Team GB 22.12.11.
Event Title: Storify Online
Event Location: UK Press
Journalist: Dr. Chindu Sreedharan
Article: Weekend in Blackpool - Storified by Chindu Sreedharan
Couple: Glenn Richard Boyce & Lydia Hedges
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It ain’t a pretty place, but if you are into ballroom, you can’t avoid Blackpool. Every May dancers from across the world descend on this seaside town for the eight-day Blackpool Dance Festival. In November, a smaller contingent from around UK crowd the ‘Mecca of Ballroom’ for the British National Dance Championships. Held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, the British Nationals unfolds over three days, with Standard and Latin competitions in the Juvenile, Junior, Under-21, Amateur, Senior (Over-35s & Over-50s) and Professional categories. This year saw 565 dancers competing for the various titles. Snapshots from the competitions on November 17, 18 and 19 (put together by a partisan Bournemouth competitor!)
- Thursday, November 17
While most of the Professional and Amateur dancers were making their way to Blackpool, the Under-21s and Seniors (Over-35s) were already fighting it out for their titles at this wonderful venue in Winter Gardens: - The highlights? Dan Baxter & Janine Desai had another good run in the Senior 1 (Over-35s), a fairly straightforward win over Phil Holding & Jennie Dewar (results here). They had won the title in 2010 and 2008.
- “Retained the British National senior championship last night. Tough comp with some great finalists. Shame ian and Lynda had to pull out as they would have completed a great final. Fingers crossed they are ok for tonight.
- And Daniel Power & Victoria Holmes won the Under-21 Latin:
- For the complete results, see below:
- DancesportInfo.netDance competition Results from British National 2011 - Under 21 Latin Thursday, 17 November 2011
- The Senior 2 (Over-50s) Latin title went to Ian Curson & Jennifer Curson, who scored a close win over Steve Holes & Tina Holes (see complete line-up here)
- “Steve Holes and I would like to thank everyone for their support in Blackpool this weekend particularly my Mum and Kevin as well as Craig Holes and the fabulous Team A&L We would also like to thank Lisa Bellinger & Alex Ivanets for their fabulous training and also Elaine Davis for sponsoring me with the most gorgeous dress. Sorry we did not win, I hate rule 11 they should replace it with the Jive! And as I said, who remembers the winner of X-factor? It is the person who comes second we all remember!! Bye bye Blackpool - bring on Paris!
- Steve & Tina in the Samba (?)
- “Well done to all A and L Dancers last night. You did us proud. You all looked fab. Steve and Tina, well done, and sorry you missed the title on rule 11. You worked hard. Today another day. Good luck all today. We dancing our nationals today! Come on!
- Friday, November 18Day began with competitors' practice in the Empress Ballroom. Crowded floor, dancers walking through their routines, mapping it to the floor.Afterwards, we made our way to the Spanish Hall, where the Blackpool lectures were on. Richard Gleave, eight time Professional Standard World Champion and founder of Freedom to Dance, was about to finish his 20-minute-lecture as we entered.
- “Online from #WinterGardens. Mapped our routine, listening to Richard Gleave's lecture at the #Blackpool Congress.
- “Standing ovation as Richard and Ann Gleave finishes their lecture with a Waltz demo at #Blackpool Congress. #ballroom
- “Next on is Karen Hardy. She is on BBC, yes, but my "heart is always here." Clapping. #Blackpool #ballroom
- “Karen is talking rhythm, the audience is clapping to her counts - a good time is had by all. #ballroom #Blackpool
- “Can spot @WarrenBoyce at the other end, getting hugged by a couple of ladies. He's on next. #Blackpool #ballroom
- “And we are on to the last lecture of the #Blackpool Congress: Warren and Kristi Boyce.
- “They start with a basic Waltz demo (Kristi dancing with her hair down).
- “More advanced choreography after second side. A beautiful shoulder lift and spin. The audience erupts.
- “Their lecture will be on the dance training methods, says @WarrenBoyce. How they train, the exercises they use to get 'flow'.
- “Kristi demonstrates the 'box' step in Waltz, which they use for warm-up, says @WarrenBoyce
- “@WarrenBoyce is speaking about the importance of showing a long legline. The trick is not to leave the leg too long, or collect too quickly.
- “@WarrenBoyce is doing his 'robotic Waltz'. Complete with sound effects, to show how NOT to dance the dance. #ballroom
- “@WarrenBoyce ends with another exercise, a study in maintaining balance, shape. Applause. They return for standing ovation.
- Back after lunch and a bit of rest for the Amateur Ballroom. 93 couples registered in all (some 75 turned up, I think). Round 1 see many disappointed dancers...
- “Not good news, Vita. So there will be plenty more updates - and commentary even during rounds!
- Excellent, six-couple final...
- And some snapshots from the earlier rounds.Here's under-21 dancers Lawrence James & Aimee Leek, who made top 26 (they made top 10 in Under-21 ballroom)...
- ...and Stephen Arnold & Karolina Szmit, who came fifth (photo courtesy: Warren Leak)
- No 105, Steve & Sue Witherington won the Senior Latin, moving up from their runners-up position of last year. The results:
- The Over-50s Standard ballroom saw 196 registrations, though fewer reported to the floor. For some, like Denise Gaffney, it was homecoming, a return to the floor after a long wait.
- Denise with her new partner Richard Parkes
- The Over-50s winners? Peter & Christine Worthington. Here's a snapshot of the top six:
- And so to the Professional Latin, which saw Gregor Rebula & Rachel Heron retaining the title. Runners-up, Alex Ivanets & Lisa Bellinger (below).
- “Thank you to everyone cheering last night. We Definately had the crowd behind us!! Was amazing night. Loved it. We gutted tho alex is injured so we are not able to do europeans today in germany. Love you babe. Get better soon. Xx
- “Fantastic performance last night Lisa! You and Alex are superb and very inspiring! So sorry to hear Alex is injured, all the best for a speedy recovery! :-)
- Saturday, November 19Let's start with the Juveniles. Specifically, Bournemouth couple Glenn Boyce & Lydia Hedges -- and no, it is not my bias talking this time! -- who dominated the floor to win both the Ballroom and Latin titles. Proof that hard work -- and having a world champion or three in the family to teach you -- pays off? Yes!
- Glenn & Lydia were arguably the most experienced juvenile couple at Blackpool this year (since the 2010 British Nationals, they have danced 30-odd major national and international competitions; more than 50 since they began their partnership in 2009), and it showed. A couple of shots from their Cha Cha:
- On to the Juniors. Here's a proud sister announcing Luke Miller & Hanna Cresswell winning the Junior title:
- “Hanna Cresswell has won the ballroom British nationals this weekend in Blackpool!! #proudsister
- As in every competition, the Junior rounds saw plenty of disappointments -- but possibly none worse than that of Mathew Stoneman & Stephanie Noon, who narrowly missed the seven-couple final (they had missed it last year as well, finishing ninth; this year they finished eighth).
- A glimpse of the 12-couple Junior semi-final, wherein Mathew and Steph looked pretty cool (all right, I admit it -- they are from Bournemouth, too!):
- Which brings us to highlight of the evening, the Professional Ballroom. A straight semi and final. Was there much competition for the reigning champions, @WarrenBoyce and Kristi? Not.
- Results? @WarrenBoyce & Kristi became the British National Professional Ballroom Champions for the third year running, joining the 'hattrick' ranks of Stephen Hillier & Lindsey Tate (1983-85) and Michael & Vicky Barr (1977-82).
- Final showdown was in the Amateur Latin, which featured some pretty exciting rounds right from the start.
- And the Amateur Latin title went to -- no surprises here -- Neil Jones & Ekaterina Sokolova, who retained it for the third year running. The top six:
- “And it ends. Funny thing, the Amateur Latin finalists get a standing ovation, but not the Pro Standard Ballroom finalists!
- This is still a work in progress. If you have comments, tweets, pictures, etc that will add to this narrative, please email chindu@gmail.com
