Tonya Plank

Author, Dancer and Public Interest Lawyer

TEN-DANCE CHAMP IVETA LUKOSIUTE ON SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE

October 10, 2009

I’ve been so busy with Fall For Dance and American Ballet Theater that I haven’t gotten a chance to watch any of this season’s SYTYCD. I was very happy to hear that current 10-dance champion Iveta Lukosiute made it to Vegas. (Ten-dance means she competes in all five Latin and all five Standard ballroom dances — since most couples compete in either Latin or Standard there’s a special category for those who compete in both.) I’m sure she’ll end up as a contestant on the show — she’s an excellent ballroom dancer, obviously. Above, dancing a Standard showcase with her longtime partner Gherman Mustuc.

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Tonya
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    I just don't understand how judges can prise Iveta one day and then just get rid of her the other. She could teach half of people there on the show. Not only because she is a champion but because of her immense experience in different settings in different competitions. Maybe its good she got booted because she is way above the level of cheesy TV Show.....
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    I saw iveta live and she was actually kind of terrible for someone of her reputation. she performed at a competition, and the amateur dancers at the competition were dancing far better than she was, although that may be because she was trying to do a "show", but it was very flashy and unsubstantial....
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    I just saw Iveta and Gherman last weekend, and I couldn't disagree with you more. They likewise performed at an amateur competition and they were substantially better than the competitors even though it was only a showcase. You have to keep in mind that at both performances, they were not competing in 10 Dance World Championship events, such as they won in 2009 and 2008. In October, 2009 , they won 1st place in all 10 dances. Their dance ability, whether it be in competition or show, is anything but "unsubstantial."
    Some interesting Facts about Iveta:

    As a child Iveta Lukosiute began learning ballroom dance in her native Lithuania where she was accepted as a student in the prestigious "Zuvedra School".At 17 years of age Iveta with her mother came to America and settled in Chicago where she continued to study dance for six years. She competed as an amateur in all major competitions across America, winning practically all of them. While still in Chicago she was a member of the Joell Hall Dance Ensemble studying classical ballet, jazz and modern dance. Iveta moved to New York in 2003 to form a new professional partnership with Gherman Mustuc. Aside from dancing with Gherman, she teaches the Princeton University Ballroom Dance Team and coaches other competitive dancers in New York and New Jersey.
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    As unbelievable as it sounds, Iveta was cut from SYTYCD, and a ballroom couple with about one tenth of Ivet's ability Made it through. I was hoping for some great ballroom this season, but the show was content with mediocrity as usual.
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    Hi -- thank you for commenting! I watched the show this Wednesday for the first time this season and saw them mention in passing that she was eliminated. I was so shocked. I'm glad others are too! I can't believe she's not going to be on the show. Yeah, I didn't really like that other ballroom couple either. I've never heard of them.
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    Tonya, do dance 10 dancers have different show dances? Or is just like normal show dances?
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    No, usually not, though it depends on the competition. Most of them only have one showdance division (often called cabaret) and whoever wants can compete, but some of the larger ones -- like the national championships and the Ohio Star Ball, have them divided into Standard and Latin and then Cabaret. Dancers can still compete in any category they feel comfortable in though. I remember Iveta and Gherman most often competing in Standard and cabaret though they did Latin from time to time.
 

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