Towering Performances at Blackpool

October usually heralds the onset of Autumn with all its glorious colour together with cooler weather, shorter days and a time when Boris is glad of his jumper. For our dancers it also brings one of the most prestigious events in our calendar, the British Sequence Championships at Blackpool. 

This year saw the 70th running of these Championships and we had a great team with us, all eager to test their skills against the best dancers in the country, in this style of dance.

The first day saw all dancers in action: Josh & Grace, Stuart & Andrea, Neil & Carla, Andrew & Dawn and Craig & Emma. The Wintergardens is always a fabulous place to dance, the huge floor, the ornate decor, the history, and the opportunity to dance to the live orchestra make this a very special event. First to put their skills to the test were Neil & Carla, Andrew & Dawn and Craig & Emma in their modern sequence event. They had to battle through two rounds on their way to the final which all three couples achieved, which in itself was a great performance. When the results were announced, Craig & Emma won with Neil & Carla second and Andrew & Dawn placed fifth which set the benchmark for the team and was excellent for all concerned.

The Senior Classical Sequence Championship followed with Stuart & Andrea in action and they finished third in the final analysis which was the same result as they achieved last year although they demonstrated a much improved performance.

Josh & Grace were our final couple in action in their Modern Sequence Championship. There were a number of new couples, fresh from the junior field, contesting this event today so they needed to have their A game with them. Once again they gave a confident and much improved performance earning a recall to the final. They will no doubt feel a little unfortunate to have been placed fifth and on another day could well have been placed higher. 

The following day saw only Neil & Carla and Andrew & Dawn in action but it was good to see that most of the others turned out to support their fellow team members in the early rounds and again in the evening. Once again they had to dance two rounds to reach the final which both couples did with Neil & Carla being placed first closely followed by Andrew & Dawn in second, we couldn’t have asked for anything more so well done to you both.

All too soon it was the final day of the festival, which seemed to have flown by. Josh & Grace, Stuart & Andrea and Craig & Emma were all in action today, with the addition of Liam & Grace joining for the Pro-Am event. As expected all couples were keen to do well and give their best performances, whilst Boris was keen to secure some more silverware.

It was also a certain person’s birthday and we could let it pass without marking the occasion.

In the Senior Modern Sequence event, Stuart & Andrea once again turned in a good performance but had to be content with third once again. Josh & Grace had their Classical Sequence Championship today and once again made the final finishing sixth overall. Craig & Emma repeated their success of Sunday evening with another win in their Classical Sequence event, emulating Josh & Grace’s double win of a few years earlier. 

We then came to the eagerly anticipated Pro-Am event and this gave Liam the opportunity to dance at these championships for the first time since he and Alex retired from their Amateur career. He was partnered by Grace and they gave a lovely display of the three test dances to take first place and round off a winning weekend. 

Overall then it was a very successful Championships for our dancers and all participants should be complimented on their performances, attire, commitment and team support which was fantastic. Well done to all involved.

After all the excitement of the last few days even Boris felt in need of refreshment whilst everyone reflected on the high points of the festival.

We only have a week to recover before one of the other important events in our calendar, the ISTD Grand Finals, once again in Blackpool. Most of the team will be in action here and Boris will be extremely busy organising the mascots. Look out for further reports here.