Congratulations to two Wake Tech employees who have cha-cha’d their way to first place in a national ballroom dance competition! Mary Louise and Dennis Porch won the USA Dance National Championship last weekend in Baltimore, Maryland. The husband and wife duo competed in the Latin division, showing off their skills in the cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, and jive. They earned the highest combined score and took first place in the Senior I age group. They will go on to represent the U.S. in the upcoming world competition, site and date to be determined.

Mary Louise, a coordinator in Disability Support Services, and Dennis, an assistant professor of Communication, have been dancing together for eight years. Recently, they offered Wake Tech colleagues dance lessons at a professional development workshop. When not working at Wake Tech, they’re practicing at Elite Ballroom dance studio in Morrisville.

The annual nationwide competition is sponsored by USA Dance, part of the World DanceSport Federation.