Theatre, will also preform. Over $150,000 was raised and it will benefit the Washington Humane Society, Girls Health Ed, T.A.P.S., Hope for Henry Foundation, Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, and the Washington Redskins Alumni. This was a great opportunity to see our beautiful costumes dancing in the spotlight on such wonderful members of our Washington DC community!
Rosendo Fumero and Ruthie Perkins did an AMAZING job organizing the 50th Anniversary celebration of Virginia State DanceSport Championships! This competition is by far the biggest competition in Virginia, and no matter the size, they always make you feel like you are an important part of the family. We had the good fortune this year to have the entire Lake Thoreu Ballroom to set up our Encore Boutique! It was so nice seeing everyone again and catching up on what’s new. As a vendor, it is always a nice to be invited and included in the big after competition celebration. We cannot stress enough how impressed we are with this event and hope that everyone adds it to their competition calendar as a MUST!!
Another blast was had in Bal’more, Maryland at the national championships for USA Dance. It is so exciting to see all the age categories overflowing with participants. This event is truly a family affair — bringing out grandparents, parents, siblings, and friends to cheer on their champion dancers. We thank the organizers for a fantastic location for our vending setup. There is just such a warm spirit at nationals and we can’t say enough good things–other than they make us feel a part of the family. We look forward to seeing all the champion amateur dancers next year for another great event!!!
The location of the Heritage Classic is in steeped in history. The Grove Park Inn opened on July 12, 1913. It took one year to complete and 400 men working 10 hour shifts six days a week. It is now rumored to be haunted! We didn’t see the Pink Lady–but hear she makes her rounds. Colin and Joy Hillary are always top class in everything they do. We appreciate their continued support of our company. The Ashville area is great for fresh organic and vegan food–so we enjoyed taking in the local fare. It was enjoyable seeing so many of our southern ladies and look forward to more trips through the mountains!
Is Yuletide Ball the end of our year, or the beginning of the next–who knows?! This competition is a permanent staple on our competition calendar. It was the first event we attended as a vendor back in 2009. The atmosphere is always festive right after the December holidays and leading up to and through New Years. We look forward to continuing this tradition again next year! Cheers, Team Encore
Team Encore enjoyed another classic, traditional, better than all the rest–Ohio Star Ball. The women went all out with beautiful hair, make-up, dancing and dresses! We had such a lovely time chatting with our clients face to face, and making many new friends in the process. We value all of the relationships we have with our supporters and clients; cherishing the opportunity to sit down and “talk shop.” We have been the only consignment & rental company at Ohio Star Ball for the past three years and look forward to many more years to come!
It was great to only have a 15 minute drive to a competition! This year’s Capital DanceSport was missing an angel, and Encore was more than happy to organize a special memorial table for Leon (from Julio Julio). This friend will be greatly missed. Julio has been provided the condolence book and very much appreciated everyone’s thoughtfulness. As we move forward, we will remember Leon’s smile, love of dance, and the passion he had for making his ladies look fabulous!
Virginia State was one for the books this year–even the “sky” fell in!!! We always love Virginia State–the area is fantastic, a short commute for us, and the competition was PACKED this year!! There was a television crew filming for a new upcoming ballroom dance reality series for TLC. We were thrilled to have shots filmed in our vendor area–so we will be watching! We unfortunately had quite a few mishaps with the hotel this year–like water dripping from the ceiling, paint falling, getting stuck in the elevator TWICE, not having heat in our room, a power surge that fried our light bulbs,..the front desk, management and I were on a first name basis. I have every confidence they will have their act together next year. I do believe their program was larger than Ohio Star Ball’s program last year–so ladies if you want a nice full competition, don’t miss this competition next year!!!
Our hometown competition proved to be an outstanding event again this year. Julie even participated in the Gala, ringing in the New Year with our ballroom family. Irina Sarukhanyan and Garry Gekhman hosted a lovely event, and we would like to congratulate Mike and Rose-Ann Lynch for placing first in the Dance for the Cure Competition winning them a trip to Italy! We would separately like to thank the JW Marriott for bending over backwards for us when the heater in our room broke; the corner executive suite was absolutely stunning. Happy 25th Yuletide!!!
Team Encore had a great time visiting with all the dancers and judges at Ohio Star Ball. It seemed to have a fresh vibe at a soon-to-be remodeled hotel. This competition remains a must for any competitive dancer!
We have just returned home from Capital DanceSport. It was great to only have a 15 minute drive to the competition! Thank you to Marianne Nichole and John DePalma for hosting another great event. A special thank you as always goes to Julio and Leon for inviting us to their fantastic after party. They are the best hosts you could ever ask for!!! And remember gentlemen; keep an eye on that cheese tray!
Manhattan DanceSport Championships did not disappoint. It was our first time attending Manhattan DanceSport and found the hotel and parking to be covenant and easily accessible. There was a great crowd and many high level dancers especially in the Standard and Latin competitions. The ballroom was full of Dancing With The Stars Professional dancers, and it was refreshing to see them still so involved in the ballroom community as a whole.
Virginia State DanceSport Championships offered us an opportunity to visit with many of our local clients and see lots of familiar faces. Team Encore had a great time in our vendor room and chatting with past dance friends. We look forward to attending both events next year and hope to see you there! For more information on these competitions, check out: or
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