International Latin American Dance Champions

The International Latin American Dance Championships were created after the Second World War in England by Elsa Wells, and are now organised by Dance News special events. The current full title is the Elsa Wells International Dance Championships, and includes all categories in Standard and Latin American ballroom dance.

The series of Latin American International Championships were started once the initial choreography, teaching and adjudications standards for these dances were stabilised. This occurred in the 1950s, after a period of debate and discussion initiated by Monsieur Pierre and his associates. Although English in origin and organisation, the championships were open to the world, as is the case today for all the major ballroom championships held in England. There are two main series, one for professionals, and another for amateurs, plus various age-limited categories. The division between amateur and professional has persisted in ballroom dance long after it disappeared in most other sports and pastimes.[1]

The final stages for both Amateur and Professional Standard and Latin American titles are always held at the Albert Hall in London. Qualification for these final stages, and the championships for other categories (Juvenile, Under 14, Junior, Under 21, Senior, Pro Rising Stars) are held at a preliminary two-day event before the main finals at Brentwood, Essex.[2] Non-English adjudicators are always included in the adjudication panels. It is one of the largest regular, and genuinely international, events in the ballroom dance world.

This list (and competition) is not the same as the later WDC World Championships. The International Professional Latin and Standard Championships are now part of the World Dance Council's World Super Series.

The dances

The Latin American competition comprises five dances: cha-cha-cha, samba, rumba, paso doble, and jive,[3] conducted in line with British Dance Council (BDC) regulations;[4] the basis of the dances is described in standard texts.[5] Advanced choreography has, however, broken through the traditional limitations of social dancing, and more obviously in the Latin and American dances than in ballroom (Modern or Standard).[6]

Adjudication

The qualifying and lesser events days at Brentwood had, in 2009, three adjudication panels of eight former champions and other significant professionals. Early rounds had one panel of eight, alternating. Semi-finals and finals of lesser events had both panels. At the Albert Hall, there were four panels, each of 19 adjudicators. The semi-finals and finals of the amateur and professional titles were each adjudicated by a separate panel.[7] This may be contrasted favourably with the number of judges used for those Olympic Games events which depend upon adjudication, such as ice dancing and diving. Results and adjudication details (marks for each finalist by each adjudicator) are posted after the event.[8]

2009 entrants

In the Professional Championship there were 150 couples from 34 countries of affiliation (countries of origin not listed). In the Amateur Championship there were 289 couples from 31 countries of affiliation.[9] Countries such as China, Japan, Russia and Italy sent multiple entries to all competitions. The countries listed in the table below are countries of origin, where known.

International Professional Champions

Professional Champions[10]
1953 Jack Orton-Smith & Norma Noble England
1954 Leonard Patrick & Doreen Key England
1955 James Arnell & Jillian La Valette England
1956 James Arnell & Jillian La Valette England
1957 James Arnell & Jillian La Valette England
1958 James Arnell & Jillian La Valette England
1959 James Arnell & Jillian La Valette England
1960 Walter Laird & Lorraine Reynolds England/Sweden
1961 Jimmy Hulbert & Carol Dourof England
1962 Walter Laird & Lorraine Reynolds England/Sweden
1963 Walter Laird & Lorraine Reynolds England/Sweden
1964 Robert & Marguerite O'Hara England
1965 James Arnell & Jillian La Valette England
1966 Robert & Marguerite O'Hara England
1967 Robert & Marguerite O'Hara England
1968 Robert & Marguerite O'Hara England
1969 Robert & Marguerite O'Hara England
1970 Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee England
1971 Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee England
1972 Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee England
1973 Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee England
1974 Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee England
1975 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1976 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1977 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1978 Peter Maxwell & Lynn Harman England
1979 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1980 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1981 Espen & Kirsten Salberg Norway
1982 Espen & Kirsten Salberg Norway
1983 Sammy & Shirley Stopford England
1984 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1985 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1986 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1987 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1988 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1989 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1990 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1991 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1992 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1993 Sammy Stopford & Barbara McColl England
1994 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1995 Corkey & Shirley Ballas U.S.A./England
1996 Donnie Burns & Gaynor Fairweather Scotland/England
1997 Jukka Haapalainen & Sirpa Suutari Finland
1998 Bryan Watson & Karen Hardy South Africa/England
1999 Jukka Haapalainen & Sirpa Suutari Finland
2000 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj South Africa/Germany
2001 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj South Africa/Germany
2002 Paul Killick & Hanna Karttunen England/Finland
2003 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj South Africa/Germany
2004 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj South Africa/Germany
2005 Michal Malitowski & Joanna Leunis Poland/Belgium
2006 Michal Malitowski & Joanna Leunis Poland/Belgium
2007 Michal Malitowski & Joanna Leunis Poland/Belgium
2008 Michal Malitowski & Joanna Leunis Poland/Belgium
2009 Michal Malitowski & Joanna Leunis Poland/Belgium
2010 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko U.S.A.
2011 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko U.S.A.
2012 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko U.S.A.
2013 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko U.S.A.

International Amateur Champions

Amateur Champions
1953 James Arnell & Estrella Pescador England/Spain
1954 tie: Derek & Rose Bassi and Teddie Atkinson & Audrey Tessier England
1955 Derek & Rose Bassi England
1956 James Hayes & Eileen Pollard England
1957 James Hayes & Eileen Pollard England
1958 James Hayes & Eileen Pollard England
1959 Robert O'Hara & Margaret Nuthall England
1960 Ronald Smith & Jill Stevens England
1961 Ronald Smith & Jill Stevens England
1962 Alan Shaw & Ann Tinkley England
1963 John Brogan & Valerie Ritter England
1964 Barnie Conway & Evelyn Hislop England
1965 Barnie Conway & Evelyn Hislop England
1966 Barnie Conway & Evelyn Hislop England
1967 David Douglass and Janice Barb
1968 David Douglass and Janice Barb
1969 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1970 Keith Brewer & Shirley Wardman England
1971 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1972 Alan & Hazel Fletcher England
1973 Peter Maxwell & Lynn Harman England
1974 Ian & Ruth Walker England
1975 Espen & Kirsten Salberg Norway
1976 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1977 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1978 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1979 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1980 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1981 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1982 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1983 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1984 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1985 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1986 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1987 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1988 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1989 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1990 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1991 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1992 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1993 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1994 see http://www.dancesportinfo.net -
1995 Louis Van Amstel & Julie Fryer Netherlands
1996 Ralf Müller & Olga Müller-Omeltchenko Germany
1997 Michael Wentink & Beata Onefater South Africa
1998 Michael Wentink & Beata Onefater South Africa
1999 Matthew Cutler & Nicole Cutler England
2000 Slavik Kryklyvyy & Joanna Leunis Belgium
2001 Andrej Škufca & Katarina Venturini Slovenia
2002 Franco Formica & Oksana Nikiforova[11] Germany
2003 Franco Formica & Oksana Nikiforova[12] Germany
2004 Franco Formica & Oksana Nikiforova[13] Germany
2005 Riccardo Cocchi & Joanne Wilkinson[14] Italy
2006 Peter Stokkebroe & Kristina Stokkebroe[15] Denmark
2007 Maurizio Vescovo & Melinda Törökgyörgy[16] Hungary
2008 Stefano Di Filippo & Anna Melnikova[17] Italy
2009 Alexei Silde & Anna Firstova[18] Russia
2010 Alexei Silde & Anna Firstova[19] Russia
2011 Zoran Plohl & Tatsiana Lahvinovich[20] Croatia
2012 Aniello Langella & Khrystyna Moshenska[21] Italy
2013 Aniello Langella & Khrystyna Moshenska[22] Italy
2014 Aniello Langella & Khrystyna Moshenska[23] Italy

References

  1. Spencer, Frank and Peggy 1968. Come dancing. Allen, London; which was also the initial source for the list.
  2. Dance News #2138, August 27th 2009.
  3. In that order in each round; and Jive is only danced in the semi-finals and finals.
  4. The British Dance Council Rulebook summarises the points,
  5. Laird, Walter 2003. The Laird technique of Latin dancing. International Dance Publications Ltd.
  6. McMains, Juliet 2006. Glamour addiction: inside the American ballroom dance industry. Weslyan University Press, Middletown CT.
  7. Programme of the 2009 International Championships
  8. http://www.dance-news.co.uk/news_detail.php?news_id=61
  9. For comaparison, there are 51 countries listed as full members by the WDC, of which some political units are listed more than once. China is represented not only by the Peoples' Republic, but also by Hong Kong (which was listed long before China) and Taiwan; the UK is represented by two listings: Great Britain (effectively, England), and Scotland. Also, individual dancers may change affiliation during their careers.
  10. Programme of 2009 57th International Championships gives complete lists for all events.
  11. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Vienna-18095/Adult-Latin-41294/Ranking
  12. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-St_Petersburg-15978/Adult-Latin-36465/Ranking
  13. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Leipzig-16250/Adult-Latin-36961/Ranking
  14. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Ostrava-16467/Adult-Latin-37390/Ranking
  15. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Karlsruhe-16675/Adult-Latin-37833/Ranking
  16. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Vilnius-16972/Adult-Latin-38486/Ranking
  17. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Melbourne-17250/Adult-Latin-39086/Ranking
  18. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Maribor-17459/Adult-Latin-39604/Ranking
  19. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-New_York-17767/Adult-Latin-40453/Ranking
  20. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Singapore-17968/Adult-Latin-41019/Ranking
  21. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Vienna-18050/Adult-Latin-41216/Ranking
  22. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Berlin-18506/Adult-Latin-42616/Ranking
  23. http://www.worlddancesport.org/Event/Competition/World_Championship-Ostrava-19356/Adult-Latin-45075/Ranking
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