DanceSport Talk

Every human endeavor has its heroes, those whose passion and dedication shaped destinies. In the dance world, we look up to Vernon and Irene Castle, Pierre and Doris Lavelle, Bill and Bobbie Irvine, Alex Moore, Ruud Vermeij, Bryan Allen, Peggy Spencer and so many other icons who changed the world of ballroom dancing for the better. They created dances, step patterns, music, costumes, ideas, a vibrant competition environment and more. They built what we enjoy today.

But we often forget that things weren't as easy for them as we have it now. That's why I'm so pleased with Brigitt Mayer's groundbreaking effort to record their stories before they are forgotten. Her new book, "Ballroom Icons," belongs on the shelf of everyone serious about ballroom dancing.


Ballroom Icons is a true labor of love. Brigitt's passion for the project is evident on each page. This work has been in progress for so long that some of the people she interviewed passed on before the book could go to press.

It was worth the wait, because you can't rush this type of effort, and it really needed someone with this kind of care to do it justice.

The book comes in an attractive hardshell slip cover, with a series of photo cards. It features a translucent sheet on the front, and is printed entirely in black and white, adding an appropriate look of elegance throughout. Translucent fly leafs divide sections of the book with quotations about dance.

Photographer U.H. Mayer captured images of the still-living icons as they look today. The book is designed in such a way that you can easily tell who is still with us and who has been lost in the sands of time.

There are several pages of historical notes, and these are fascinating. You gain a new appreciation, for example, of the passion the ballroom dance community had after WWII when they would convert ruined buildings into makeshift dance floors, lit by candlelight with the rain coming through holes in the roof. The women made ballgowns out of parachutes and the men wore military uniforms dyed black to create the look of tailsuits. Stories like that put our modern efforts in perspective.

Each bio features key milestones in the life of the person being talked about. And the writing is delightful -- you can feel the love of dance come through for each person covered in this book, from Vernon and Irene Castle, to Walter Laird, to Peter Eggleton, to Brian McDonald, to Meryem Pearson. A total of 66 biographical sketches are included. All the stories are fascinating. It's hard to put the book down.

Ballroom Icons is available on Brigitt's website at www.ballroom-icons.com