About Us
Anne Bates
Anne’s dancing journey began in 2006 at the Des Moines Ballroom. For two years she studied, took lessons, performed in showcases, and competed as part of a pro/am couple at the national level. In 2008, she made the transition to professional ballroom dance instructor, teaching group classes and private lessons to people of all ages and abilities. Anne developed and currently directs the youth dance program in Des Moines, and has trained couples for social dancing, wedding dances, performances, and competitions. Anne is also known for her choreography skills. She directs formation performance teams for adults, collegiate, and youth dancers. She is currently the coach for the Iowa State University Cardinal Ballroom Team. “I wanted to help create a high level but fun competition that encourages all dancers, be they youth, Am/Am, collegiate, or Pro/Am, to compete and thrive in a fair, economic, and diverse format.”
Laura Ohrt
Laura started ballroom dancing in 2007, taking group classes and joining the practice party each week. Soon her dream stretched to competition, and in 2009 she entered her first competition. Since then Laura has competed in five pro/am competitions. She has done numerous showcases, which are her favorite! Laura decided to get involved with planning DMDC to help create an affordable event for pro/am couples. She is really excited to offer the Professional Competition Critiques so amateurs get immediate feedback on their performance on the floor. It's hard to know what judges are thinking from numbers, so this will be the perfect union of competition and private lessons!