Giovanni Fortezza: Savior of the male species in pro/am ballroom dancing

Giovanni Fortezza: Savior of the male species in pro/am ballroom dancing

Everybody who is anybody in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing should know who Giovanni is, last name optional!

With his teacher Jolanta Mosteika, Giovanni has dominated Rhythm for more than a decade (initially age-group B, and now C), defeating all the men and women in his way to win at the USDC and OSB for 10 consecutive years!

Giovanni Fortezza: The savior of the male species in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing

Giovanni Fortezza: The savior of the male species in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing

Everybody who is anybody in competitive pro/am ballroom dancing should know Giovanni, the last name optional!

With his teacher Jolanta Mosteika, Giovanni has dominated Rhythm for more than a decade (initially age-group B, and now C), defeating all the men and women in his way to win at the USDC and OSB for ten consecutive years!

Ten Dancing Queens & Kings at OSB 2023

Ten Dancing Queens & Kings at OSB 2023

In this post, I will present 10 amateur ballroom dancers who attended OSB 2023 after choosing to participate in my book (“Dancing Queens & Kings”):

  • Annette Burden (S2): Winner of both Closed-Gold Rhythm and Smooth.
  • Irene Fong (S1): Winner of Closed-Gold Smooth.
  • Eric Leininger (S1): a danceholic.
  • Brian Ames (C): Placed 3rd in MIB Rhythm and Smooth.
  • Nichelle Kennedy (C): A new champion in Open Smooth.
  • Giovanni Fortezza (C): 2nd place in Open Rhythm.
  • Sara Granberg (B): A finalist in Ballroom – Silver.
  • Alexis Salapatek (A): A new champion in Open Smooth.
  • Francesca Mattozzi (A): A rising star in Smooth and Ballroom.
  • Frank Li (S1): Winner of the top male student award (Gold) two years in a row.

Now, let me briefly highlight them one by one …

Eight Dancing Queens & Kings at USDC 2023

Eight Dancing Queens & Kings at USDC 2023

In a previous post (Dancing Queens & Kings: Call for Participation (4)), I highlighted eight dancing queens or kings as examples (age-group):

  • Linda Gill (S2).
  • Kristin Franceschi (S1).
  • Lou Nielson (S1).
  • Giovanni Fortezza (C).
  • Nichelle Kennedy (C).
  • Sara Granberg (B).
  • Alexis Salapatek (A).
  • Frank Li (S1).

Now, let me highlight how they did at USDC 2023 last week (9/4-10).

Dancing Queens & Kings: Call for Participation (4)

Dancing Queens & Kings: Call for Participation (4)

My new book “Dancing Queens & Kings” is calling for participation. The only requirement is that you have competed at the USDC or OSB. Below is the timeline:

  • 11/30/2023: One page highlighting your compelling story in pro/am ballroom dancing.
  • 12/31/2023: 8-page full story.
  • 3/31/2024: Book review by Sam Sodano and Wayne Eng.
  • 5/31/2024: Publication at Amazon.