Competitors from Across the Nation Take on the Oklahoma Challenge

By Tiffany Stockton, News9.com

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Competitors from around the country gathered in the heart of Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma Challenge ballroom dancing competition.

About 200 competitors came to Oklahoma City to compete in the 9th Annual Oklahoma Challenge at the Cox Convention Center. The Oklahoma Challenge was hosted Friday and Saturday by local dance studio Dance Makers of Oklahoma City.

"We have 12 studios participating coming from Atlanta, Nashville, Knoxville, Jacksonville, Florida, Dallas, Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and they all come for the joy of dancing and competing," said Michael Pone of Dance Makers and an organizer of the Oklahoma Challenge.

Pone said the Oklahoma Challenge is a two-day competition that is mostly made up of a professional/amateur couples competing in American Smooth, International Latin, International Standard and American Rhythm dances.

"We also have two professional competitions, a rhythm competition and a smooth competition," said Gina Bramlett of Dance Makers who was a competitor and an organizer of the Oklahoma Challenge.

The competition has grown in just the past year after the event joined the Rising Star Newcomers Circuit of competitions. Pone said the move has put the competition on track to receiving even more national attention.

"Our goal is to make it one of the premiere dance competitions in the United States," Pone said.

And competitors from all over the country said they have seen a difference in the Oklahoma Challenge compared to other competitions around the nation.

"It's a good comp. Sometimes, some of the other competitions are uptight. This is a little more loose. I like it," said competitor Jake Fisher of Kansas City, Kansas.

Fisher's partner, Jaci Stone, came from Omaha, Nebraska and said the event itself wasn't the only thing she noticed that was different.

"It's a more friendly environment, a more welcoming environment," Stone said.

But with more people from different states participating in the Oklahoma Challenge this year, recent severe winter weather played a role in the competition. Some competitors were not able to make it into Oklahoma City until Saturday morning, while others were not able to make it in at all.

"The weather didn't cooperate, and some of our people coming from out of town didn't make it. Some of them are still stuck in Atlanta, Dallas, but we just go, and some of the teachers pitched in with people that didn't make it," Bramlett said.

After the awards, the Elias Fernandez Memorial Swing rounded out the two-day competition. The Swing is a memorial for Bramlett's father who passed away the first year of the Oklahoma Challenge.

The Oklahoma Challenge is hosted every year around Valentine's Day weekend. The event is open to the public every year.

To learn more visit the Oklahoma Challenge or Dance Makers web sites.