Betty Gong
Betty Gong, Diane Jarmolow's BDTC Exam Coach
Growing up listening to Motown and R&B music and feeling the music in my inner soul has always given me the freedom to express myself though "freestyle" dancing. Studying modern dance, line dance, International Latin dance, American rhythm and American smooth dance, classical Chinese Feather Fan dance, and Chinese Tango has definitely broadened my depth in the dancing world over the past years. Performing in front of a large live audience has given me a taste of "stardom" and "glory". This has also opened many opportunities for me to teach dance, have my own classes and also to perform professionally on stage.
The turning point of my life was when I joined Diane Jarmolow's Ballroom Dance Teachers College (BDTC) in 2002. This began my actual formal education in ballroom dancing, taught and trained by Diane Jarmolow, director and the founder of Diane Jarmolow's BDTC at the Metronome Dance Center. She is my mentor and will be my mentor forever, who believes in me and continues to encourage me to reach for my goals. At this time in my life I am enjoying this wonderful, rewarding journey of teaching students to dance and coaching the BDTC teacher trainees. The contentment of watching the students progress in their dancing abilities and the teacher trainees excel in their exams are my proudest moments. The outcome of all this is similar to watching a small rose bud slowly blooming into a beautiful rose. Special thanks to Diane's teaching that no mountains are ever too high to climb. A graduate of Diane Jarmolow's BDTC, I am now the Exam Coach for the Ballroom Dance Teachers College, preparing the teacher trainees for their BDTC exams or for their DVIDA certification exams.