Ambassador of the Dance

Who: Ken Lucci
Title: President and CEO, Ambassador Limousine

ACTIVITY: Dancing

When Ken Lucci was given 25 dance lessons to prepare for Tampa Bay's Dancing with the Stars, he assumed that would be enough. It wasn't.

The event, which includes area celebrities in a dance competition, raises money for Hands Across the Bay, Kids Charity of Tampa Bay and Pepin Academies, among others.

Closing in on the final week of rehearsals, Lucci found the need for some charity himself as he scrambled to perfect the intricate moves of the dance style he chose.

Feelings about preparation aside, Lucci still thinks he can capture the top spot in the competition.

The time he has spent training has been taxing, both physically and mentally, but it has opened a new avenue expression for Lucci — which may even boost his business.

Style of dance: Lucci chose the tango as his style of dance for the Oct. 1 competition. The inspiration came from Al Pacino's character, Frank Slade, in “Scent of a Woman.” “Did you see that guy dance?” he asks enthusiastically. “I'm hoping the judges will recognize how hard this thing is to learn,” Lucci says, “and use that in their final decision.”

Faking it: “As a short white guy I lack any coordination,” Lucci jokes. He says that he and his colleagues rarely saunter about the office, so inexperience is his biggest challenge.

“There's really no name for what I was doing before,” he says of his past experiences on the dance floor, “I was just sort of faking it.”

But his dancing coach, Tiana Ramirez, is helping him along, even though she provides a role-reversal for the business leader. She is not afraid to make sure he knows that she is in charge in the studio, he says.

Training Regimen: Dance lessons are five days a week for about an hour. Lucci eschews eating before a lesson and spends time stretching before strapping on his dance shoes.

Equipment: Fred Astaire dance studio provided Lucci with special dancing shoes. “They are the bane of my existence,” he says.

The shoes have felt-tipped soles to make his moves easier, but Lucci detests laces — which they have. “I'm very particular about my shoes,” he says.

Dance perks: Lucci is finding more than just an opportunity to support charity with his dancing; he says he has unlocked ideas about running his business and even created business opportunities.

“It not only moves your body in ways it never has, but your mind as well,” Lucci says on dancing. The mental break he gets from focusing on tango moves is a welcome respite from the bustling entrepreneurial world.

And as the head of a limousine service, he can capitalize on connections created by dance lessons for wedding parties.

Dancing into the Future: Lucci's goal is to win Dancing with the Stars, but he says dancing is turning into more of a hobby.

After an exhausting tango lesson recently, he witnessed something else he liked. “I saw a beautiful woman dancing the Cha-Cha, so I signed up for lessons,” he says.

A public figure who finds himself at events where dancing is encouraged, Lucci hopes to impress colleagues with his reinvented dance technique.

The Contest: Online votes, which cost $10, will be considered along with the judges' grades on the dancing. Lucci says he hasn't done much lobbying for online votes, so he hopes his technique will do the talking during the competition this weekend. The National and International Ballroom Competition Adjudicators take on judging duties.

He will compete with the likes of former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Dexter Jackson, and judging by his current standings in votes — second to last — his tango will have to be terrific.