The Capital DanceSport Championships is one of the more well established and esteemed competitions in North America. Among its participants, the CDC is known for being flawlessly managed, welcoming, and competitive -- the perfect ingredients for a fantastic competition. 

The CDC, which wraps up Saturday in Alexandria, VA, was founded by Dagmar Jarvel, an ambitious woman with visionary talent.

Jarvel passed away in 1996 of cancer, but her legacy lives on through the iconic dancers that she helped nurture, such as, Vernon Brock, Linda Dean, Rufus Dustin, and Marianne Nicole.

John DePalma and his wife, Marianne Nicole, are now the owners of Jarvel's competition, which is now called the Capital DanceSport Championships, and they've been keeping her legacy alive for the past 20 years.   

"She launched my career as a Master of Ceremonies at her event, formerly known as the Baltimore," DePalma said.

Born in Estonia, Jarvel first performed as a theatrical dancer after moving to Germany. Her line of work was disapproved of at the time, but undeterred, she continued honing her craft and eventually made her way to the United States in 1945 after WWII.

Upon settling in to her new home in the U.S., Jarvel began an illustrious career that saw her make her mark on the world of dance by producing a slew of national champions and elite coaches. Renowned as a judge, she was a national examiner for both the Fred Astaire and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She also helped to produce the original NDCA American Style Syllabus among a host of other accolades. 

Capital Dancesport Championships is one of the premier events in August and a member of the USDC Circuit and the World ProAm Dancesport Series. Known as the "Dancers' Competition," Capital DanceSport continues its legacy of prestige and innovation.