JUNIOR BRITISH CHAMPIONS !
THE
TIMES
BALLROOM
AUSTRALIA
R
Vol. 2 No. 5 May 2015
Pg 2
Pg 3
A Letter from the Editors
Welcome to The Australia Times “BALLROOM”, May 2015 Edition. This month we have
another great History of the Floor article by 1985 British Professional Rising Star Latin
champion Tony Gauci from New South Wales. We also have snippets from the Crown
Dancesport Championships as well as coverage of Australian Juniors Michael WIlson
and Chloe Zenz’s success at the recent Blackpool Junior Festival. Remember to email us
if you want to contribute or have your say info@theaustraliatimes.com.au
Jason & Erin.
ON THE COVER
(From Left) Chloe Zenz, Joanne Boden & Michael
Wislon. Michael and Chloe were champions at the
Junior Blackpool Festival in April this year!
PHOTO SUPPLIED BY JOANNE BODEN
thank you very much.
IN THIS ISSUE
Letter from the Editors.............Pg 3
Dancesport Lectures................Pg 6
Crown Championships..........Pg 10
Dance Move Engage..............Pg 18
Aussies Around the World.....Pg 21
Junior Blackpool....................Pg 24
History of the Floor................Pg 28
Fashion Police........................Pg 34
Have your say........................Pg 40
Want to be a contributor?
Please email us
info@theaustraliatimes.com.au
CONTRIBUTORS
Dancesport Lectures
Dance Move Engage
Joanne Boden
Tony Gauci
Peter & Rebecca Beardsley
COMING NEXT MONTH
• Off The Floor Interview
• Aussies Around the World
• Victorian Championships
• Balance, Nourish Thrive
• 1st birthday celebrations
• much much more !
Pg 4
www.outsidechange.com
Pg 5
www.outsidechange.com
DONATE NOW
makeawish.org.au 1800 032 260
Liam, 6, diagnosed with large cell lymphoma,
wished to go to a diamond mine.
They create hope for the future, strength to battle life-threatening illness and
joy from their unique once in a lifetime wish experience. Help us unleash the
incredible power of wishes by donating today!
To seriously ill children
around Australia, wishes
are powerful.
C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Make-A-Wish Advertisement FA.pdf 1 4/09/14 12:41 PM
Pg 6
The 29th March marked the inaugural launch of the Dancesport Lecture Series and with it a very exciting
future for the dancing industry. The day featured lectures by the legend himself Mr Anthony Hurley and
a pioneer in New Vogue dancing, Mr Peter Todd. The day was enjoyed by all and totally surpassed all our
expectations of what it would involve.
Dancesport Lectures evolved out of wanting to give couples access to as much information and knowledge
that was possible. Geographical and financial constraints can sometimes limit dancers as to what information
they receive, but we believe that everyone is entitled to learn from the best. Dancesport Lectures strongly
believe that knowledge is power and everyone has the potential to have that power if they are willing to listen.
We were extremely privileged and honoured to have Mr Anthony Hurley open the lectures series back in
March. He provided a stimulating lecture on the
importance of posture – something that dancers
these day will compromise for “shape”. He spoke
of the naturalness of dancing and how it is the
little things that make the picture complete. He
was assisted during the lecture by Mary Barratt-
Thompson, and the two of them demonstrating
a tango will be something remembered by all.
Truly inspiring dancing with minimal effort.
Mr Hurley was followed by one of Australia’s
leading experts in New Vogue, Mr Peter Todd.
Peter spoke about the evolution of New Vogue
and what he looks for in a competitive couple on
the floor. His lecture centred on how to prepare
for a competition from lesson plans, to dress, to
performance during rounds, to performance in
a final. He stressed the importance of footwork
and ‘ballroom’ mechanics in New Vogue which is
sometimes quickly forgotten due to “interesting
arm lines.” His opinion was very interesting and
made many rethink their attitude towards New
Vogue dancing.
The day concluded with a stamina session
where couples were able to put what they had
Pg 7
just learnt from the masters into practice. Both Anthony and Peter stayed for the session, answering questions
and giving feedback to dancers during their practice; an unmissable opportunity.
84 dancers participated in the lectures on the day, taking advantage of the unprecedented
access to Australia’s best coaches.
We are truly humbled by the support we have received in making this dream become a reality however,
ultimately Dancesport Lectures is only here to make you a better dancer. To learn as much as you can, to
experiment as much as you can, to practise as much as you can, to work out what works for you. Our goal is
to foster dancing in Australia and inspire both social and competitive dancers to get the best out of themselves.
Each month we will be conducting a Ballroom, Latin American and/or New Vogue lecture at Inspirations Dance
Centre in West Ryde. Each lecture goes for one hour and is $18 per lecture with a
stamina session to follow afterwards.
Our April lecture (which unfortunately will happen after we go to print) is sure to be just as inspiring. Featuring
a Latin American workshop conducted by a legend in the industry, Mr Tony Gauci and a Ballroom lecture
conducted by one of the most successful ballroom dancers in Australia, Mr Grant Barratt-Thompson,
the information is going to be flowing!
To ensure you don’t miss out on an invaluable experience, visit our website www.dancesportlectures.com.au
or our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/dancesportlectures to stay updated on the latest information
and also the announcements of more guest speakers at future lectures.
At $18 you can’t afford to miss this opportunity!
Pg 8
PRINCIPAL SPONSOR
Southern Cross
DanceSport
Championship
Grand Ballroom
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
Saturday 25th July 2015
Australian Dancing Society
Sofitel Melbourne
On Collins
p r e s e n t s t h e
ADS National Office
+61 03 9926 1395 Email: info@australiandancingsociety.com.au
Southern Cross A4 Ad 2015_Layout 1 27/10/14 12:48 PM Page 1
Pg 9
PRINCIPAL SPONSOR
Southern Cross
DanceSport
Championship
Grand Ballroom
Sofitel Melbourne On Collins
Saturday 25th July 2015
Australian Dancing Society
Sofitel Melbourne
On Collins
p r e s e n t s t h e
ADS National Office
+61 03 9926 1395 Email: info@australiandancingsociety.com.au
Southern Cross A4 Ad 2015_Layout 1 27/10/14 12:48 PM Page 1
Pg 10
2015 CROWN INTERNATIONAL
Dancesport Championship
The weekend of April 18, 19 & 20 in the Palladium at the fabulous Crown Casino
complex in Melbourne witnessed some fantastic dancing in both the Ballroom
and Theatrical rooms. This event goes from strength to strength each and every
year and this year was no exception. Entries were fantastic, the crowd was
very impressive during the day on the Saturday, both the day and night on the
Sunday, and Monday for the Pro Am Championship. This event is truly an event
for everyone, and if you have never been to the crown International before, you
must put it in your diary for 2016.
An event of this magnitude cannot go ahead and function without the support of a great team and organisers
Don McRobert & Lorraine Perkins have such a wonderful working team behind them. The
CIDA Board of Directors consists of Donna Bradley, Nikki Tan, Sheree Coulthard, Noel Perkins, Karen Latham
and Sheryll Norden, and the committee with Kerry Bradley, Ian McNamara, Franchesca Cantillo, Peter Fitcher,
Foong Cheah and Megan-Louise Elliott. All of the team need to be congratulated on putting together what we
believe to be the best Crown Championship to date.
Special guests and patrons of the event were the Right Hon. Earl and Countess of Dunmore, Malcolm &
Joy Murray and all the way from Malaysia Dato Tham Cham Soo.
This Ballroom event also attracts some international adjudicators and this year they were :
Wanthanee Kanchana (THAILAND), Michael Addicoat (THAILAND), Fabrizio Cravero (ITALY), Francis
Teoh (MALAYSIA) and Judy Hu (TAIWAN)
Pg 11
2015 CROWN INTERNATIONAL
Dancesport Championship
The International adjudicators were joined by our local Australian judges and they were as follows :
New South Wales - Grant Barratt-Thompson, Alan Shingler, Paul Green, Neale Byrnes,
Penny De Kauwe, Paul Cruddas, Brad Dawes, Peter Campbell
and Alex Schembri.
South Australia - Madeleine Zoanetti and Rhett English
Tasmania - Andrew Palmer and Marilyne Jackson
Western Australia - Glen Tierney
Victoria - Adam Blakey, Pamelia Courts, Brent Olifent, Patrick Liu, Kerry Clarke,
Jason Beaman, Norma Connelly-Ellis, Monica Fincham, Shane Hocking,
Kym Smith, Wayne Douglas and Anita McGrath.
We have quite a few Professionals covering some of the events from the Championship which will appear
in both this edition and in next months edition also, we do hope you enjoy reading what they thought and
their different points of view overall. We have also continued with our ‘What you thought’ survey
where we hand out around 50 questionnaires to various people in the venue such as competitors, spectators,
Professionals, Mums and Dads etc to hear what the paying customer thinks of the event they are at. So far it
has been rather interesting to read what they have written and noted down however, the Crown Championship
has got some great feedback, make sure you take a look at that.
To see all the results from the 2015 Crown International Championships, you can visit
http://dancesportlive.net/dsl/results/2015/cida_crown/
2015 CROWN INTERNATIONAL
Dancesport Championship
Pg 12
2015 CROWN INTERNATIONAL
Dancesport Championship
Monday 20th April 2015 witnessed the Pro Am Championship of the Crown International and this
always attracts some of Australia’s best professionals, both past and present, competing with their students.
The Pro Am scene is slowly getting bigger here in Australia and the support for this championship was great
which even included DSA Coach and student events too.
Some of the Professionals who really need to be congratulated on both the conduct of their own dancing and
how they danced with their students are PAUL GREEN, CRAIG MONLEY, BRAD DAWES, ADAM BLAKEY,
KEN PEDERSEN, TERRY ROBERTSON, STEVEN GRINBERGS and NOEL PERKINS just to name a few.
These Professionals looked, danced and partnered like true Professionals and should really be congratulated
on making their students look the best they possibly could be.
It is not easy dancing Pro Am because that moment your student walks on to the floor to them is
their moment to shine and they only have one chance to make that impression to receive a good score. I do
not think it is beneficial for a Professional to have an overload of students unless they are an iron man which
frankly, none of us are. You must give your best to your students at all times and overloading is not always the
best option. Something to think about.
Overall, the 2015 Crown International Championships was a wonderful event in a magnificent venue.
Congratulations to the team once again and please enjoy our coverage of the 2015 Crown International Dance
and Dancesport Championships.
Pg 13
2015 CROWN INTERNATIONAL
Dancesport Championship - Your Feedback
2015 Crown International Dance & DanceSport Championship
VENUE: 9
½
out of 10 -
Feedback was the venue is fantastic, prestigious and classy.
FLOOR SIZE: 4 out of 10 -
A few comments were that the floor was smaller than previous years, floor was
too small, floor was too square, needs more panels to make longer.
** Editors note: After talking with the organisers regarding the floor size, Crown had a new floor and the same
amount of pieces were put down as per previous years however, the new pieces are smaller than the old ones
which made the floor smaller. This has already been rectified for 2016’s Crown International.
CHANGE ROOMS: 7 out of 10 -
Some comments stated that they used the toilets for change rooms as
they did not know if there were any actual change rooms. Toilets were spacious to change in. Couldn’t find
change rooms so used the toilets.
ADMISSION COST: 6 out of 10 -
Most comments stated that the price was fair for the wonderful venue
but felt that it was about $15 - $20 over priced. A good price for a venue of this standard. Organisers should
think of tiering prices so general public pay less than competitors.
MUSIC: 9 out of 10 -
Music comments in general were that it was very current music, great tracks, some
New Vogue music was a little bit old fashioned, need this music man for every other event in Melbourne!
EVENT SCHEDULE: 8 out of 10 -
Most of the comments were that it was good scheduling. If the floor
was bigger it would have meant that some of the events wouldn’t have required heats.
FOOD OPTIONS: 7
½
out of 10 -
This was a mixed response, some people thought the food available was
limited at the Palladium itself as they did not have the time to get to other food outlets. Others said you can’t
beat crown for it’s great choice of food in the food court and numerous restaurants.
PARKING: 9 out of 10 -
Great parking, easy to get too.
OVERALL EXPERIENCE: 8 out of 10 -
After looking at the feedback forms we found the biggest
downfall was the floor size
and food options at the palladium itself. Other than that all feedback was
great with people saying that this is definitely one of the best events of the year. Great atmosphere. Wonderful
to receive trophies to 3rd place. Music was the best in a long time at a local Melbourne event. The venue is
so beautiful it makes you want to dance.
** Editors Note: The comments above are those of 50 people who attended the championship this year from
parents, friends, competitors and professionals and not those of TAT Ballroom or it’s editors.
2015 CROWN INTERNATIONAL
Dancesport Championship
Pg 14
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
Pg 15
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photography/3665
47216867119?fref=photo
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
Pg 16
Pg 17
Pg 18
Dance Move Engage incorporated is one of Australia’s newest recognised
not for prot organisations dedicated to the promotion and development
of dance and tness for all.
Dance Move Engage was founded in 2011 by Neale Byrnes who is passionate about introducing Youth to the
wonderful activity of ballroom dancing, now referred to as Dancesport. This activity is strongly connected to our
Australian history and culture and our focus is to re-build it at the grass roots end of this socially engaging activity.
The key objectives of the association are to provide accessible and affordable dance classes, to promote health
and wellbeing, build social skills of participants and enhance cultural and community experiences.
The organisation consists of the following
PRESIDENT: NEALE BYRNES
VICE PRESIDENT: ALAN SHINGLER
SECRETARY: DONNA SHINGLER
TREASURER: NICOLE BYRNES
DIRECTOR: LYNEHAM FORREST
Dance Move Engage have three Champions Of The Future competitions organised for 2015 so far and those
dates are :
21ST JUNE
6TH SEPTEMBER
7TH DECEMBER
Admission costs for the first competition will be $20 for adults, $10 for Children and $50 for a family ticket of 2
Adults and up to 3 Children. Dance Move Engage members are FREE and so are children under 5 years of age.
These competitions are purely designed for recreational competitors and non registered dancers and a great
stepping stone for into the world of DanceSport. Some Pro Am events will also be held.
If you are interested in becoming a member of Dance Move Engage, please visit their website at
www.dancemoveengage.org for more information.
All of us at TAT Ballroom would like to wish Dance Move Engage the very best of luck and hope
that the dancing fraternity support such a wonderful concept.
DonnaAlanNeale LynehamNicole
Pg 19
Many thanks to our sponsors ...
DonnaAlanNeale LynehamNicole
Pg 20
International
The most recent results of Australian Couples from
Competitions held around the World.
Pg 21
International
The most recent results of Australian Couples from
Competitions held around the World.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Aussies Around the World
STAFFORDSHIRE OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2015
Stoke-On-Trent, England Sunday 29th March, 2015
Young Sydney dancer Rae-Li Forrest and her new
Italian dance partner Damiano Soldati danced
their first competition together in the UK and placed
a fantastic 2nd in the Amateur Ballroom event. They
are representing England on the World circuit and
we look forward to seeing many of their results on
the international dance scene.
2015 WDSF EUROPEAN STANDARD CH’SHIP
Cambrils, Spain Saturday 4th April, 2015
Former Australian Ashli Williamson and her partner
Bjorn Bitsch who represent Denmark placed 7th in
the European Standard Championship behind the
best in the world on the WDSF circuit. Results of
final were
1st. Simone Segatori & Annette Sudol (Germany)
2nd. Dmitry Zharkov & Olga Kulikova (Russia)
3rd. Evaldas Sodeika & Ieva Zukauskaite (Lithuania)
4th. Francesco Galuppo & Debora Pacini (Italy)
5th. Nikolay Darin & Natalia Seredina (Moldova)
6th. Vaidotas Lacitis & Veronika Golodneva (Lithuania)
INTERNATIONAL OPEN BERLIN
Berlin, Germany Saturday 4th April, 2015
Berlin hosted it’s WDSF International Open
Championship on the Easter weekend with some
huge support from around the world.
93 couples took the floor in the first round of the Adult
Standard event with Earle Williamson & Charlotte
Rikke Christiansen (USA) placing 3rd and younger
siblings Errol & Ami Williamson (Denmark) making
the semi final round placing in 8th.
WDSF OPEN GREECE
Thessaloniki, Greece Saturday 4th April, 2015
The WDSF Open in Greece had one couple
representing Australia in Alex Salvador & Alice
Chiocchi in the Latin. 54 couples danced in the
first round and Alex & Alice making the 3rd round
and placing 20th.
WDC EUROPEAN OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Blackpool, England Saturday 4th April, 2015
Arkady Bakenov & Rosa Filippello who now
dance for England placed a fantastic 3rd in the
European Amateur Latin Championship with the
winners being Nikita Brovko & Olga Urmova (Russia)
with Andrey Kiselev & Anastasia Kiseleva (Russia) in
the runners up position.
Michael Hemera & Lauren Mcfarlane-Hemera
who also now dance for England made the 3rd round
of 24 couples and just missing out on the semi final
round placing 13th.
Darren & Christina Morrissey from Perth made
the second round of 48 couples placing 40th.
Brad & Tania Montagnese from Victoria also
competed and placed in 53rd position from a first
round of 69 couples. Great to see them back on the
competition floor.
In the AMATEUR BALLROOM event, 67 couples took
the floor in the first round with new partnership of
Damiano Soldati & Rae-Li Forrest dancing for
England making the 2nd round and placing 32nd.
Brad & Tania Montagnese Missing out on the
Pg 22
second round of 45 couples and placing 57th and
Darren & Christina Morrissey placing 61st.
2015 JUNIOR BLACKPOOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Blackpool, England Monday 6th April, 2015
Three couples represented Australia at this years’
Junior Blackpool, one from Queensland, one from
Victoria and one from Western Australia and their
results are as follows.
LUCAS CHENG & ASHLEY HUYNH (VIC)
JUVENILE JIVE - Placing equal 52nd in the first
round, just missing out on the second round.
JUVENILE VIENNESE WALTZ – Making the second
round and placing 38th.
JUVENILE BALLROOM CHAMPIONSHIP - Making the
2nd round out of a large field of 56 couples and
placing in 36th.
JUVENILE LATIN CHAMPIONSHIP - Lucas & Ashley
made the second round and placed 39th out of 58
couples who started the first round.
What a great experience for them and being so
young can only inspire them to be the best.
SEAN HILL & JANE CLORIBEL (WA)
JUNIOR SAMBA – Making the 4th round of 48
couples and placed 38th.
JUNIOR LATIN CHAMPIONSHIP - Placing 89th out of
a first round entry list of an amazing 150 couples.
Wonderful results for their first international
experience. Congratulations.
MICHAEL WILSON & CHLOE ZENZ (QLD)
JUNIOR SAMBA – Champions, 1st place from
147 couples who started the first round. A great
achievement by them and one they will never forget.
JUNIOR JIVE – Making the semi final and placing
10th out of 113 couples.
JUNIOR LATIN CHAMPIONSHIP – A fantastic week
for Michael & Chloe, also making the final of the
Junior 5 Dance Latin Championship placing 7th
out of 150 couples, a fantastic result for Michael &
Chloe and one we are sure they will treasure forever.
This is really amazing for Michael & Chloe on
their first trip to England, very inspiring for all of
our dancers especially those Adult, Masters and
Professional competitors who are travelling to the
UK for the Blackpool Dance Festival at the end of
this month. Remember, dreams can come true and
anything is possible.
SICILIA OPEN 2015
Catania, Italy Saturday 11th April, 2015
The WDSF Adult Open Latin in Cantania, Italy
saw New Zealand couple Fabio Coco & Nicole
Harrington make the final and place 6th in a strong
field of mainly Italian competitors. 27 couples
started the first round and Fabio & Nicole should be
very happy with their result.
WDC BAD HOMBURG INTERNATIONAL
Bad Homburg, Germany Saturday 18th April, 2015
Arkady Bakenov & Rosa Filippello (England)
were once again invited to compete at the Bad
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Aussies Around the World
Pg 23
Homburg International and this year finished in 3rd
place behind Slovenia and Latvia.
SWISS OPEN 2015
Lausanne, Switzerland Saturday 18th April, 2015
In the WDSF Open Latin event at the Swiss Open,
Australian couple Alex Salvador & Alice Chiocchi
featured in the final placing 6th out of a starting
field of 36 couples. New Zealanders Fabio Coco &
Nicole Harrington made the semi final round and
placed 9th.
LOW COST NICRIS DANCE TROPHY
Monticello Conte Otto, Italy Sunday 19th April, ‘15
Alex Salvador & Alice Chiocchi are certainly
doing a lot of travelling around Europe with Italy
being the latest stop. They competed against 76
other couples to place 16th in a very tough field at
this Low Cost event.
THE ALL ENGLAND LATIN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Grays, England Sunday 26th April, 2015
The lead up to Blackpool has started with the All
England Latin Championships which featured some
Australians and New Zealanders in action.
In the Amateur Latin 37 couples danced the first
round and we see Arkady Bakenov & Rosa
Filippello placing 3rd in what looked like a fantastic
final. In the semi final round and placing 11th were
Michael Hemera & Lauren Mcfarlane-Hemera.
New Zealanders Brian Dibnah & Sarah Nolan
who now call the UK there home made the second
round 24 couples and placed in 22nd position.
Just missing out on the second round and placing
in 25th were Victorian’s Igor Iiand & Camille
Webb and also in the first round in 28th place were
Darren & Christina Morrissey with Brad & Tania
Montagnese in 34th.
WDSF GRAND SLAM WUHAN
Wuhan, China Sunday 26th April, 2015
Unfortunately no Australian couples were
competing in Wuhan for the Grand although we
were represented on the adjudicating panel with
none other than LEANNE BAMPTON flying the
Australian flag.
We did see former Aussie Ashli Williamson &
Bjorn Bitsch (Denmark) make the semi final round
of the grand Slam Standard and placed in 7th
position, just missing out on the final.
The Grand Slam Standard was won by the current
World number 1, Simone Segatori & Anette Sudol
(Germany) and the Latin was won by Moldova with
Gabriele Goffredo & Anna Matus.
Overall, another wonderful month of
dancing on the international circuit for
Australia. Next month we will bring
you all the results from the Blackpool
Dance Festival so please keep an eye
open for that as Australia has a very
large contingent travelling to compete
this year.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Aussies Around the World
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
Aussies Around the World
Pg 24
Joanne Boden reporting ...
Australia, a day to be proud!
On Tuesday 7th April 2015 Australia brought home the GOLD medal in the single dance Samba British Junior
Championship. MICHAEL WILSON and his partner CHLOE ZENZ competed against 177 talented junior dancers
from around the world.
Michael and Chloe, from Queensland,
fought their way through six rounds to make it into the most
elite final in the world for junior dancers. They thought their dreams had come true but little did they know
that the esteemed panel of adjudicators thought far more of them than just finalists....THEY WON!!!!!
It was a very proud moment for me having escorted the kids to this prestigious event and watched as this
marvellous day unfolded. Everyone at home waited with baited breath for news. Of course when we called
home there were tears of joy from parents and fellow dancers alike.
Results: 1st Michael Wilson and Chloe Zenz Australia
2nd Vitaly Dergachev and Daniela Roze Kutischev Ireland
3rd Jaicheng Bai and Yinkxue Zhu China
4th Viktor Kalinichenko and Oleksandra Kalinichenko Ukraine
5th Joshua Lishnevetsky and Angela Gerzberg USA
6th Andrew Stepanov and Polina Makieva Russia
7th Michael Goldshtein and Yuliya Zakarieva Canada
Michael and Chloe went on to dance their second event, the Open Junior British Championships on Thursday.
This gave them one day rest to come down from cloud nine and regroup for another battle. Again they danced
their way through six rounds with 188 competitors taking the floor. Seven of the best junior couples in the world
were recalled to dance their final.....AUSTRALIA IS IN THE FINAL!!!! In this event we finished
7th. An absolutely brilliant achievement.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
2015 British Junior Championship, Blackpool
Pg 25
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
2015 British Junior Championship, Blackpool
PROUD COACH
Chloe and Michael with their coach Joanne Boden (Centre)
Photo supplied by Joanne Boden, thank you.
2015 BRITISH JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIP
Pg 26
Mitochondrial disease (mito) can
affect any organ in anyone of any age.
www.amdf.org.au
It is often terminal; there is no cure and
few effective treatments exist.
One Australian
child born each
week will develop
a severe or life-
threatening form
of mito.”
“
Jack
Pg 27
Mitochondrial disease (mito) can
affect any organ in anyone of any age.
www.amdf.org.au
It is often terminal; there is no cure and
few effective treatments exist.
One Australian
child born each
week will develop
a severe or life-
threatening form
of mito.”
“
Jack
Pg 28
History
OF THE
With TONY GAUCI
from New South Wales
Photos supplied by Tony Gauci, thank you.
Pg 29
History
OF THE
This month we interviewed one of Australia’s very few British Open Champions
a title he won in 1985 in the British Professional Rising Star Latin event. Please
enjoy our History Of The Floor interview with Tony Gauci from New South Wales.
Firstly Tony, How did you get involved in Ballroom Dancing, how old were you and who was your
rst Teacher/s?
I got involved through watching a neighbour do a dance competition. My first dance teachers were Jim &
Margaret Ward, after a while I then went to Adele Hyland and stayed with her till the end of my career.
How many dance partners did you have in your career?
I have only had 4 partners in my career.
You were a World 10 Dance nalist and competed in 10 Dance at the highest level, In Australia,
did you compete in all styles and how important do you think it is to have a solid understanding
of each style?
I did 10 Dance at the highest level in Australia and we won most of the 10 Dance events. It is very
important to have a solid understanding in each style
especially if you want to own your own
studio and of course if you want to adjudicate competitions.
Do you think there is too much focus on younger couples specialising in one style?
Yes! I think couples should do at least 2 of the 3 styles if they ever want to run a dance studio, it is always
good however to have learnt and competed in all 3 styles.
You have had some incredible results in Australia and around the world, Can you please list some
of your results as a competitor?
• British Professional Rising Star Latin Champion • British Open Amateur Latin Finalist
• 3rd place World Amateur Latin • UK and International Finalist
• Winning every major event in Australia
• 13 times Australian Champion covering both Ballroom and Latin.
Pg 30
Tony with Dianne Wills Johnson
HISTORY OF THE FLOOR - TONY GAUCI
Pg 31
HISTORY OF THE FLOOR - TONY GAUCI
History
OF THE
What year did you retire from competition dancing?
I retired in 1989.
Who were your coaches both here and overseas (if applicable)?
Adele Hyland in Australia, Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee, Espen & Kirsten Salberg, Nina Hunt and Walter Laird
in the UK.
Who or what was your biggest inspiration whilst competing and why?
My first biggest inspiration was watching the top Amateur and Professional couples when I was a Junior
competitor. Then it was seeing overseas couples that came to Australia like Michael Stylianos & Lorna Lee
which made me want to make dancing my career.
You obviously had some main rivals on the dance oor both here in Australia and overseas, who
were they and what was some of their biggest assets as competitors?
I did have a few rivals in Australia and overseas. My main rivals were couples overseas like Ralf Lephene
& Lydia Weisser (Germany), Johan & Nadia Eftedal (Norway), Peter Townsend (UK), Donnie Burns & Gaynor
Fairweather (Scotland) and Larry & Kerry Clarke (Australia).
They were all great dancers and we all made each other work harder to get better results,
we all practiced
at the same studio
in London which was great motivation.
Do you regret anything in your career, or would there be anything that you would have changed
looking back now?
Absolutely no regrets, I had the best teachers and was lucky enough to have the best partners chosen for me
by Adele Hyland.
What is the main difference in the Ballroom world now compared to when you were competing?
Well, it’s a sport now so the couples need to be a lot fitter and they train more like athlete’s than just dancers.
The interpretation of each style has changed dramatically, we have social media now so the couples get to see
the top dancers all the time just by YouTubing.
Pg 32
History
OF THE
You obviously have coached many competitors over the years, have there been any in particular
that have inspired you as a coach/Teacher?
All of my students have been very special to me and they have been very successful in Australia and also some
have done extremely well overseas. They have all inspired me to be the coach I am today and I hope I have
the chance to pass it on to more couples that come my way.
As an adjudicator, what is something that you look for in a good competitive couple?
I look for a couple that are physically matched in size and height, they should have a good connection with
each other. I look for a couple that I think have the X factor when they dance, that certain something
that other couples don’t have.
What bit of advice could you give the competitor’s of today that you wish you had received in your
early days of dancing?
Well I had the best advice from my teacher in Australia and also from overseas teachers. So to the competitors
of today, just listen to your teachers and let them guide you to your success.
We say thank you to Tony for a wonderful interview, it is so very important for our dancers of today to hear what
people like Tony has to say and to read what they have done in their career.
Australia has produced so many great dancers in the past and these short History Of The Floor interviews we
hope will inspire the current and next generations to continue and strive for the top in this wonderful industry.
1985 British Professional Rising Star Lineup. Tony rst on the Left.
Pg 33
Who’s got the look ?
Some of our favourite looks from the
2015 Crown International DanceSport Championships
CASSIE BAYDEN
Photo by Kerrie Bourke
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
CLAUDIA GEILS
Photo by Kerrie Bourke
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
Our
favourite
look
Pg 36
SHARON WEIGHT
Photo by Kerrie Bourke
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
ANNALISA ZOANETTI
Photo by Kerrie Bourke
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
Pg 37
STEPHANIE KANE
Photo by Kerrie Bourke
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
ANNALISA ZOANETTI
Photo by Kerrie Bourke
www.facebook.com/kerrierollsbourkephotography
LEI-WEI ANG Photo by Camella Camenzuli
www.facebook.com/pages/Camella-Camenzuli-photogra-
phy/366547216867119
Pg 38
Pg 39
Pg 40
Pg 41
Retirement Announcement
Peter & Rebecca Beardsley
At the Jupiters National DanceSport Championship over the Easter Weekend we
announced our retirement and brought to a close 24 years of competitive ballroom
dancing. Our journey began with two left feet and finished having taken us to the
far reaches of the competitive globe and continuing a 60 year legacy as principals of
Orchard’s Dance Studio.
We have been granted nearly ten years coaching under world class teachers and
gifted the wisdom from experiencing
the highest highs and the lowest lows.
We have exchanged thousands of
hours training behind closed doors for
brief moments of glory under bright
lights with big bands. The thrill was
addictive. Together we were school
teacher and engineer by day, ballroom
dancers by night. A delicate balance
between two professional careers,
but never an obstacle to our will to
succeed.
We would like to take this opportunity
to thank those who helped us discover
our path: ...
photo courtesy of Peter & Rebecca Beardsley
Good Bye to the Old, and in with the New!
news on new partnerships, retirement announcements and
partnership splits
• Jeff and Elizabeth Elworthy partnered us together and welcomed us into their studio
family. They instilled our technical foundation and we shared many good times together.
• Richard and Natalie Perry took us under their wing and introduced us to the world
stage, coaching us in how to train, how to think critically and how to be competitive.
We very much appreciate their passion and commitment.
• Our many English teachers who we’ve learnt off over the last decade: Richard, Janet
and Anne Gleave, Anthony Hurley, Michael and Vicki Barr, Marcus and Karen Hilton
and Andrew Sinkinson. They opened our minds and showed us a world we previously
thought was unobtainable.
• Matthew Rooke, for befriending us while we lived in London when we didn’t know
anybody and taking a genuine interest in the development of aspiring Australian
dancers overseas. His patience, fine attention to detail and positive attitude became
our inspiration.
• Finally to the adjudicators. Those that gave us their mark inspired us to keep improving
and reaching further, and we thank those that didn’t mark us, you kept us on our toes
and created a focused determination to succeed.
Our trophies are the friendships forged and the experiences gained. However, as our
competitive chapter closes, new doors open and new challenges present themselves
to us. For now, we will continue our lifelong learning of the art of ballroom dancing and
pass on to our students the legacy as taught to us.
Our advice to the aspiring dancers - ‘Among strong opinions and
criticisms, there cannot be failure as long as you keep getting up –
impose no time limit on yourself’.
Retirement Announcement
Pg 43
Pg 44
www.outsidechange.com
