From the Sarasota Herald-Tribune (FL){PUBLICATION2}
North Port dancers are in it to win it
July 27, 2006 Section: B Page: BV4
NANCY CHAPMAN nancy.chapman@heraldtribune.com
If you've seen Keith and Margaret Little dance at North Port High School, you might think the couple sweeping across the stage are engaging in a ballroom style of movement.
But if you saw them in their competition clothes doing the same moves, you might be more inclined to recognize it for what it is: country-western dance. He wears cowboy boots and a cowboy hat; her costume includes a yoke, easily recognizable as a western style. Those are some of the requirements for competing in the United Country Western Dance Council championships, and the Littles are in it to win.
They've been successful at it, too. Two years ago, they became the 2004 Division III world champions.
The couple started learning to dance seven years ago, by putting instructional video tapes in the VCR and practicing in front of the television.
That seemed to work for a while. The two won the first competition they entered, in Orlando. But it didn't take long for them to realize that they needed a real human being as an instructor.
Now, in addition to dancing at competitions, they teach dance as well. They have a dance floor in their garage, and they will soon start offering instruction at Dance Plus in Port Charlotte.
North Port High School is a natural place to see them perform. Margaret Little is a ninth-grade English teacher there, having moved to North Port when the school opened.
"It's great to watch the students as they mature," she said.
She has just been named head of the English department and has a National Board Certification in English.
For Keith Little, dancing is a profession. His chief occupation is as a dance teacher and professional dance partner for amateurs entering competitions. He meets many of them in Tampa, and one amateur partner from Orlando recently won nationals in her division.
The couple, who have been married for five years, also design choreography for musicals at the high school. Last year they were made honorary members of the Thespian Society. They were also named Best Mom and Dad -- which was funny, as they don't have any children.
Their dance repertoire includes the two-step, the cha-cha, waltz, West Coast swing, East Coast swing, nightclub and hustle.
Competitions are satisfying in many ways for the Littles, as last year they went to Sweden for the world championships. Although there was a lot of snow and the temperature dipped below zero every day, they loved the experience.
"You get to meet a lot of people who don't come to the U.S. to compete," Mrs. Little said.
The couple finished fourth in Division II.
That was in classic dance, in which contestants don't know what music they'll be dancing to until shortly before they hit the floor. They do know all the moves they'll use, though. Dancers must stay in touch -- if they do a spin, for example, they must reconnect right away.
This year, they switched to showcase dance: They know the music, and they are allowed to do lifts.
They will be competing in Division I in Chicago Aug. 17 and 18 and expect to qualify for the world championships in Nashville in December.
Caption: STAFF PHOTO / NANCY CHAPMAN
Keith and Margaret Little light up the stage at the North Port High School Talent Show in April. Keith is a dance instructor, and Margaret teaches English at the school.
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