Ron Bennett: The Nicest Guy in Ballroom
Originally Printed in Topline Magazine, 2014
by Chris Thompson
The Nicest Guy in Ballroom….
That’s what you hear from professional dancers, studio owners, and students every time Ron Bennett’s name is mentioned. Ron has enjoyed a career in ballroom which spans over 5 decades. As a teacher, coach, competitor, judge, organizer and studio owner, Ron has done it all! And he has done it with grace, honesty, and kindness.
This is my second article exploring what it takes to achieve longevity in our profession. Some dance professionals are the “caterpillars” who crawl in and out of the dance world, taking from it without giving back; others, like Ron, become the “pillars” who build the strong foundation that supports future generations. Here is a look at an extraordinary career, most notable for its diversity, longevity, and integrity.
Ron traced his career for me in six stages:
1. Young and Hungry
Young- fresh out of college. Hungry- for knowledge. Ron considered three career paths- architecture, the navy, and dancing. He spent 2 years in active duty and three years in the Navy reserves. Ron’s love of dancing eventually won out and he started in an Arthur Murray training class in 1959.
2. Eager and Able
From 1964 to 1968 Ron taught at Terry Gregory’s “Feather and Three”, a local DC legend and one of the first studios promoting International Style Dancing. In 1968 Ron opened another DC landmark, “Danceland”, with his partners, Al Franz, and Geoffrey Fells. It was around this time that Ron met his long- time competitive partner, Glenis Dee. While competing at a mixed pro competition, Glenis and Ron picked each other’s names out of a hat. They won that night and continued to enjoy success for the next four years. They were the US Vice Latin Champions, East Coast Latin American Champions, and placed in the top six in Standard.
3. Rich and Famous
Not really “rich”, but comfortable enough to enjoy life. Still on the competitive circuit and running a successful studio, Ron now travelled extensively, doing shows, teaching, learning new things. At a time when the British were “invading” the US, Ron and Glenis were invited to perform in England, a distinct honor at the time. Ron always considered himself a teacher first and foremost, and his greatest joy during this time was learning new ways to teach.
4. Revered and Respected.
Having retired from competitive dancing, Ron continued to expand and hone his skills. Through his association with Ron Paddington, the top ice dancing coach in the US at the time, Ron exerted considerable influence over the evolution of the sport. In coaching many of the competing ice dancing couples, Ron can be credited with shaping the look of current day ice dancing, stressing body rhythm, softening the hold, and getting the character of each dance right. Ron helped to bring “a ballroom look” to ice dancing. During this period Ron became very involved with developing and coaching college dance teams. He was extremely influential with the dance clubs at Georgetown, Catholic University, and George Washington.
5. Can do but…can’t do!
To quote Ron, “I now have the knowledge to explain how it’s done. I can pass the knowledge along, teaching better than ever; but age and lack of flexibility and speed make demonstration more difficult. I have felt young for so long, but, in the blink of an eye, I am old. I have always been so healthy until recently but am now dealing with Parkinson’s disease”. The Parkinson’s related tremors were making it difficult to function for a time, but new medication is working wonders. At 73, Ron continues to teach privately. He also teaches extremely popular group classes at his former studio, Chevy Chase Ballroom (formerly called Danceland). He still travels to coach at other studios; still works with competitive ice dancers.
6. Old and Hungry
“Literally!” says Ron. “I invested a good portion of my earnings in real estate, and the economy has taken some of the wind out of my sails (and sales!)”. Ron sold his studio, “Chevy Chase Ballroom” and his popular New Year’s Eve competition, “The Yuletide Ball”, last fall. “Things are less complicated and less hectic now”, says Ron. “The stress of running a studio and annual competition are gone. I’m able to do the thing I love best, which is teaching. There’s more time for golf and skiing as well. I’m comfortable with my life, but…. There are always buts”!
In the fall of 2010 Ron succumbed to the persistent charms of Irina Sarukhanyan, who had often suggested that she would purchase “Chevy Chase Ballroom”. Irina and partner Garry Gekhman are the new owners of the studio and the “Yuletide Ball”. The new owners, young “legends” in their own right, are making some wonderful changes to the studio, while building on Ron’s strong reputation for quality and integrity. Ron is staying on at CCB as consultant, insuring a smooth transition to the new owners.
I asked Ron about his unfinished vision for CCB and the advice he would give to Irina and Garry. “I’d like to see the studio become successful in all styles of ballroom dance; not only International style, but competitive American style and Social dance as well”. CCB recently held a benefit to raise money for “Japan Relief”. Ron was happy to see the new owners encouraging this sort of community mindedness and outreach to the local community.
Ron had lots of great advice for young dancers just starting in this business. Here are some highpoints:
“Respect your professional peers. If people have been successful in this dance business, they must have something to offer! Find out why they are who they are and try to benefit from it”.
“Don’t chase the rabbit if you can’t catch it! In other words, don’t waste time competing if you’re not going to succeed. Develop your competitive skills early, then explore other aspects of the business. Develop your organizational skills, performance skills, people skills, computer skills. Find out what you’re good at and follow that path. There are so many ways to be a success in the dance industry”!
Ron would like to take this opportunity to thank all of his students, and especially the pro-am competitors, who helped him to promote and maintain his professional reputation over the years. He knows how much success he owes to so many kind people who have encouraged, assisted, advised, and stood by him over the years.
I asked Ron what he saw as his legacy in the world of dance. He would like to be remembered, “as a teacher who instilled a sense of rhythm in his students; a master of musicality”. Ever the Captain of the catch phrase, Ron wishes you all, “a happy ‘Boom-da-dee-ya-dah, dee-dah-dee-dah’, as you ‘walk, sway and float’ through life”!