THE EVENT
The organisers of the United Kingdom Open Dance Festival deserve the highest praise and many congratulations for their wonderful presentation of the 2025 Championships. The unbelievable transformation of the event over the past few years has brought the UK Championships well and truly into the 21st century. Giant video screens give information and also immediate replays of the dancing. Also, video screens around the perimeter of the floor give advertising information and act as a safety division between the audience and the dancers, adding a secluded feeling of security for the dancers to perform with confidence and conviction.
This festival is growing every year and now uses two halls in order to accommodate the many new competitions which have been added. The logistics of organising such a festival is mind-boggling, and I find it difficult to believe that it all runs so smoothly. Just to compile the program and list the hundreds of competitors, and to give them the information they need to be at the right place at the right time and ready to perform is a small miracle - and then you have the adjudicators to take care of, and music, and the scrutineers, and the lighting, and the seating plan for the audience and the VIP guests, and hundreds of other small details that all have to be taken care of. In fact, in many cases the timetable was not only spot on but ahead of time. This allowed time for the floor to be swept, ready and clean for the next event. It is a testament to the dedication, and expertise of the organisers that it all went so perfectly for all concerned.
THE ORGANISERS AND PRESENTERS
The event was organised and presented by Robin Short and Christopher Short of Cre8tive Productions Ltd., thanks must also go to Ekaterina Short, and Rita Short for the work they have done and for the support they have given to Robin and Christopher.
Chairman of Adjudicators were David Trueman and Mark Lunn. Comperes were Colin James, Hannah Trever, Gary MacDonald, and Karen Hardy. Recorded Music by Scott Blant Harwood and Will Rodgers. The scrutineers were Kyle Harwood and Kris Turner.
Operations were by Nicky Miles, Duncan Trever, Hannes Emrich, Gary Foster, Michael Owen, and Ben Taylor, and additional operations by Helen Trueman, Hannah Trever, Diane Haywood, and Daniella Trueman-Norton.
THE ADJUDICATORS
The Amateur Ballroom Championship was held on Thursday the 23rd January, and 113 couples had entered. The first round was held at exactly 11.43 in the morning, and sixteen couples were exempt... due to their high position achieved last year. The twelve adjudicators had been carefully selected, and represented every aspect and position in our world of dance. They came from many different countries, and most had been past champions. They were, Mr Len Armstrong, Arunas Bizokas, Anne Gleave, Edita Gozzoli, Stephen Hannah, Christopher Hawkins, Marko Ilich, Rose Li, Donna Shingler, Greg Smith, Snieguole Wood, and Dmitry Zharkov.
THE MUSIC
The recorded music for the early rounds was provided by Scott Blant-Harwood, and I was aware that many of the tracks he played were unique, and I do not remember hearing them before. His music was of the highest quality, and in most cases completely suitable to the dancers. I was very impressed with the selection he had chosen, and I feel this had a major influence on the quality of the dancing, and in my experience the music is what it is all about. During the evening, we were treated to the music of Ross Mitchell, his Band and Singers. Ross of course played fantastic music for all of the major championships at this festival, and he told us that he has played at the UK Championships for 40 years. We learned with a touch of sadness that this will be the last time that Ross will play for us. His contribution to the UK Championships has been so important. He has always proved to be a most lovely, accommodating man, and carried out his duties with the minimum of fuss, always adding a sense of grandeur and importance to the evening. We will all miss him very much.
THE LIGHTING
It did not go unnoticed that the organisers had taken the opportunity to provide the absolute best possible lighting the venue could offer. Of course the dance floor area was brightly lit from above, which is a big advantage to the adjudicators. During the evening a haze machine filled the air with the faintest of mist's, but it did enough to enhance the use of spot lights. This one element is scarcely noticed by the audience but adds so much to the atmosphere in the hall, and provides a magical highlight to the dancing.
THE DANCING
I was very impressed by the first round of the competition, and all of the couples were impeccably dressed, beautifully groomed, and showed a very high level of dancing. Some couples impress more than others, and it is these couples that will attract the marks from the judges. In most cases, floor-craft is very good, and it is this asset which is quite difficult to teach to the couples. Mostly it is down to knowledge and experience - but it is a wonderful asset to see and admire when it is done well.
Having watched the Quarter-Final round, one couple who I think deserve some credit is number 25, Mark Chilcote and Madison Ingoldsby. They were dancing very well and ended up just one mark short of making the semi final, and I thought they had danced well enough to be in the last twelve. They are full-on competitors and have a lovely personality. They have good style and incredible movement. It is difficult to give advice, but I would say, keep going, develop the artistic side of your performance, and trust yourselves, you could make it big time! The other couples in the quarter final were all fantastic dancers, and I wish you all to continue to dance and inspire others to follow in your pursuit of perfection.
THE SEMI-FINAL
Let us move forward to the semi-final round held at 9.11 in the evening. One couple which I feel were outstanding in their ability, and presentation were from China, Congxian Xie and Yuting Luo, number 96, we know them as Peter and Amelia. They are not tall in stature, but they move as smooth as silk, and they have technique and artistry to die for. I was sure that they had done enough to make the final, but it was not to be... I was very disappointed, and I am sure they must have been devastated. Their time will come!
THE FINAL
The final couples were announced at 10.17. and each couple were invited to give an introduction performance prior to the actual final. This is a wonderful opportunity to view the couples solo, and to be able to view the couples without interference from the other finalists. It gives the audience the opportunity to see a little deeper into their personalities, and the chance to have more time to appreciate their dancing.
Last years winners Glenn-Richard Boyce and Caroly Janes had recently turned professional, and so the title was destined for a new winner. The favourites and winners, were the Chinese couple Yujie Tang and Aini Zhoa (Michael and Annie), and they did not disappoint, with a fantastic performance full of exquisite dancing of the highest order. They made themselves very difficult to beat, and took the title winning all five dances. Their fluidity is quite remarkable, you could call it perfect co-ordination, and it produces the most effortless movement. They hold true to all of the fundamentals of traditional Ballroom Dancing, showing grace and style of the highest order. The future looks safe in their hands and feet, and I feel sure we can look forwards to many more wonderful performances.
Into second place were Marco Sirocchi and Dora Kilin, and what a beautiful couple they are. Dora is one of the most natural dancers, and always looks stunning on the floor. Marco knows he has a wonderful partner and guides her with care around the floor. They are one of the most talented ballroom dancers to emerge from Italy in a long while, and possess all of the attributes necessary to make it to the very top. They finished with and aggregate of 3,2,2,3,2, which may have been a little disappointing to them, but they were not at their very best. Their intricate dancing causes them to get stuck in the corners of the floor, and often causes them to look a little under pressure to extricate themselves. This also affects their style, posture, and position. There is no doubt that even with these problems they are always a very formidable couple, and I am sure they will return with a tip-top performance next time.
Finishing 3rd but with and aggregate of 2,3,3,2,3, were Oleksander Bezkrovnyi and Mariia Savchul, and they were pushing very hard for a better result. They are a very impressive couple, and have very few weaknesses. Alex is particularly strong and he is definitely the driving force of the partnership. Their quality of movement and technique is quite exceptional. They also combine this with a wonderful feeling for the music, showing subtlety and detail in all that they do. It is no wonder that with these attributes they were close to winning the championship. In my opinion they now have to try to make it all look without effort, and a slightly more carefree approach may pay dividends. Also, it would be nice if Alex focused on really trying to present Mariia at every opportunity. So it all comes down to these small margins, and how much the partnership can harmonise together, and present themselves in the best possible way.
Into 4th place were Linghao Kang and Anran Xing (Harry and Anya), and I am sure they were very happy with this result, getting one place higher than at the recent International Championship. Their aggregate was 5,4,4,5,5. To say that they are talented would be an understatement, for they have such a wonderful feeling for Ballroom Dancing, and on this evening it looked as though they loved to dance. I can only assume that in their early years they were very well trained, and this early training which is so important, shows in everything they are able to do. They have now become much more confident, and were able to dance with full commitment to every dance. They have a wonderful personality on the floor, and I think it is this quality that has endeared them more to the majority of the adjudicators. With their high levels of technique, and natural ability I feel sure that they will now be able to improve even more, and delight the audience with their beautiful dancing.
Andrei Toader and Mia Linnick-Holden finished 5th, by being place 4,6,5,4,6, and this would have been a slight disappointment for them. However, they danced really well during the whole competition, and were very impressive in the early rounds. In fact I think it was the best I had seen them. They are a very attractive couple, with Andrei having an almost perfect physique for Ballroom Dancing, and Mia being one of the most beautiful dancers on the floor. Their quality of movement is very high, and Andrei is able to perform with so much feeling and expression, covering the floor without the look of any effort being used. We call this using the body weight to move, and you could say... not just taking steps. This natural way of producing movement is not easy to teach, and is somewhat controlled by the talent given to each individual dancer. If you have it you are very lucky! Mia, has proved to be a very talented young lady, and has recently achieved a much lighter look to her partnering skills. She was beautifully dressed and was the perfect foil for Andrei to get on with his task of impressing all who were watching. I thought their Waltz was one of the best on the floor, and my notes read that I was very impressed with their Tango, flat and with magnificent posture.
Into 6th place were Dmytro Lishchuk and Liza Perepelytsia and I must admit that I am not so familiar with their dancing. I remember watching them during the semi-final and was quite impressed, and they are certainly very good dancers, with very pleasing personalities. The were placed 6,5,6,6,4. My notes record that their Quickstep was their best dance and so it proved to be. They have all of the fundamentals in place, and have a lot of natural ability, so they should continue to improve and try to maintain this very high position. This was their first major final, and they can be very proud and satisfied with what they achieved. I look forward to seeing them challenge for higher honours in the future.
PATRONS AND SPONSORS
I think it is widely known that without the support of sponsorship it would be impossible to organise events of such a high standard. Therefore, we must give our thanks and pay our respects to the those people who did so much to make this event such a big success.
The Grand Patron of the United Kingdom Open Dance Festival was Ms. Bing Lin, Chairperson of CIMEN Charitable Foundation, and Chairperson of CIMEN Lin Bing Dance Academy.
Also, Ms Vivien Chen, Intergrated Chinese Medicine Holdings Ltd., Mr Terence Lay Charity Foundation, Air Dance, SRDS Smooth & Rhythm Dance Style, Gema - Exclusive Dance Events, Dance Queen, NY USA, NYDF New York Dance Festival, Chrisanne Clover, and DPA Dance Promoters' Association.
Thank you also to Ms Lina for her her generosity and support, and for her Special Guest Performance during the evening.
CONCLUSION
Having had some time to reflect on my thoughts of the UK Championships I must say that Jennifer and I were very impressed with the standard of dancing. There was very little to critique and much to admire. We know that some past champions feel that the character of the Tango and Quickstep have been lost in the determination by many couples to just produce movement at all cost, with little concern to the fundamentals and character of the dance, and in many cases this is true. However, the very top amateur and professional couples are producing dancing far superior in style, movement, technique, and may I say choreography than of years gone by, and we are sure that it is inevitable that Ballroom Dancing will continue to develop and change in the future. We hope that with guidance and good old common sense, it will continue to develop and improve.
With events such as this, I feel that the future of competitive Ballroom Dancing looks secure, and is in safe hands. I will leave you by offering my congratulation to Robin and Christopher and all involved for producing such a wonderful festival of dancing.
Stephen Hillier MBE
Image: Tomasz Reindl
Commentaires