Ballroom blitz: Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge is off and twirling with Ann Funk
Ballroom dancer Ann Funk steps up to lead the Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge in Tallahassee this week.
Tallahassee's USA Dance Chapter 6010 will host dancers of all ages nationwide for their 4th Annual Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge on the smooth wood floors of the Tallahassee Senior Center from June 7-9.
Body and mind moving as one
Ann Funk, Vice President of Tallahassee’s USA Dance Chapter 6010, defines dance as “artistry and athleticism set to music.” As a retired Air Force military officer and dancer herself, the combination of body and mind jives with Funk’s approach to life.
Although she did not begin ballroom dancing until she was in her 50s, she has always found ways to move her body to music to make room for her mind.
“Expressing music through instruments, voice, or dance has been a life-long passion, forging family, friendships, faith, service to others, and adventure,” Funk said. Her childhood was filled with music, as her father bellowed his accordion while she played the keys and her mother danced to the sounds of Big Band pouring out from the phonograph.
Funk taught herself to play the organ, which surprisingly led to her first job as a church organist, which she admits she was unqualified for but was hired because no one else applied. Still, fate had plans for Funk to engage with music, and she was soon dancing in nightclubs or performing in bands and choral groups for the community.
Funk came to Tallahassee in the mid-1990s as an active duty Air Force officer, sent to earn a psychology doctorate from Florida State University. She was reassigned out of state and was forced to leave her program early with all but her dissertation completed.
Eventually, after a lifetime lived in between, Funk returned to Tallahassee to complete her degree and currently owns a private psychology practice. Dance has become her form of self-care and self-love, delivering immense mental and physical benefits. According to Funk, dance helps mentally by improving cognition, mood, and social functioning.
On a physical level, dance improves cardiovascular functioning, muscle strength, balance, coordination, and stamina using muscles and organs from head to toe. “Dance, and musical expression more broadly, is one of the top things that has helped keep me healthy, resilient, and sane, especially when buffering life's obstacles,” says Funk.
1, 2, Cha-Cha-Cha
Ballroom dance originated from traditional folk dance steps typically performed as court dances of the 17th and 18th centuries. Over time, these dances evolved to include the common people in assemblies. The birth of the cotillion in the early 1900s gave a place for ballroom dance to grow and develop into the practice and competitions we know today.
Ballroom dance has permeated all parts of the world in various settings, from local competitions at the community center to national television. In Tallahassee, the USA Dance Chapter 6010 leads the way in ballroom dance. As part of over 150 local chapters nationwide, Chapter 6010 consists of members from Tallahassee, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Pensacola, and Daytona, as well as out-of-state areas of Dothan, Alabama, and Valdosta, Georgia.
The organization's mission is to improve the quantity and quality of dance, and they are proud to provide monthly dances and annual showcases that bring dance to the community.
Funk has trained with independent dance teachers across the nation. Currently, she takes classes with Roger Howell in Tallahassee and has an extraordinary dance coach, Andrea Zaramella, based in North Carolina. Funk maintains that the technical foundation, combined with artistry and athleticism wrapped in a deep, focused repetition, leads to successful training.
Although Funk fell in love with ballroom dance, she prefers the waltz’s elegance and ethereal nature and the Cha-Cha’s spicy rhythmic beats. “Ballroom offers so much depth and breadth that I will never run out of challenges for growth,” says Funk. “It's really satisfying to look back and see progress … and it's motivating to look forward and envision the dancer I might become.”
Challenge accepted!
On June 7, USA Dance Chapter 6010 will host dancers of all ages nationwide for their 4th Annual Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge. This competition consists of dance team combinations such as amateur/amateur, professional/amateur, and teacher/student.
Although the number of dancers in each category varies, the styles remain true to International Standard & Latin and American Smooth & Rhythm dance styles, which include favorites such as Waltz, Foxtrot, Tango, Cha Cha, Rumba, and Swing. Dancers are awarded medals and ribbons for 1st-6th place finishers in each category based on age, level, and style.
Funk combines the leadership and management skills she learned in the military with patience and perseverance to guide the planning and execution of this significant event. In addition to the competition, the Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge offers other events and performances to attend.
This includes a Gala Dinner and Dance featuring live music and entertainment and a Dance Camp and Private Coaching session with a distinguished panel of instructors worldwide.
“We hope participants gain experience in a professional and fun environment that informs [them] where they are in their dance journey and motivates them to achieve the highest levels they aspire to,” Funk said. “And we hope participants and audiences alike enjoy lively music, unique performances, great food, and artistic comradery.”
If you go
What: 4th Annual Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge
When: June 7-9 | View the full schedule at flsunshinedance.com
Where: Tallahassee Senior Center, 1400 N Monroe St.
Cost: A list of event costs can be found on the full schedule of events
Contact: 800-739-3096 | registration@flsunshinedance.com
Tickets: flsunshinedance.com/spectator-tickets
Dr. Christy Rodriguez de Conte is the feature writer for the Council on Culture & Arts (COCA). COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org).
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida Sunshine Dance Challenge is off and twirling with Ann Funk
