Dance Like Everyone’s Watching
When you walk into DC DanceSport Academy in Fairfax, VA you immediately feel like you’re in a special place. The strip mall location is understated, but inside the front door, you are treated to an immaculate dance studio. The suspended dance floor is pristine. The small office just inside the entrance is white – on white – on white. It’s flawless!And to top it all off, the woman who owns, manages, and runs the studio is one of the best ballroom dancers in the world. That special feeling you feel when you walk in is no accident.Lydia Petrigova grew up in Moldova, (part of the former Soviet Union) and began dancing at age 5. She immediately became one of the top students and competitive dancers in the largest dance schools. Her aspiration to dedicate her life to ballroom dancing and coaching resulted in Master’s Degree in Ballroom Dance Choreography from State University in St. Petersburg (Russia). She has competed her entire life to ballroom dancing and coaching – and has enjoyed the highest levels of success along the way.
Among Lydia’s many honors:– US Open National Professional Ten Dance Finalist
– Ohio Star Professional Rising Star Latin Champion
– US Open Professional Rising Star Vice Champion
– Youth European World Finalist
– Two Times 2009 World Pro-Am Champion
From the USSR to the USA
Lydia came to the US when she was invited to teach in St. Paul, MN. She didn’t expect to stay in the US as long as she did. Her training in the Soviet Union was high pressure and she found the US training to be more supportive and less pressure. She found value in both. She traveled back and forth during her career but never stopped competing. She eventually ended up on the East Coast and has taught in the DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia area for several years now.In February 2016, Lydia founded DC DanceSport Academy in Fairfax. It had long been a goal of hers to own and manage her own studio. In starting the business, Lydia has managed to create one of the top ballroom dance instructional programs in the entire Mid-Atlantic region of the US. Her students regularly compete and place highly in local, regional, and national competitions.Lydia says that competition is a lifestyle and that everything goes to achieving greatness at the highest levels of competition. As a professional, she was spending a minimum of 4-6 hours practicing each day. It’s a drive and passion that she now puts into her students – many of whom are now achieving great things as well.
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