The 12th annual Dancing Illini Invitational, the largest intercollegiate competition of its kind in the Midwest, hosted about 140 competitors from 13 colleges. The competition featured dances from the standard ballroom, Latin and night-club categories. Even without much advertising other than invitations to Big Ten schools and colleges around the Midwest, there was a good turnout. Some competitors registered at the door. Mindy Gilkison, senior in LAS, and Yuri Sohn, a recent LAS graduate and coach at the Champaign Tennis Center, brought glory to the Dancing Illini by winning three out of five night-club events.
Some people go out there and look like they're at a funeral.
Sohn thought they performed better than expected, despite the slippery floor and his recent car accident. After the awards, judge Chris Martin teased the dance couple about being gracious by only taking part in the last category of competition, letting other couples have a chance at the ribbons. Martin, a professional dance teacher in New York, was invited to be one of the four judges for the competition. He said he watched the beginner couples for those who made the least mistakes. In the advanced-level events, he paid more attention to technique and details.