Beth

For Beth Emerson, country dance was first a hobby, then a career and a lifestyle. She discovered country dance as a young adult when she took a free two-step lesson at a Washington, DC-area nightclub in 1989. It was a decision that changed the trajectory of her life.

 

Beth was part of an active family who was always on the move. They hiked, sailed and traveled extensively. She participated in horseback riding, gymnastics and martial arts and excelled academically, graduating as valedictorian of her high school class. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in microbiology and immunology from Arizona State University. Her career took her to Washington, DC and to that fateful first dance class.

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She started her competitive dance career as a member of the Country Junction Dancers and competed in her first UCWDC event in 1989. She then transitioned to couples dancing, and in 1991, she and partner Dan Eshner began competing in Division III. They finished the year in Division I. In 1993, they danced in Division I at the first ever World Championships of Country Dance and in 1994, competed in the prestigious Masters Division at Worlds II. Beth was a fixture on the competition floor until 2005.

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Beth’s commitment to the UCWDC and country dance extended far beyond her competition highlights. In 1994, she became one of the original directors of Gateway Country Classic in St. Louis, Missouri. Later Beth and the event moved to Oklahoma City, where it is still held today, renamed as the Oklahoma Dance Rush. Teaching and judging became her new passion. Beth was one of the first eleven judges to be officially tested and certified by the UCWDC. She has been an ambassador of country dance to Ireland, France, Netherlands, Belgium, Korea, Japan and Malaysia, helping to evaluate and educate dancers around the world. Beth became Vice President of Rules in January 2005, a position she still holds today. In 2020, Beth was inducted into the UCWDC Hall of Fame. 

 

When she’s not dancing, Beth can still be found hiking, sailing, and traveling. She is an avid reader and jigsaw puzzle enthusiast. She splits her time between Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arizona, and has taught her granddaughter the art of the jigsaw.