Coach Michael Petr Visits FADS Madison, WI Studio After Appearing on “So You Think You Can Dance”

Millions of people across the US have become fascinated with the TV show “So You Think You Can Dance.” Michael Petr is one of the few ballroom dancers to ever make it to Vegas week. The Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Madison is fortunate to have had the opportunity to host Michael as a visiting coach for the week of August 1st.

Aside from being a professional Latin and Ballroom dancer, Michael has been a finalist in many prestigious ballroom competitions around the world. Just this past February, Michael placed 4th at the Nations Cup Team Match Championship in Bad Pyrmont, Germany. He has also competed in World Professional Latin Series, the World and Euro Championships, winning 5th place in the World Mambo Championship and 4th place in the World Open Salsa Championship in Puerto Rico. Michael has also had the great distinction of appearing as a Finalist in the Paris Open Rising Star Latin Championship in Paris, France, and in the European 10 Dance Championship in Chemnitz, Germany. He has also performed in far flung corners of the world, including Thailand, Jordan, Australia, New York, and Singapore, and Egypt.

Aside from his incredible performance on “So You Think You Can Dance,” Michael has appeared on TV several other times, most notably in his performance with Czech Country Star Lenka Filipová on “Dancing with the Stars - StarDance II” in the Czech Rebuplic. He has also acted as a choreographer for JigTV, the US based dance education website.

During his time in Madison, Michael was able to work with teachers and students alike, offering his expertise and experience. “Michael brought a unique perspective and introduced me to several new ideas,” says Cathy Holmes, Bronze student and competitor at Fred Astaire Madison. “It was really special to get such a global view of ballroom. I’d definitely say that this was an incredible, once in a lifetime experience.”