About Tom & Sossy Hyatt   Original Article by Trish Connery

 

 

 

                      
                                                                                                            
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  Sossy (pronounced SO cee) was born in Lebanon and moved to the United States at age 10. Along with her twin sister, Nora, she was trained as a classical violinist from childhood all the way through age 18. After 182 units, in college, and changing her major five times, Sossy landed in radio, learning all aspects of that business. Today Sossy is the Director of Marketing & Business Development in the credit union industry. Though she dabbled in ballet and modern jazz in her teens, it wasn't until 2002 that she found her nitch in the country dance world. This evolved from country two-stepping in the clubs to a country dance team, and finally to competing in Pro-Am with Tom.  It only took one year for Tom & Sossy to fall in love and make plans for marriage. And who better to preside over the ceremony but the incomparable Skippy Blair! After two years of earning her way through Newcomer and Novice divisions, Sossy became a teaching assistant with Tom. And due to the competition rules Sossy could no longer dance as an amateur and was forced to move into the Pro Pro division. Once she was settled into her new status, Sossy became a teaching Pro with her own students (which enabled her to grow at a break neck pace). It wasn't long before her growing desire was to dance with her husband as a partner. According to the rules, Tom could only dance at the Division I level so as a result Sossy would have to dance at the Division I level if she wanted to dance with him. So
Sossy & Tom Hyatt  and are now
Two Time
UCWDC Crystal Division I
World Champion.
 

Tom moved from Texas to California in 1984, as part of the Bentley’s organization, (a chain of Top 40 nightclubs). In the late 80’s, at Tom’s urging, the chain converted to a country-western format called, "Denim & Diamonds". In order to give the new format as much country feel as possible, Tom arranged for he and his staff to take country dance lessons and from there he was hooked. Tom moved into competition in the United Country Western Dance Council (UCWDC) circuit, and in the span of 14 months, rose from a non-dancer all the way to UCWDC's Division I. Since then Tom has added teaching, judging, Emceeing, DJing and studio management to his dance repertoire.
    Having owned and operated successful dance studios since 1995, Tom & Sossy purchased The Clubhouse due to much coaxing from Orange county dancers. 

     With 21 years of experience in the nightclub industry, Tom said the studio’s atmosphere was one thing that drew him to purchase it. “The studio has the design and layout of a night club,” he explains, “and I thought it had a lot of potential to be like a dance club but without the alcohol and the problems that go along with that.” Now after six long wonderful and successful years Tom & Sossy have sold the studio. They have decided to have more time for each other that running a business as well as Sossy's full time job have made difficult at best
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So Congratulations are in order All Around

 

 

                     

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US Open 2009 Sophisticated Division       2008 And 2011 Crystal Division One
             4th Place Champions                 World Champions