Holland Master 2014

Another 4th place at Steenwijk, Netherlands! 

Luxemboug 2014

This was our second trip to Luxembourg. The first was many years ago, where we were still relatively new to the European competition experience.  We have learned so much since then, and we have enjoyed every step of our journey together.  There are days when we feel we are getting too old for this, and that we want to quit.  As long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you will keep going forward.  Despite a very challenging week, we were able to keep going, and we made it to the finals and finished 4th overall.  For us, the victory was not in the placing, but that we didn't give up.  

World championship and German Open Championship 2014

It has been an exciting two months for us.  In July, we went to our first World Championships as official representatives for our country.  It was a thrill of a lifetime and something we will never forget.  We finished 28th in the Worlds.  Then in August, we competed in the German Open for the fourth year in a row, one of the biggest and most prestigious competitions in the world.  The caliber has increased dramatically this year and we were happy that we improved our placing from last year and finished 30th out of 156 couples.  We were also proud to share this experience with our students, who had their first taste of competing in Europe.  

Dancing in Molinella in the fog by Andrea Cesari

A wonderful gift from our landlord in Molinella, Italy! An oil painting by their son "Dancing in Molinella in the fog".  In the painting, he painted the leaning tower and church in this town and the dancers are us! 

BC closed Championship

The Island Fantasy Ball is one of our favorite competitions of the year.  It is also our Provincial Championships, where the BC Closed Championship titles are awarded.  

It was a historical night, as we became the first couple to win both the Adult and Senior 1 Closed Championship titles.  It is definitely one of the highlights of our dance career, and one we will never forget.  When the winners were announced, we savored the moment and held each other for a long time.  It was very emotional as we thought of all the sacrifices that we made, but it has all been worth it.  There were many difficult times where we did not know if we could continue, but our burning desire to dance kept us going.

For us, the process and the journey is it's own reward. However, this title is truly symbolic of everything we have worked so hard for.  If you find something you are passionate about, luck has very little to do with success.  With hard work, persistence and determination, you make your own luck and anything is possible.  

Our love and thanks to those of you who have encouraged and believed in us.  We couldn't have done this without your continued love and support.  

Worlds here we come!!

It was 5 years ago in Montreal that we competed in our first Canadian Closed Championships together. We were the new kids on the block and made the finals and finished 5th.  We were thrilled with that result and were excited because we knew that if we worked hard enough, we could be the top two in Canada and qualify to represent our country in the World Championships.  It finally happened this year, as we placed second and will have the honor of representing Canada!

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who supported and believed in us.  And to our dear family and friends whom we have sacrificed spending time with while pursuing our dreams, we hope you know that not a day goes by that we don't think of you.  With love, Tony and Gloria.  

Alberta Winter Classic 2014

It has been many years since we last competed in Calgary.  Tony started dancing in Calgary and moved to Vancouver 7 years ago to dance with Gloria.  It has been a challenging, but rewarding path, so it is always special to go back to where it all started for him.  In fact, it was at the Alberta Winter Classic where Tony saw his first competition.  He was in awe from watching some of the top dancers in the country, and was so inspired that he decided he would find a partner and start competing.  

One of our dreams is to be able to inspire other dancers, like those who have inspired us...