DanceSport Competition coming to Palm Desert

A four-day ballroom and Latin dance competition will start in Palm Desert on Thursday. Professional, amateur and youth dancers will compete at the Desert Classic DanceSport Championships at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa starting at 8 a.m. The event is part of the World Pro-Am DanceSport Series, a network of 80 events throughout America that culminate each November with the Ohio Star Ball Championships. The Palm Desert competition, which ends Sunday, is one of 16 on the western United States.

Dance styles include waltzes, tango, foxtrot, cha-cha, jive and swing. Performances will be assessed by a panel of judges, and money is awarded to professional and amateur winners.

On Saturday, six-time Standard World Show Dance champions Massimo Giorgianni and Alessia Manfredini will perform, and on Sunday, the Desert Classic will hold what organizers say is one of the largest youth dance events in the country.

For ticket information go to www.desertclassicdancesport.com.