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March is upon us! Spring is around the corner! Let's get right to what's happening in our corner of the dance world (and beyond).

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The cast for season 10 of "Dancing with the Stars" has been announced. Here's the list:

• Sex symbol Pamela Anderson dancing with Damian Whitewood (new to the show)
• Football showboat Chad Ochocinco dancing with Cheryl Burke
• "All My Children" actor Aiden Turner dancing with Edyta Sliwinska
• ESPN reporter Erin Andrews dancing with Maks Chmerkovskiy
• "90210" actress Shannen Doherty dancing with Mark Ballas
• Former astronaut Buzz Aldrin dancing with Ashly Costa
• "Reno 911" actress and "Clean House" host Niecy Nash dancing with Louis van Amstel
• Bachelor Jake Pavelka dancing with Chelsie Hightower
• Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger dancing with Derek Hough
• Olympic figure skater Evan Lysacek dancing with Anna Trebunskaya
• Mom of eight and reality TV star Kate Gosselin dancing with Tony Dovolani

Among the cast is Buzz Aldrin, an astronaut. Can he do a moonwalk? He's already done it -- on the actual moon. Let's see how he fares on Terra Firma, on the ballroom floor. We have another Olympic gold medalist, in figure skating, in the form of Evan Lysacek. Will he follow in Kristi Yamaguchi's footsteps and take the Ghastly Mirrorball Trophy this season? And the addition of Nicole Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls seems to have generated quite a moonwalker . . . I mean, buzz (drum and snare go off in the background, followed by groans).

The cast is trimmer than in the last couple of seasons, and a couple of pros who have been fixtures have bowed out, including Lacey Schwimmer and Kym Johnson. Kym, last season's winner with Donny Osmond, has been the subject of conflicting reports about a money dispute. Here's the article (thanks, Adam). We have a returning pro in Ashly Costa (née DelGrosso). We have a new guy, Damian Whitewood, who, frankly, I've never heard of. And who will co-host with Tom Bergeron now that Samantha Harris has been relieved? I guess we'll have to tune in for that one.

Dancing with the Stars season 10 premieres on Monday night, March 22, on ABC at 8 pm with a two-hour live broadcast.

And will we be watching the season unfold at our favorite bar downtown? Stay tuned!

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I wasn't able to make it but from what I'm told, the Grand Opening of Dance with Me Soho was a big hit, with over 100 people on Friday night and a show by United States amateur latin champions Val Chmerkovskiy and Daria Chesnokova. If you weren't able to be there either, don't despair. Thanks to JP, here's some video footage of their samba (did you know Val can play the fiddle?), paso doble and rumba. Congrats to Dance with Me Soho on their grand opening!

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Where was I instead last weekend? I had the privilege and the pleasure to be the MC at the Mid-Atlantic Championships at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, Maryland, right outside the nation's capital, for the last National Qualifying Event before the 2010 USA Dance Nationals. More than 400 dancers gathered for a full day on Saturday and a half day on Sunday to dance in more than 90 heats, covering all ages and levels.

The Championships in Standard and Latin were both danced on Saturday evening. The Standard Championship went to Igor Mikushov and Margaret Midura from New York, and the Latin Championship went to Val Chmerkovskiy and Daria Chesnokova, from New Jersey, who only the night before danced at the grand opening of Dance with Me Soho. Finishing behind Val and Daria was the new partnership of Ruslan Aydaev and Valeria Kozharinova, also from New Jersey. Some may know Valeria as Val's former partner. Those who turned out on Saturday night for that championship referred to it as "Val vs. She-Val." Full results available here from o2cm.

The Mid-Eastern Chapter of USA Dance organized the competition and it ran smoothly and efficiently from beginning to end. Congratulations to the Mid-Eastern Chapter on the successful running of their second NQE! Here are some photos from yours truly from Saturday and from Sunday.

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Congratulations to Jack Kellner and Siras Nitithatsanakul for winning the USA Dance Cabaret National title at the NQE held two weekends ago in Chicago. Jack and Siras bested two other couples and were pleased with their performance, honed in part at the MAC in January and at studio performances at Stepping Out. Jack had previously won this title with another partner and is the first man to win the USA Dance national cabaret title twice. If you happen to see Jack and Siras at one of our local studios, be sure to congratulate them on a job well done and for representing the Greater New York chapter so well in national competition.

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Any men out there want to be in an opera? The Amore Opera (formerly the Amato Opera) based in Manhattan's trendy East Village, is putting on a production of "The Merry Widow," opening next Friday, March 12, and they're looking for two to four men, between the ages of 20 and 45, to dance in the "Merry Widow" waltz number. The company is volunteer-driven so there's no pay involved, but you get to take part in a highly professional production with some of New York's most talented opera performers. Rehearsals begin immediately and you need to be available for the three weekends of the show (closing on March 28). If you're interested, let us know by e-mail right away and we can send you more details.

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The Inaugural Celebration of the Rutgers DanceSport Alumni Club has been re-scheduled to Saturday, March 27. Its mission, as described by Club President Sharon Hubberman, "is to bring dance to our community and foster your dancing abilities to their fullest potential, whether on a social or competitive level, in an environment which welcomes its members as part of the Rutgers Family." The celebration takes place at Trayes Hall, Douglass Campus Center, in New Brunswick, New Jersey, with a ribbon cutting ceremony at 6 pm, followed by a workshop given by former United States Professional Latin Champions Tony Meredith and Melanie LaPatin, followed by a dance social starting at 8:00 pm. Visit the club's website for more details.

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Reminders:

• Register for USA Dance Nationals taking place in Los Angeles, from April 9-11. Representatives to no less than 12 IDSF championships will be selected there. Registration closes this Sunday, March 7, so don't wait until the last minute. Register today!
• Rufus Dustin will be coaching at the end of next month at Basic Ballroom, right before USA Dance Nationals, and if you'd like to book some lessons, now would be the time to do it, as his schedule fills up quickly. Contact Basic Ballroom to reserve your spot.
• UPenn's Clover Star Classic has been re-scheduled to March 20. Re-registration is required for everyone, so even if you had previously registered, the organizers need you to do so again, at this link. Re-registration deadline is next Sunday, March 14.
• Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio has Standard rounds on Thursdays, from 9:30 to 10:30 pm. The floor is huge, with plenty of space to swing out, so if you're looking for a good place to run your standard routines, visit Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio on Thursday nights.
• Anyone needing practice space for any upcoming competitions should check out the special rates for USA Dance members at Basic Ballroom on West 35th Street between 8th and 9th Avenues.
• Dance with Me Soho will be hosting Practice Sessions, and they are offering both an unlimited option and a 10 practice session card. For the unlimited option, the cost is $100 per person, with a 15% discount to USA Dance members, so our members can get unlimited practice time at Dance with Me Soho for $85 per person per month. If you would prefer to go for the 10 practice session card, the cost for that will be $100 per couple, with a 25% discount for USA Dance members, or $75 per couple. Questions? Please call the studio at (212) 840-Dance (3262).

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Looking to social dance? Here are a few suggestions:

• Tonight, Hot Salsa Friday at the VIP Lounge at the Iguana. Doors open at 6 pm.
• Tonight, Hustle Fundraiser Party at YSBD, with proceeds to benefit Citimeals-on-Wheels. Suggested donation: $15 (higher amounts gladly accepted).
• Tomorrow, March 6: mixed ballroom dancing at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, starting at 7:30 pm with a free lesson. Just $10 for USA Dance members.
• Sunday, March 7, Sunday Tea Party at Manhattan Ballroom Dance studio, mixed ballroom dancing starting at 3 pm.
• Monday, March 8, Salsa at Taj, with live band and special performances. Arrive before 7 pm and get in for $6 (admission price doubles after 7 pm).
• Tuesday, March 9, Hot Salsa, Hustle and West Coast Swing at Club 56 in Farmingdale, LI. Lesson in West Coast Swing. Doors open at 7 pm.
• Thursday, March 11, Thursday Night Dance Club at Mirelle's, in Westbury, featuring Latin, Hustle and West Coast Swing. Lesson at 7:30 pm, dancing starts at 8:15 pm.

For other ideas, check Wayne's Dance Commentary or bailamosdance.com.

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Partner seekers: We have an advanced follower looking for a silver or higher leader for performances and social dancing. If interested, please visit our Partner Search page. Answer an ad or post your own. It's free, it's easy . . . do it today!

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That does it for this week. Good luck to everyone competing tomorrow at the NYU Syllabus Ballroom Challenge, with evening performance by US 10-dance champions and world representatives, Pasha Pashkov and Daniella Karagach. See you there!

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Yang Chen
President
Greater NY
USA Dance
(NY USA Dance)