Shall We Dance?

Ballroom's Magic Captures Sandy and Terry Stich

By Kim Brohm

With the season turning toward college hoops and basketball frenzy in the Bluegrass and Hoosier states, there is one Louisville couple also focused on the hardwood floor. The hardwood floor of ballroom dancing. On the surface, the floor may be pretty much all these two activities have in common. Ballroom dancing epitomizes elegance, grace, glamour and sophistication. Long, flowing gowns; snazzy black tuxedos; classical music offer the type of setting some only see in a movie or read about in a fairy tale – certainly not the typical scenery at a basketball game. But talk to Sandy and Terry Stich and they'll tell the side of ballroom dancing that's not too far from the hardwood floor most are used to watching – one of sweat, hard work and fierce competition.

It was ten years ago when the Stichs decided to put on their dancing shoes and give ballroom a try. With one more hesitant than the other, it was hardly like fitting into a fairy tale glass slipper.

“A gun couldn't get Terry on the dance floor,” recalled Sandy .

Yet with perseverance and a little peer pressure, Sandy eventually prevailed. All it took was a chat with the wife of one of Terry's golf buddies. Somehow the wife was able to convince her husband to dance after cruising on the Star of Louisville.

“I thought if he can do it, so can Terry,” said Sandy . “Ten years later and we're still taking lessons.”

Not only is the couple taking lessons, but they also compete at the amateur level. After their first competition almost six yeas ago, the Stichs were instantly drawn to the sport of ballroom dancing.

“Until we started competitions, I did it really just to please her,” admitted Terry. “I enjoy the camaraderie, but once we got in it, it's all for the competition.”

“It's an obsession you get lost in,” added Sandy . “The deeper into it, the more you want to know. No matter how good you are you always strive to know and do and be more.”

Even in their 60s the Stichs are constantly trying to do just that without any hint of slowing down. They compete in six or seven competitions each year, traveling to Atlanta and Baton Rouge every year. This year they will also travel to Columbus , Knoxville , Indianapolis , Chicago and possibly all the way to San Jose , California .

Styles of Dance

At a competition, the dancers compete on various dances. In ballroom these dances are broken into two basic categories – American Style and International Style. Within theses styles there are subcategories. In American there is smooth (waltz, tango, foxtrot and Viennese waltz) and rhythm (cha cha, rumba, east coast swing, bolero and mambo). In International the dances are split into standard (waltz, tango, Viennese waltz, foxtrot and quickstep) and Latin (cha cha, samba, rumba, Paso Doble and jive).

Between the two styles, smooth and standard have many of the same dances, just as rhythm and Latin are similar. The difference is in the dancing position. In American Style, the dancing is more open, where dancers separate and do fancy turns, whereas in International Style, the dancers stay in a closed position, never separating. Which is more difficult?

“It's actually harder to stay in contact and keep your frame,” said Terry, referring to the International Style. “The flashy moves are much easier.”

Competition

In a competition the dancers are judged on timing, posture, footwork and movement – not the choreography.

“You're not judged on routine,” said Sandy . “You're judged on performance.”

Competitions are also divided into different age and skill levels. The skill levels start at bronze followed by silver, gold, pre-champion and champion. The Stichs usually dance in two age divisions: adult 35-50 and 50 and above. In American Style they dance at gold and pre-champion and in the International Style they dance at a silver or gold level. Depending on which level they dance determines the routine and skills that are used in each dance. Dancing steps out of syllabus or at a higher level than competing in can lead to disqualification.

The dancers are then divided into heats, dancing about a minute and half for each dance. Heats usually consist of up to 15 couples. The larger the heat, the longer it may take for judges to evaluate each couple. Two years ago in Baton Rouge the Stichs had to dance through 13 heats.

“I thought we were going to die,” recalled Sandy . “They played the music too long, almost two minutes. That's a lot for the quickstep, which is very fast and takes a lot of energy.”

But when it comes to head-to-head competition the Stichs are not ones to back down, especially when competing against couples they've danced against for years.

“In Indianapolis , we dance against a couple that would beat us in rhythm and we would beat them in smooth,” said Sandy , referring to the two dance styles. “When we stopped doing rhythm, they spent the whole year practicing just to beat us in smooth and still didn't. It's been a competition between us ever since.”

As with any competition the atmosphere can certainly get intense, but there's also a lot of support for each of the dancers. Watching ballroom is not like being a spectator at tennis or a golf match. Things can get loud.

“At competitions people cheer and yell out,” said Sandy . “I think when people cheer it helps you dance harder. It becomes a family sort of thing – a way of welcoming new people even though the goal is to beat that person.”

There's even the occasional trash talking.

“A couple close to us in skill saw us dance in Louisville one time. They said to us, ‘I want to know when you all are going to retire!'” laughed Sandy .

Then there's the wardrobe. Competition means dancing in style. It means glitz and glamour. Women's dresses and men's tailcoats are custom made, which means costume prices usually start around $3,000. Even a used dress Sandy recently bought cost $1,400.

“We all grow up to be Cinderella,” said Sandy . “It's part of the magic. The dresses and the tailcoats – it's all part of the allure.”

But for the Stichs, that's a small price to pay for what they in turn get out of dancing. It's a chance to meet new people, learn from other dancers and cheer on fellow couples.

“That's really what's fun. To see a lot of the same people, go out to eat with each other, and meet new people,” said Terry.

Behind the Scenes

It's also hard work. The Stichs take lessons regularly at Ballroom East from instructors Linda Jackson and Charles Jones. They practice three to six days a week, taking both private and group lessons.

“It's really good exercise. You come off the dance floor after practice perspiring and with your shirt wet. We practice an hour or two a day with few breaks and there are people older than us still dancing,” said Terry.

Friends often ask when they are going to stop taking lessons. But just like any sport there's always a need to practice.

“It can take about a good year to learn a routine. It's a technique kind of thing and not about how fancy you are. Just having a different had hold can effect where you are in body position. It's always about learning the fundamentals,” said Sandy . “Hey, even Tiger Woods still takes golf lessons.”

Even with ten years under their belts and trophies to show for their accomplishments, the Stichs are still constantly striving to improve and prepare for each competition.

“When we get back from a competition we can't wait to start practicing to get better no matter which way it goes,” said Sandy .

Beyond dancing, Terry is an avid golfer and likes to hunt. He's part of the local senior golf association, playing in five tournaments a year around the state. Sandy is a porcelain painter, with much of her work decorating the couple's home. She enters her work in the State Fair every year where she has won Best of Show many times. She even teaches classes in her home and has conducted seminars as far away as Germany .

They are also active members of the local chapter of USA Dance, organizing various social dances around the community. They have two children, Leigh Anne and Paul, and four granddaughters, Kylie, Delanie, Olivia and Sailor.

With golf and porcelain painting being worlds apart, there wasn't much Sandy and Terry Stich did together before ballroom dancing. Ten years later, and the clock is still far from approaching midnight. There are no signs of Cinderella turning into a pumpkin anytime soon.

“It's definitely something we enjoy together,” said Sandy . “It's something we talk about even when we're not dancing.”

Guys, get ready to feel the heat. If Terry can do it, so can you.

Kim Brohm has a master's in business administration from the University of Louisville and a B.A. in English from Spalding University, where she was a three-sport athlete.  Her e-mail address is kimbrohm@hotmail.com.