Shepparton’s Sam Brown continued his rapid ascension into ballroom dancing stardom by winning a staggering four titles at the Australian DanceSport Championships earlier in the month.
Alongside his ever-reliable dance partner Berkeley Wood, who hails from Bendigo, the pair travelled to Melbourne and put on a show in what was its last tournament competing in the under 21 division.
Claiming victory in the adult open 10 dance, under-21 open ballroom, under-21 new open vogue and under-21 open Latin divisions, the result served as the perfect ending to what has been a junior career filled with magical moments.
Heading into the competition as determined as ever to succeed, Brown said the result was the most satisfying of his career.
“It was just amazing, with this being the last time I would be competing in the under-21 competition I was super determined to end that chapter of my career on a high,” Brown said.
“But to end up with four titles from the weekend it was just beyond anything I could have ever hoped, the competition went so well from the start to the end.
“My time in the junior divisions has been a five-year journey, I went out and enjoyed every minute of it and in those finals I think it was the best I’ve ever danced.”
On a weekend full of magical moments, there were plenty of highlights for Brown to choose from.
But when asked to pick out the headline act, he was quick to point out the adult open 10 dance competition.
“On the first day we had the adult open 10 dance which we ended up winning in what was definitely the highlight of the weekend for us,” he said.
“The reason it was so special was because the previous winners of the 10 dance had won it for the past 10 years, so we sort of took over the torch from them in a way.
“The fact it was an adult category as well just made it even more special and it really springboarded our performances for the rest of the weekend.”
These results served as the culmination of a big year for Brown’s dancing.
Beginning with a host of standout performances in Australia, he and Wood took off overseas for a three-month adventure where they competed in international competitions for the first time.
Looking back on 2022, Brown said he had learned a lot about himself as a dancer and person.
“After being overseas for so long competing at that higher level, I was so ready for this competition and was in a great space, both physically and mentally,” he said.
“Going overseas was an amazing experience and I learned so much, so coming back with that energy, motivation and inspiration, I’ve never been so pumped to get on the floor and dance.”
With his junior career now done and dusted, Brown described what 2023 might have in store as he embarks on competing full-time in the adult division.
“Going into the adult section it is the top of the top, so next year will be a bit of a development year for us,” he said.
“I’m not expecting podium results straight away, but we’ll be looking to just adapt to the level as quickly as we can and try and make a few finals along the way.”