Quick links
Useful resources
Sign up to our newsletter
Be the first to hear about news, special offers and more...
Posted on May 24, 2012
The 87th Blackpool Dance Festival starts today, the beginning of nine days of top flight competitive dancing. Launched in 1920, Blackpool is the most iconic of ballroom and Latin championships, a goal and a dream for dancers across the world.
Today’s events include the qualifying rounds of the British Amateur “Rising Stars” competitions in ballroom and Latin. Over the next nine days, there will be competitions for Professional and Amateur dancers, formation teams, Senior dancers and those under 21 and the very popular professional “Invitation Team Match” in ballroom and Latin. The festival comes to a grand conclusion on Friday, June 1 with the British Professional Ballroom Dancing Championship. Alongside the dancing, there will be socialising and shopping, with many exhibitors selling shoes, costumes and other products designed especially for dancers.
Throughout the festival, Dance Today will be posting clips of the dancing, courtesy of DSI London, which launched its new media division this week.
Schedule for Blackpool 2012
MAY
Thursday 24, Saturday 26, Sunday 27
British Amateur “Rising Stars Ballroom Competition
Thursday 24, Friday 25, Sunday 27
British Amateur “Rising Stars” Latin Competition
Friday 25
British Professional “Rising Stars” Latin Competition
British Senior (over 35s) Ballroom Championship
Saturday 26
British Amateur under 21 Years Latin Championship
Professional “Invitation” Team Match, Ballroom and Latin
Monday 28
British Professional “Rising Stars” Ballroom Competition
British Senior (over 35s) Latin Championship
Monday 28, Tuesday 29
British Amateur Latin Championship
Tuesday 29
British Amateur Under 21 Years Ballroom Championship
Wednesday 30
British Professional Latin Championship
British Ballroom Formation Dancing Championship
Wednesday 30, Thursday 31
British Amateur Ballroom Dancing Championship
Thursday 31
British Professional “Invitation” Exhibition Competition
JUNE
Friday 1
British Latin Formation Dancing Championship
British Professional Ballroom Dancing Championship
Picture: Arunas Bizokas and Katusha Demidova, winners of the 2011 Professional Ballroom Championship. Photograph: Ron Self