International Latin American Dance Champions
Introduction 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.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. 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, conducted in line with British Dance Council (BDC) regulations; the basis of the dances is described in standard texts. 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).
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. 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.
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. 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 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 Corky & 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 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj  South Africa/Germany 2003 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj  South Africa/Germany 2004 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj  South Africa/Germany 2005 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj  South Africa/Germany 2006 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj  South Africa/Germany 2007 Bryan Watson & Carmen Vincelj  South Africa/Germany 2008 Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis  Poland/Belgium 2009 Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis  Poland/Belgium 2010 Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis  England 2011 Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis  England 2012 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko  U.S.A.  2013 Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis  England 2014 Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis  England 2015 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko  U.S.A. 2016 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko  U.S.A. 2017 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko  U.S.A. 2018 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko  U.S.A. 2019 Riccardo Cocchi & Yulia Zagoruychenko  U.S.A. 2020 not held due to COVID-19   2021 Troels Bager & Ina Ivanova-Jeliazkova  U.S.A. 2022 Troels Bager & Ina Ivanova-Jeliazkova  U.S.A. 2023 Troels Bager & Ina Ivanova-Jeliazkova  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  Scotland  1965 Barnie Conway & Evelyn Hislop  Scotland  1966 Barnie Conway & Evelyn Hislop  Scotland  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  Germany 2003 Franco Formica &  Oksana Nikiforova  Germany 2004 Riccardo Cocchi & Joanne Wilkinson USA  2005 Riccardo Cocchi & Joanne Wilkinson  Italy 2006 Peter Stokkebroe & Kristina Stokkebroe  Denmark 2007 Maurizio Vescovo & Melinda Törökgyörgy  Hungary 2008 Stefano Di Filippo & Anna Melnikova  Italy 2009 Alexei Silde & Anna Firstova  Russia 2010 Zoran Plohl & Tatsiana Lahvinovich Croatia 2011 Neil Jones & Ekaterina Sokolova  England 2012 Neil Jones & Ekaterina Sokolova  England 2013 Troels Bager & Ina Jeliazkova  Denmark 2014 Troels Bager & Ina Jeliazkova  Denmark 2015 Nikita Brovko & Olga Urumova  Russia 2016 Morten Lowe & Roselina Doneva  Denmark 2017 Ferdinando Iannaconne & Yulia Musikhina-Iannaconne   Italy 2018 Ferdinando Iannaconne & Yulia Musikhina-Iannaconne  Italy 2019 Ferdinando Iannaconne & Yulia Musikhina-Iannaconne  Italy 2020 not held due COVID-19  2021 Klemen Presnikar & Alexandra Averkieva  Slovenia 2022 Petar Daskalov & Zia James  England 2023 Petar Daskalov & Zia James  England
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