FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

LOCAL DESIGNER TO THE STARS OUTFITS COUPLES FOR STATE FAIR'S SWING & SALSA DANCE FINALS 

4800 U.S. Highway 301 North
Tampa, FL 33610
Phone (813) 621-7821             Fax (813) 740-3505             http://www.floridastatefair.com/

[NEWS RELEASE] TAMPA, FL. — February 7, 2008.    The Florida State Fair, Verizon and Centro Asturiano of Tampa proudly present the 1st annual "Dancing to be a Star"/”Bailando para ser una estrella” Swing & Salsa Dance Showdown. The dance competition is just one of the highlights of festivities planned to celebrate the Florida State Fair’s inaugural year of the new LA PLAZA Hispanic Village area.

All finalists will be outfitted with one-of-a-kind costumes from Designs to Shine (www.designstoshine.com) by Maria McGill for the Swing & Salsa Dance Showdown taking place on Sunday, February 17 at 5 p.m. in the Charles M. Davis Special Events Center.  Designs to Shine by Maria McGill is considered widely the leader in the Ballroom industry for quality & design. Designs to Shine has provided stunning costumes for hit television programs such as the Premier Season of Dancing with the Stars, Dancing with the Stars Rematch Special, So You Think You Can Dance, Ballroom Bootcamp, and Skating with Celebrities.  Their gowns have also been showcased on the Maury Povich Show, Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, American Ballroom Challenge, and in several nationally published magazines & newspapers. 

The preliminary round for the Swing Competition will take place on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 8 p.m. and the Salsa Competition round is held on Sunday, Feb. 10 at 6 p.m. in the Bud Light Latin Dome on the Winn Dixie Entertainment Stage.  The master of ceremonies will be Luis Lopez, on-air personality, from SuperQ 1300 AM radio station in Tampa. Each preliminary round will be judged by a panel of seven leaders in the community including:

• Debra Loran - esteemed dance instructor from USF and University of Tampa plus current organizer for the Ballroom Dance competition held at the Florida State Fair
• Other judges on the panel are members of local organizations including La Gaceta and Centro Mi Diario newspapers, Latin Times magazine, Univision WVEA-TV, Centro Asturiano of Tampa and Verizon. 

Couples will compete in front of an audience with judges selecting the top contestants from preliminary rounds to come back on Sunday, February 17 for the Dance Finals.  A live audience will get to choose the winning couple of the Swing & Salsa Dance Showdown on Sunday, February 17 at 5 p.m. at the Charles M. Davis Special Events Center building.  

There is still time to enter the Salsa Dance competition!  Some individuals are looking for partners to compete in the salsa category, so call today to be matched up with a partner.  Competitors will dance to win more than $2,500 dollars in prizes provided by Verizon.  Please register online at www.Bailandoparaserunaestrella.com.  For more information on this event, call Luis Lopez at 813-417-4046 or Al Frederick to 813-758-9149, or send an e-mail to Carlos Rodriguez at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

All acts, concerts, scheduled times, exhibitors, prices, and other advertised events are subject to change and/or cancel without notice.  Fair gate admission is $10 for ages 12 and older, $5 for children ages six to 11; and free for children five and younger.  NO RE-ENTRY is permitted without an admission ticket.  Gates open daily at 9 a.m. and parking is free during the 12 days of the Fair. 

The Florida State Fairgrounds is located just seven miles east of downtown Tampa, with easy access via I-75, I-4, U.S. Highway 301, Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard, and Orient Road.  For more information about the 2008 Florida State Fair, call toll-free (800) 345-FAIR or (813) 621-7821, visit http://www.floridastatefair.com/ or http://myspace.com/floridastatefair.

The 104th annual Florida State Fair will take place on February 7-18, 2008.  The Florida State Fair – always in Tampa and always in February – is organized by the Florida State Fair Authority under the leadership of Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.  Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson leads the Fair Authority, which oversees the Florida State Fairgrounds and the annual Florida State Fair.

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For media inquiries, please contact:
Denise Shreaves:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it  
Manager of Marketing & Public Relations
Florida State Fair Authority
Phone (813) 627-4314 / Cell (813) 732-0141
 
OR

Vince Caruso:  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Marketing Director 
Florida State Fair Authority
Phone (813) 627-4222