Sterling Burroughs

Sterling has held certification through the Gold level with the Fred Astaire organization and is currently certified through Gold in American and International styles with DaVIDA. Dance Vision International Dancers Association. Sterling has been teaching and competing both with professional partners and as the Professional half f a partnership in Pro-Am competition for 22 years. He has trained thousands of people. He is a registered Professional with the N. D. C. A. or National Dance Council of America. He is the only Instructor in Alabama to have been a United States Dancesport Superbowl Finalist. This is the largest Dancesport competition circuit in the world comprised of over 70 competitions held yearly throughout the country ranging in size from 3000 to 15,000 entries. The circuit keeps track of the placements Professionals and Amateur dancers receive in the circuit events. The finalists are the six Professionals and Amateurs with the highest placement totals.

A 1984 graduate of Chelsea High School in Shelby County, Sterling has been teaching Ballroom and Latin Dance for over 20 years.
He began teaching in 1985 with the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Vestavia, Al.
In 1986, his first full year teaching, he earned honors as the Top New Student Teacher at that Studio and he also earned a prestigious "Freddie Award" the top award an instructor can earn in the Fred Astaire organization. A Freddie is given to only the top 3% of instructors in that chain of studios.
In 1987 he transferred to the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Tuscaloosa, Al where he earned Top New Student Teacher AND Top Advanced Student Teacher Awards. He also qualified for another "Freddie Award" that year as well.
The end of 1987, 1988 and part of 1989 were spent in the "Big Easy" teaching at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in New Orleans. He received extensive dance training from Anthony Carrinhas and former US Champion and Blackpool Finalist Linda Dean.
The remainder of 1989 - 1990 were spent in Little Rock Arkansas. In that year and a half time period, Sterling, by himself, accumulated as many "Freddie Points", which are determined by; the number of lessons an instructor teaches, the number of new students brought into the studio and new enrollments, as all but 13 of the Fred Astaire Studios in the United States by himself. A record that to this day remains unbroken.
During his tenure in Little Rock Sterling also set an unofficial "World Record" for teaching lessons. In 1 week, as part of a fund raiser for a local charity, he Taught 168-1/2 private 50 minute lessons, danced at 11-1/2 hours of Studio parties AND he Danced Exhibitions at a fund raiser for another local charity. All of this was accomplished with only 9 hours of sleep for the week!
Sterling received 14 "Freddie Awards" in his 15 years with the Fred Astaire organization, some for teaching some for managing one of his 3 studios.
He also received over 150 Regional and National Top Teacher awards with in the Fred Astaire organization.
Sterling has competed professionally in both the American Smooth and American Rhythm Categories as well as the Theatre Arts category.
1998, he was a Fred Astaire National Finalist in the Theatre Arts Category.
In 2001 Sterling left the Fred Astaire Chain after owning and operating 2 of the top 15 studios in the organization over the last 3 years. He has been with Birmingham Ballroom since that time.
Sterling received Honours awards for tests taken through the Gold American Style Level while he was with the Fred Astaire organization and now teaches both American and International Styles from the D.V.I.D.A. (Dance Vision International Dancers Association) syllabus.
In his time as an independant instructor, he has consistently placed as a Top Teacher at over 50 prestigious competitions throughout the United States.
More importantly, his students consistently reach the finals and place highly in their given dance and age categories and his students frequently receive Top Student Awards for their given Dance Level. Top Student Awards are an overall award that is determined by placements received at the competition.
In 2002 he was recognized as one of the top 6 Pro-Am competitive instructors in the United States by the "Dancesport Superbowl Series". An organization made up of over 70 Ballroom Dancesport competitions in the United States.
In October of 2004 Sterling was injured in a 16 foot fall from a ladder. He returned to teaching in May 2005 and by August he and his students were back on the competition circuit with his students placing 3rd in the Top Teacher race at the "Heart of America Dance Championships in Kansas. This is the 2nd oldest running competition in the United States.
In October 2005, one of Sterlings students, Linda Neason, received the Top Student Award at the Hotlanta Dance Challenge. Hotlanta is the second largest Dance competition in the United States in 2005 with over 6500 entries!! Congratulations to Sterling AND LINDA as well!!!!!!
May 2006!!! Sterling received Second place Top teacher award at the Atlanta Open Dance Sport Championships.
We were also received the Second place Top Studio Award. Both the Top Teacher and Top Studio Awards are determined based on an accumulative point system. This is based on placements the students receive when competing. Congratulations to Sterling and the ladies who danced in the competition. Allison Baker, Joyce Franklin, Debora Kimberlin, Linda Neason and Madrene Roberts. Both of these awards represent all of your hard work!!!!!
December 2006 Sterling, Linda and Debora went to Las Vegas and participated in the Holiday Dance Classic at the Luxor Hotel. This is the second largest competition in the country for 2006 with over 11,400 entries!!! Linda and Debora both started out in heats with over 40 couples and both made the Final Six several times in their respective categories.
September 2007 Sterling dances in the Birmingham Dance with the Stars. He is partnered with DeAnna Lee from WZZK.
October 2007 Grand opening of Champion Latin & Ballroom in Vestavia.