Local U21 dancers Bronze Medalists at Italian Open Championship

Special to The Advocate

Christopher Affonso, of Everett, and Holly Hatleberg, of Chelsea, scored well again in one of the biggest international ballroom competitions. They participated in the Italian Open Championship (IOC) in Cervia, Italy, in June. In the U21 age group from 31 couples they reached the final and placed third. Couples participated from all over the world, such as Germany, England, Moldova, Estonia, Lithuania, Italy and Canada.

They also entered the highest-ranking field of adult category. A record-breaking number of couples started to compete for the IOC’s title. From a field of 215 couples, Christopher and Holly finished 29^th – an impressive result for such a young couple.

IOC has had its doors open for ballroom dance competitors for 26 years. The competition takes place in one of the most beautiful beach resorts of Italy – offering a fun and elegant environment for a world-class event.

Christopher, 18, and Holly, 17, are competitive athletes from Champions Dance Sport Club of Everett, Mass. This ballroom couple has been emerging in the United States’ competitive field with high potential, clear personal and technical qualities and a desire to rise to the top of the ballroom dance world. They are USA Youth and Under-21 Ballroom Champions and Ten-Dance Vice-champions. In 2023 they were bronze medalists at the CSIT Youth World Championship. They train under the guidance of Hungarian-born Judit Gaspar of Champions Dance Sport Club and Andrea Zaramella of Italy.

Christopher is heading to Boston University to study linguistics this fall. Holly is a senior at Chelsea High and her career goals target science.

Since 2021 they have been dancing together. They have a special and successful partnership. Both dancers started dancing at Champions Dance Sport Club and are currently members. They are in process of receiving their national ballroom dance teachers’ license and already teach at their studio as well as train competitive dancers of the Boston University Ballroom Dance Team.

Champions Dance Sport Club is an Everett-based business providing ballroom and Latin dance instruction to children and adults as well as social and competitive dancers since 2006.

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