Albury dance studio owner Glen Strauss will glide his way around the world’s most famous ballroom when he heads overseas for his first competition in 13 years.
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Glen, 38, will take to the floor of the Empress Ballroom at Blackpool to contest the British Open Championships with his dance partner Loreta Carmelengo in May.
The pair will shimmy and sashay their way through the cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble and jive at the Blackpool Dance Festival, acknowledged as the world’s pre-eminent ballroom dance competition.
The Albury-Wodonga Dance Centre owner admits he’s as nervous as he is excited to be stepping into the spotlight again.
But he is putting in the hard yards to get his body back to full fitness so that he and Loreta can dazzle on the dance floor.
Training involves 8 to 10 hours of practice every weekend as he and Melbourne-based Loreta juggle timetables and travel to become foot perfect.
That’s in addition to the demands of a full-time job, running a dance studio at night and family duties as husband to Niki and dad to Mabelle, 6, and Arty, 1.
But staunch supporter Niki said it was the “opportunity of a lifetime” for the talented Glen to fulfil his dream – and the family would be right there cheering him on from the sidelines at Blackpool.
“Dancing is just who he is and the minute Glen is on the floor he shines,” Niki said proudly.
“It would also be nice to be able to show our students that even if you are from the country, you can compete at an international level.”
Glen has been dancing for 25 years, with the last six-and-a-half of them spent guiding students, young and old, through the intricacies of ballroom at his Albury-based studio in Townsend Street.
The Border-bred lad made his first foray into the world of dance when he was just 12 after a friend dared him to attend a beginner’s class.
He was “a bit shy” at the first class because it was “full of girls”.
“By the second week you couldn’t stop me and I have been dancing ever since,” Glen said.
Supporting young dancers to attend competitions is a big focus for Glen and Niki and they run a “travel club” to help offset some of the associated costs for parents.
A black-tie Valentine’s Ball will be held as a fundraiser at the Commercial Club Albury on Saturday February 18.
Tickets are $65 for the evening, which will include a three-course meal, floor show by Glen and Loreta, as well as dance lessons. Go to www.awdancecentre.com.au/ball.html for details.
