Elegance: Sam Brown alongside trusty dance partner Berkley Wood. Photo: Trevor Phillips Photography.
Elegance, poise, strength and rhythm.
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These are the traits required to be a talented ballroom dancer — all of which take years of hard work and dedication to master.
And while he has not quite mastered the craft, Shepparton dancing sensation Sam Brown is well on his way to forging a successful career in one of the globe’s most cut-throat sports.
Alongside trusty partner Berkley Wood, who hails from Bendigo, the Excell Dance Studio product recently embarked on the European trip of a lifetime to compete in a trio of world championship events.
This came after they took the Australian scene by storm earlier in the year, being crowned under-21 Australian champion in March and producing excellent results in the Queensland and Victorian DanceSport championships.
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Getting the opportunity to test himself against the world’s best, Brown said he took a lot from the experience of competing overseas for the first time.
“It was very busy that’s for sure,” Brown said.
“Being my first time competing overseas and first time for me going overseas, it was as much a cultural experience as dancing experience.
“From learning about all the different places we visited to being able to work closely with the top dance coaches in the world, the experience was one I’ll never forget and something that will really help me moving forward.”
Brown and Wood’s journey took them to Poland, Romania and the Netherlands, where they donned the green and gold and tried their luck against a star-studded field.
Fair haul: Berkley Wood and Sam Brown pose with some of their trophies. Photo: Trevor Phillips Photography
He explained the difference in atmosphere and the European competitions and the sense of pride associated with representing his country.
“There was a lot of energy at the competitions and a really good atmosphere which you don’t really get here in Australia,” he said.
“Being able to represent your country was just an amazing experience, I certainly felt the sense of pride wearing the Australian tracksuits and waving around the flag at presentation ceremonies.
“That feeling is something I will certainly treasure forever.”
As for his performances on the world stage, Brown said he was proud of the way he and Wood executed their skills.
“Because it was a world championship event the fields were massive with representatives from 30 different countries, so it was certainly tough competition,” he said.
“Overall I was happy with how we danced though, we didn’t make it past the second round, but we know Europe is a different beast, so to be able to rise to that occasion and put in some of our best routines was very satisfying.”
In action: Sam and Berkley perform one of their trademark routines. Photo: Trevor Phillips Photography.
Having had a taste of the top standard of competition, Brown said he had come back to Australia as motivated as ever to take his dancing to the next level.
“I am coming back with such great motivation, having experienced what overseas competition has to offer I just want more,” he said.
“I feel I have already become a better dancer as a result of these last few months and I am ready to really take my game to the next level.”
Luckily for Brown he will get the opportunity to show his improvement this weekend, as he teams up with Wood once again for the Australian DanceSport Championships in Melbourne.
“We will be tackling this weekend’s competition with 150 per cent of our energy,” he said.
“This is our first competition back in Australia, so the aim will be to go out there and make a statement after all of our recent improvement.
“Going into this competition we are full of confidence and extremely prepared to put our best foot forward.”
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