Interview with Show's Creator

Aida Moreno, America's Ballroom Challenge program creator and producer, tells us how ballroom on PBS got started, how it has changed, and what keeps her going.

How did you get started in television?

Right after college, I got a job at WGBH as a production assistant — the lowest rung on the ladder in the television production business. I was assigned to established productions like This Old House, Julia Child's cooking series, Evening at Pops, and more.

When did you become interested in ballroom dancing?

In my spare time, I took ballroom dancing lessons and occasionally attended, as a spectator, small New England area ballroom competitions. I was struck by how beautiful and electrifying these events were.

What gave you the idea to bring ballroom dancing to television?

A few years later, when WGBH began soliciting ideas for new programs, I thought, "Why not ballroom on television?" I had the good fortune to meet a well-known figure in the ballroom world — coach and judge Julius Kaiser, and he introduced me to the world of ballroom dancing. With help from him and several others, I was able to learn enough to create a format for televising these events. I wrote a proposal, put a budget together and confidently presented my idea to corporate America.

Original host Rita Moreno.

© Jeffrey Dunn for WGBH

No matter how much I talked it up, corporate America had a hard time visualizing the program — and no wonder. Nothing like it had ever existed before. Fortunately, after two years of rejections, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting gave WGBH a grant to produce a one-time ballroom special, which had its national primetime premiere in 1980 with Rita Moreno as host.

But I thought PBS had aired a series of ballroom specials?

I'll let you in on a little secret — that first special we did was supposed to be it. It was meant to be a one-time special, and I was expected to move on to other shows. But that original ballroom show exceeded everyone's expectations, so I thought "Why not do another?" So I did a second, a third, a fourth.... Yet, despite the program's success, I never knew if there would be a next show. One year we didn't make it — there was no ballroom special in 1986. But thank goodness we succeeded in securing funds more often than we failed — and here we are more than 20 years later!

Tell us more about the competition you taped for the show.

The Ohio Dance Championships are organized by Sam Sodano, a perfect partner and a terrific friend. It is the largest ballroom competition, not only in North America, but also in the world today. The Ohio Star Ball of today is now a 6-day event hosting collegiate ballroom competitors from 47 different colleges and universities, as well as Amateur and Junior competitors, the Open Professional Competitions, and the Dancesport Superbowl Team Match, as well as the Ohio Star Ball Dance Camp and over 40 vendors present to tempt you with the latest in sparkle and glamour. We only capture a small part of the entire event for the special.

What changes have you seen since you were first interested in ballroom dancing?

The audience takes a turn on the dance floor.

© Jeffrey Dunn

Many changes have occurred in the 20 years since I first became involved with ballroom dancing: the audiences attending the events have increased from hundreds to thousands, the competitive field has gotten younger and stronger, the art form has turned in to a sport and colleges and universities are booming with students wanting to learn how to dance.

Given all the crazy stuff going on in the world today, people seem to be drawn to the simple beauty, the expressive nature, and the passion of ballroom dancing. I believe that's one of the reasons that the genre has, over the past decade, made its way into mainstream American culture. We're thrilled, now, to be able to bring viewers back to the roots of this art form.

Besides the footwork, the other big audience draw has to be the costumes. Have they changed much?

Oh, my goodness — nothing has changed more on screen or off than the dancers' costumes! In competition, appearance is fifty percent of your presentation, so costumes are a critical part of a couple's image.

Dresses from the 1980s were more modest and had layers upon layers of petticoats.

© James Nachtwey for WGBH

In the 1980s, women wore one-color, sequined gowns, with a modest open back. The dresses had layers and layers of petticoats — so many that the costume often engulfed the man. By 1985 designers had done away with the petticoats. A more flowing "Ginger Rogers"-type dress was in, with a longer back line. A few years later, feathers were the rage, followed by the pleated skirts. Then winged sleeves flowing from the ladies' arms became standard wear.

Today's ball gown looks more like high-fashion eveningwear.

© Jeffrey Dunn

Today's ball gown looks less like a costume and more like high-fashion eveningwear. It fits like a glove on the upper part of the body and flounces, bounces, and flows sensually over the hips and legs. The object, as always, is to highlight and magnify the graceful lines of the body.

One costume, of course, has remained unchanged. Every man in the standard division still wears tails and white tie. It's hard to improve on this classic look.

And what about the costumes for the Latin dances?

In the Latin division the operative rule is: if you've got it, flaunt it. And if you don't, flaunt it anyway.

In the mid-80s ballroom dance couples wore more colorful costumes.

© Jeffrey Dunn for WGBH

Two decades ago men wore black skin-tight cat suits or jump suits, but by the mid-80s the suits began to be matched to their partners' colorful costumes. Then came the pleated trouser with blousy Cuban shirts, followed by the bolero look. Also in style for a while was the baggy pant with a high waistband. Today the men's costumes are more relaxed, and allow for greater movement.

Two decades ago the women's costume in the Latin division were plain and modest. The material was heavy and the styles were very restrictive. But as dance moves became faster and more technically demanding, dancers insisted on lighter fabrics that offered more flexibility.

In the mid-90s two-piece costumes with low-waisted skirts became popular.

© Jeffrey Dunn

By 1984, revealing high-cut slits and low open backs were the rage. In the mid-80s the Las Vegas show girl costume arrived on the scene. Then came the "West Side Story " dress with a flair skirt, which the dancers put to good use. In the mid-90s we saw the arrival of the seductive two-piece costume with low-waisted skirts that accentuated the hip motions essential to the Latin style of dancing.

Today, the women's dress in the Latin category — what there is of it — is snazzy and sensual. It sparkles and is often very suggestive. The object here is to accentuate what you've got and how you move it.

Any final thoughs you'd like to add?

Producing ballroom specials for PBS is one of the hardest jobs I've ever had. But we keep coming back because the end result is so satisfying. After more than 20 years of producing this special, I still love the challenge and the joy of working with the finest dancers and the most talented and loyal staff and crew I've ever had.

I am proud to be associated with the ballroom dancing industry, and happy to have been able to contribute to its success.

Read more to learn how the second season of America's Ballroom Challenge takes competitive ballroom to the next level.

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