You've Never Seen Ballroom Like This Before

I have a bit of a ballroom problem.

OK: a MAJOR ballroom problem.

I’m obsessed with high-level ballroom dancing. It’s so exacting, so technical—and, in the hands (and feet) of the right dancers, so full of passion and genuine feeling.

But, yes—sometimes the ballroom world’s self-tanner and sequins and hair gel can be a little…off-putting. Which is why I love, love, LOVE this new video, masterminded by contemporary choreographer extraordinaire Lauren Adams.

Set to James Bay’s oh-so-soulful “Let It Go”—Adams was one of a handful of artists picked by Bay and his team to enter the #DanceOnJamesBay competition—it features gorgeous world-class ballroom dancers Daniella Karagach and Pasha Paskov. Adams pares away all the glitz of ballroom competitions; Karagach and Paskov dance in simple rehearsal clothes in an unadorned studio. And that allows us to see a) just how good they are at what they do, and b) just how powerfully they connect to the music—and to each other.

So much heat. So much LEGS. (screenshot from “Let It Go”)

That connection is real. Because—get ready to swoon—Karagach and Paskov are recently married. Their chemistry just oozes through the screen, making the story they’re telling even more moving.

Happy Friday, y’all: