Ross & Jessica Win 1st Place in Rising Star Rhythm at Volunteer State Dance Challenge in Nashville! Nashville, TN, July 25-26, 2008 Ross Pearce & Jessica McMorrow won the Rising Star Rhythm event at Volunteer State Dance Challenge in Nashville, placing 1st in all five dances. They made the finals of every event they danced in and, in addition to winning Rising Star Rhythm, they placed 3rd in the Open Rhythm and 4th in the Rising Star Smooth. Some highlights from the couple's previous accomplishments include 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Rising Star Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Showdance, 2007; 1st place, Vancouver Open Professional Rhythm Championship, 2007; 2nd place, Open and Rising Star Rhythm, Colorado Star Ball 2008; 4th place, Rising Star Rhythm, San Francisco Open 2008.   Ross & Jessica Place 2nd in Open and Rising Star Rhythm at Colorado Star Ball! Denver, CO, June 20-22, 2008 Ross Pearce & Jessica McMorrow had a great weekend at Colorado Star Ball in Denver. They placed 2nd in both the Open and Rising Star Rhythm events, and received several first place marks. They danced a semi-final and a final round in both events and placed 2nd overall in all dances (Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero, and Mambo). They also danced in the Professional Rising Star Smooth event, where they made the finals and placed 4th in all dances. Ross and Jessica just made their debut in American Smooth (waltz, tango, foxtrot, and vienesse waltz) this month, and it was only their second competition together in this beautiful style. Some highlights from the couple's previous accomplishments include 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Rising Star Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Showdance, 2007; 1st place, Vancouver Open Professional Rhythm Championship, 2007; 4th place, Rising Star Rhythm, San Francisco Open 2008.   Moving Up in the Ranks: Seattle's Professional Rhythm Champions Ross & Jessica Achieve Recognition Out of State, Placing 4th at San Francisco Open! San Francisco, CA, March 28-29, 2008 Already champions in the Northwest, Ross Pearce & Jessica McMorrow are now making their mark outside the region. At San Francisco Open this weekend, they placed 4th in the hotly contested Professional Rising Star Rhythm event. American Rhythm is quickly becoming the most competitive and popular professional event in Dancesport (i.e., competitive ballroom dancing) in the United States, and this event featured up and coming competitors from across the US. Ross and Jessica danced their way from the 11 couple semi-final into the 6 couple final. They received several first place marks and placed 4th in the final rankings. Some highlights from the couple's previous accomplishments include 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Rising Star Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Showdance, 2007; 1st place, Vancouver Open Professional Rhythm Championship, 2007. Click here to watch videos of the San Francisco Open. Moving Up in the Ranks: Seattle's Professional Rhythm Champions Ross & Jessica Achieve Recognition Out of State, Placing 4th at San Francisco Open! San Francisco, CA, March 28-29, 2008 Already champions in the Northwest, Ross Pearce & Jessica McMorrow are now making their mark outside the region. At San Francisco Open this weekend, they placed 4th in the hotly contested Professional Rising Star Rhythm event. American Rhythm is quickly becoming the most competitive and popular professional event in Dancesport (i.e., competitive ballroom dancing) in the United States, and this event featured up and coming competitors from across the US. Ross and Jessica danced their way from the 11 couple semi-final into the 6 couple final. They received several first place marks and placed 4th in the final rankings. Some highlights from the couple's previous accomplishments include 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Rising Star Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Rhythm, 2007; 1st place, Seattle Star Ball Open Professional Showdance, 2007; 1st place, Vancouver Open Professional Rhythm Championship, 2007. Click here to watch videos of the San Francisco Open.   Ross Pearce & Jessica McMorrow Win 1st Place in Seattle Star Ball 2007 Open Professional Showdance, Rising Star Rhythm, and Open Professional Rhythm Championship Events Seattle, WA, August 10, 2007 Ross Pearce & Jessica McMorrow placed first in three professional events at Seattle Star Ball last weekend, Seattle's biggest and most prestigious ballroom dance competition. They were the only professional couple at the event to accomplish this feat over the weekend. Dancing together since May, they quickly outranked more established couples to place first in the Showdance event on Friday evening, dancing their Rumba show, "The Mating Game." On Saturday, they placed first in both the Rising Star Rhythm and Open Professional Rhythm events, dancing Cha Cha, Rumba, Swing, Bolero, and Mambo. Ross and Jessica's students also performed well in the Pro/Am events; Don Cranson won three first places in strongly contested events dancing with his teacher Jessica in his first competition. Lynelle Vandenbos placed third in the Closed Pro/Am Rhythm Scholarship event dancing with Ross, and Annie Heller placed first in all the pre-teen single dance events she danced with Ross. (Pictured above left, Ross and Jessica in the Open Professional Showdance. Pictured below left, student Don Cranson dances with Jessica in a Bronze level Pro/Am Foxtrot event. Click here to view more photos from the competition.)