The Fraser Family Dance Group of Pasadena is celebrating its recent win of 30 first place awards in International Latin at the California Open Dancesport Championships that took place Feb. 16 through Feb. 19 in Irvine. These wins for the family bring the total to over 210 first place awards at 10 competitions within two years. They are now toning up for the upcoming San Francisco Open Dancesport Championships March 23 through March 25.

Kari, Grace and Holden Fraser started dance lessons as a family activity in 2009 and began competing nationally by 2010. Kari is a former N.Y. actress (stage name Kari Gibson) who initially portrayed Dixie Cooney on the ABC daytime soap All My Children. Grace is a 14-year-old freshman at Pasadena’s Mayfield Senior School. Holden, 11, is a sixth grader at Clairbourn School in Pasadena.

The Frasers’ dance instructors are Boris Rudenko and Ekaterina Fedosova. In 2009, they ranked second in the U.S. for Ballroom Sport Dance Pair. During the competition phase, Kari and Grace dance with Boris and Holden is partner to Ekaterina.

The Frasers have enlisted the expertise of Paul Killick as their private coach. A former professional ballroom dancer, Killick and his dance partners were finalists in all major world competitions.

The family trains at various ballrooms in Glendale, Eagle Rock and downtown Los Angeles. For upcoming competitions they practice two to three hours a day, five days a week. It’s a balancing act between the children’s homework and dance practice, but the Fraser family loves dancing and spending time together.

The high stepping family shares the legacy of grandfather Albert “Scotty” Fraser who won several awards in international smooth dancing and competed throughout Scotland. Scotty’s son Bruce (Kari’s husband and Grace and Holden’s father) inherited his father’s penchant for dance, which he then shared with his family. Today Scotty is 85 years old and lives in Westbury, Long Island with his wife Beverly.