From Dancesport Education Master Anthony Hurley

TO BE AN ADJUDICATOR

The experienced judge will access the first heat and select say six couples and on a separate card keep a further two or three numbers as reserves you may also consider the same format for the second heat. This allows you to keep space for a strong third heat in the event you recall 10 couples. Therefore at the conclusion of the third heat your recalls will be 6 + 8 +10=24.

Another important point to consider in first or second rounds is the situation where couples with a reputation of normally being semi-finalists or finalists in major events take part. Do not take a long look at these couples at this early stage, put their number down and give the lesser known couples more of your limited time. You may be surprised that in past events you have overlooked a couples standard and potential. You may also be instrumental in giving a couple a well-deserved break.

The time to start scrutinising in detail the top couples is perhaps around the last 48 for example. I then mentally dance the competition with them monitoring their strengths or weaknesses always comparing them to each other over the last four rounds. However there are many couples to evaluate and often I pick up couples who grew on me during the competition. This I find is my way of coming to a personal and satisfactory selection of the final six and ultimately the final placing’s.

MY DISLIKES;

• Bad floor craft. Couples who have little or no regard for their fellow competitors with a do or die approach to fitting in their choreography.
• Overloaded choreography usually used to camouflage the fact they cannot produce the elements of the dance.
• When I see the man lips moving to count he cannot not possibly have any musical or emotional feelings and for sure not listening to the music.

MY LIKES;

• When a couple earns a break into a semi or final irrespective of my marks or that of my fellow adjudicators.
• When a couples dancing embraces me musically.
• When the grace and sophistication are maintained within a performance that reaches out to both judges and the audience.

FINAL THOUGHTS,

To have been a competitor has advantages when judging, you know what is going through the minds of the majority you appreciate their years of practice in trying to reach their ultimate goal, knowing that at the stroke of your pen you can make or break someone’s dreams.

THAT IS WHY TO BE AN ADJUDICATOR IS A VERY RESPONSIBLE AND DEMANDING PART OF COMPETITION DANCING.

Anthony Hurley

11th BDFI Malaysian Open Dancesport Championship 2012 (8th January 2012)

This was the first Malaysian championship of the year, organized by Ms Amy Lee of Amy Dancesport Center (ADC) and the first to be held in a newly discovered venue - SJK(C) Naam Keong in Cheras. I must say that after having some trouble finding the place and appearing to travel thru the older part of Cheras I was dubious about the facilities we would have. I was pleasantly surprised upon arriving at the school gates and as I drove thru the grounds. It was a very well laid out, neat, tidy school with a more then decent enclosed hall. It's design was modern and ideal for stage productions with good lighting and excellent air conditioning. I must commend the organizer, who had a tough time confirming a venue earlier, for making an excellent choice.

For the first comp of the year, there was a surprisingly large number of entries - 160 ! The majority of the entries took part in the solo and beginner events. Interestingly, the organizers decided to adopt a new method of judging the juveniles that they had observed in comps in Hong Kong. With this method, the juveniles (within the same category) are divided into groups of 6 (not heats) and each group dances a final. The judges then place the finalist accordingly. This way, every child is guaranteed a certificate to take home with a 'finalist' placing. The purpose of this is to reinforce the children's enthusiasm and to make them feel that all that practicing was worth it. Its a novel idea to encourage younger children and though we all had to adjust to this system, it was well worth it as both the child and its parents were happy. I do think though, to make it a little more competitive, that the champions of each group should then compete against each other in order to have an overall champion crowned. I wonder if I could convince the next organizer to try this out.

Being the first comp of the year, it also brought to light several new partnerships as well as visual confirmation of breakups. The most obvious being that the latin amateur partnership of CCS & Emy Farrah has ended. Standard amateur couple Samuel Sum & Valarie Lim were also a no show at the comp despite being registered and one wonders about their status now as they had a roller coaster ride last year. Several other couples who had a good run last year moved up a rank in this comp - in the Standard, couples Harry Oon & Dionne Leong together with Shaun Chew & Raena Low moved into the Rising Star & Amateur Closed categories. The same two couples plus Yong Chun Leong & Kang Woan Yi and Tye Jian Jin & Cindy Law moved up in the Latin divisions too. Also stepping up to the Latin Rising Star category were David & Samantha Lim, Alvin Hoh & Riena Aisya, Kelvin Mok & Louise Cheow and Siew Wei Lok & Joey Wong. I'm sure there were several other 'risers' but I was not able to pay that much attention to the couples I'm not already familiar with.

Several of the couples/dancers who struggled to settle into their new partnerships/choreography last year had made noticeable improvements. Veroy Ng & Lo Wengche (amateur latin) had had a tough time last year attempting to harness Veroy's raw strength as they adjusted to the new partnership, new choreography and the rather large difference in height. Wengche can certainly hold her own on the floor with great expression and good lines but with the physically larger and stronger Veroy as her partner, she was often overpowered and swamped. This year, they managed to find some neutral ground as Veroy attempted to put a leash on his strength and direct it more calmly. A much welcomed relief for the petite Wengche no doubt. I'll be watching the new partnership of Yong Chun Leong & Kang Woan Yi over the year. Chun Leong is the supreme performer with great audience interaction and expression and I hope Woan Yi will be able to match his larger then life persona. The partnership of Alvin Hoh & Riena Aisya became a little unbalanced this year with Riena markedly improving, leaving Alvin a little lagging. Lets hope this will balance out as the year progresses. 10 dance couple Shaun Chew & Raena Low showed some progress in 'thawing' out more and showing more expression during their dancing. They really need to work on this as they already have everything else working in their favour to make them SEA champions. I hope to see more animated facial expression thru the year. There was a surprise win from Tye Jian Jin & Cindy Law in the Latin Rising Star as they had obviously used their earlier round in the Pre-Am as a warm up and really came out with their guns blazing for the Rising Star. Cindy is looking really comfortable on the floor now but Jian Jin need to soften his body language and facial expression a whole lot more in order to compete with the big boys later this year.

We had a total of 21 judges lead by Chief Adjudicator, Mr Chong Kim Yee. Our scrutineers for the event was Nixon Ong & Co. The judges were as follows : (they are listed according to their official tags)

A  Chong Kim Yee - KL
B  Walter Luk - Hong Kong
C  Alonggod Nutsati - Thailand
D  Nontachai Meksawad - Thailand
E  Iwan Ichwan - Indonesia
F  Denny A. Gurmawan - Indonesia
G  John Lim - Selangor
H  Josephine Seow - Selangor
I  Lee Yip Seng - Selangor
J  Sumiko Lim - Selangor
K  Yeoh Gim Hua - Selangor
L  Yukiko Hori - KL
M  Jovy Wong - KL
N  Judy Ong - KL
O  Andy Wong - KL
P  Yeap Yen Chin - Perak
Q  Irene Au - Perak
R  Wong Chooi Yee - Perak
S  James Ooi - Penang
T  Reena Leong - Ng. Sembilan
U  Siow Boon Wah - Johor

Here are the results according to the order of events :

• Std. Beginners Waltz - Jason Tan & Suzanne Thong, KL
• Std. Beginners Tango - Leon Low & Melissa Lim, Selangor
• Std. Novice - Pitchayen Ueamongkonkam & Nutthapanee Tangthoung, Thailand
• Std. Beginners Foxtrot - Benjamin Ho & Chong Jia Wen, Selangor
• Std. Beginners Quickstep - Benjamin Ho & Chong Jia Wen, Selangor
• Std. Masters II - Colin Lim & Tan Suan Chu, Selangor
• Std. Solo Open - Owen Lee, KL
• Std. Pre Amateur - Adrian Tan & Gan Kar Mern, Selangor
• Std. Masters I - Roberto Masanque & Joey Wong, Singapore
• Std. Solo U 12 - Owen Lee, KL
• Std. Junior U 16 - Shaun Chew & Reana Low, Selangor
• Latin Beginnners Cha Cha - Justin Teh & Rachael Leong, Selangor
• Latin Masters I - Lee Yew Tuck & Susan Ting, Ipoh
• Latin Beginners Jive - Nang Yu Lee & Heah Jun Yu, Ipoh
• Latin Beginners Rumba - Nang Yu Lee & Heah Jun Yu, Ipoh
• Latin Beginners Samba - Justin Teh & Rachael Leong, Selangor
• Latin Masters II - Ian Tan & Christine Eng, Penang
• Latin Ladies - Pinky Chung & Gillian Huang, KL
• Latin Beginners Paso Doble - Nang Yu Lee & Heah Jun Yu, Ipoh
• Latin Beginners U 12 - Kenneth Kwan & Beatrice Loo, Ipoh
• Latin Girls U 12 - Pinky Chung & Gillian Huang, KL
• Latin Novice - Bryan Fong & Yong Mei Fong, KL
• Latin Solo U 8 - Miyaki, KL
• Latin Pre Amateur - Siew Wei Lok & Joey Wong
• Latin Solo U 12 - Gillian Huang, KL
• Latin Juvenile U 8 - Khoo Wai Yuan & Wong Jia Wei, Ipoh
• Latin Junior U 16 - Siew Wei Lok & Joey Wong
• Latin ADC Solo U 8 (Group 1) - Miyaki, KL
• Latin ADC Solo U 8 (Group 2) - Miyumi, KL
• Std. Rising Star - Adriel Tan & Aw Sim Li
• Latin ADC U 6 - See Boo Yee, KL
• Std. Juvenile U 12 - Muhammad Daniel & Zenny Chee, Selangor
• Std. Amateur Closed - Bernard Lim & Natalie Tan, Selangor
• Latin ADC Solo U 12 (Group 1) - Pinky Chung, KL
• Latin ADC Solo U 12 (Group 2) - Melanie Khoo, KL
• Latin ADC Solo U 12 (Group 3) - Gillian Huang, KL
• Std. Amateur Open - Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan, Selangor
• Latin ADC Juvenile U 12 - Chin Hao Yen & Dorcas Isabelle Lian, KL
• Latin Rising Star - Tye Jian Jin & Cindy Law, Ipoh
• Latin Juvenile U 12 - Eric Foong & Ice Kwan, Ipoh
• Latin Amateur Closed - Bernard Lim & Natalie Tan, Selangor
• Latin Solo Open - Lee Wei Tsing, KL
• Latin Amateur Open - Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan, Selangor

Congratulations to all our champions and well done to all competitors. The majority of you all started off the year with a bang in this comp. I trust the coming CNY celebrations won't make you too soft for the next comp coming up soon. Enjoy your break but get back on the training floor as soon as you can. I'm looking forward to some great dancing from our Malaysian couples as some great opportunities are coming up for several of them. 

Remember, it is the mind that makes the body. As we progress into this new year of 2012, please focus on the dancing and not the politics. Dance because you want to, because you need to, because you love to. Do not use words of hurt & cruelty to destroy a dancers soul and dancers do not allow such hurt & cruelty to destroy your passion and purpose. Focus.

Note : the opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and are based on her own observations.

Happy Lunar New Year !

I'd like to wish all my clients and all competitors, a very happy, prosperous, safe & joyous Gong Xi Fa Chai. May we all have great opportunities in the year of the dragon. And may we all be wise enough to recognize the opportunities and grasp them. Have a great time everyone !

2012 - COMPETITIONS & EVENTS (updated 14th April 2012)

7th January 2012, Saturday

EVENT : World Dance Academy (WDA) Anniversary Dinner & Dance
VENUE : Royal Selangor Club, Dataran Merdeka, Kuala Lumpur
ORGANIZER : John Lim (012-212.0326)

8th January 2012, Sunday

EVENT : 11th BDFI Kuala Lumpur Open Dance Championship 2012
VENUE : SJK (C) Naam Keong, Kuala Lumpur
ORGANIZER : Amy Dancesport Center (Mr Lee 016-302.6677 / Ms Amy 012-301.8668)

17-19th January 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : United Kingdom Open To the World Championships 2012
VENUE : Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, England

19th February 2012, Sunday

EVENT : 1st Hong Kong BDFI Open Dance Championship
VENUE :
ORGANIZER : Hong Kong Ballroom Dance International (HKBDI)
LINK : https://www.facebook.com/hkbdi

26th February 2012, Sunday

EVENT : Asian Open Championships 2012, Japan Leg
VENUE : Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
ORGANIZER : Japan Dance Council (JDC)

28th February 2012, Tuesday

EVENT : Asian Open Championship 2012, Taiwan Leg
VENUE : Taipei Stadium
ORGANIZER : Sammy & Jane

3rd & 4th March 2012, Saturday & Sunday

EVENT : Asian Open Championship 2012, Malaysian Leg
VENUE : The Royale Chulan Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ORGANIZER : A & C Dance Dynamix (Contact Hotline : 012-206 6093 / 012-339 8016 /
                         012-6886108
Email : acddsmy@yahoo.co.uk) www.alexncarmen-my.blogspot.com (for entry forms)


4th March 2012, Sunday

EVENT : World Star Finalist Workshop (Waltz & Tango)
VENUE : Sunny Low Dance Studio @ River Walk
ORGANIZER : Aleena Tan  (65)98267015  Email: worldstardance@gmail.com
LINK : https://www.facebook.com/events/349480991736485/?notif_t=event_invite


10th March 2012, Saturday

EVENT : Asian Open Championship 2012, Macau Leg
VENUE : Venetian Resort & Hotel, Macau
ORGANIZER :

7th April 2012, Saturday

EVENT : Belly Dance Asia - Gala Show featuring Mr. Wael Mansour (Italy)
VENUE : P.J Live Art center (7-9 pm)
ORGANIZER : Brancy Nekvapil

8th April 2012, Sunday

EVENT : 4th Star of Tomorrow Ballroom Dancing Championship
               Endorsed by Singapore Ballroom Dance Teachers' Association (member of WDC, APDDSC &ADC)
VENUE : Orchid Country Club, Singapore
ORGANIZER : Allan Tan
LINK : https://www.facebook.com/events/283656435029161/

14 & 15th April 2012, Saturday & Sunday

EVENT : Penang Times Square Dance Competition
VENUE : Ground Floor, Penang Times Square
ORGANIZER : Penang Times Square Shopping Center

28th April 2012, Saturday

EVENT : 3rd Seremban Superstar Dancesport Championship 2012
VENUE : Restoran Min Kok Sdn Bhd, Seremban, No.7645, Lot 5990, Jalan Labu Lama, 70200 Seremban
ORGANIZER : Amy Dancesport Center
LINK : https://www.facebook.com/events/111788672276905/

29th April 2012, Sunday

EVENT : Johor International Dance Championships
VENUE : Cathay Restaurant (JB) Sdn Bhd, Lot PTD 85473, Jalan Molek 2/4, Taman Molek
                81100, Johor Bahru
ORGANIZER : Mr Sammy Soo (+65.9656.7890) & Ms Aleena Tan (+65.9826.7015)
                         Email : dancing@singnet.com.sg

4th May 2012, Friday

EVENT : Dancers National Association (DNA) Fund Raising Dinner & Dance
VENUE : Grand Dorsett Hotel, Subang, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
ORGANIZER : D.N.A. (Ms Josephine Seow, President)

24th May - 1st June 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : British Open to the World Dance Festival 2012
VENUE :Wintergardens, Blackpool, England

9th June 2012, Saturday

EVENT : 9th National Ballroom Dancing Championships 2012
VENUE : Bayview Beach Resort, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang, Malaysia
ORGANIZER : United Dance Teachers Bhd & JDC Dancehouse (james_ooi28@hotmail.com)

16th June 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : m)))motion International Dance Masters Mannheim 2012
VENUE : Rosengarten, Mannheim , Germany

29-30th June 2012, Friday - Saturday

EVENT : Lombok International Dance Festival 2012
               Asian Open Championship Series Indonesia
VENUE : Lombok Island, Indonesia
ORGANIZER :  Mr Marcel De Rijk & WDC-AAL
NOTE : For entry forms and details go to  www.purimas-lombok.com

7th - 8th July 2012, Saturday-Sunday

EVENT : 2012 World Dance Open Competition
VENUE : Hong Kong
ORGANIZER : International (HK) Dance Association
                         Tel : 852 93451479 (Miss Lee Lin Lynie)
                         Email : leelinlynie@gmail.com
                         Web : www.chinadancers.org

12th - 15th July 2012, Thursday-Sunday

EVENT : 10th Shenzhen China Open Championships 2012
VENUE : tbc
ORGANIZER : Ganglong Dance Culture Company
                         TEL: 86-755-82286031
                         FAX: 86-755-82198583
                         Email Address: shenzhenganglong@yahoo.com.cn
                         Company Website: http://www.ganglongwudao.com

28th July 2012, Saturday

EVENT : Merlion International Dancesport Championships 2012
VENUE : Orchid Country Club, Grand Ballroom, Singapore
ORGANIZER : Dancesport de Allan (dancesport_allan@yahoo.com)

29th July 2012, Sunday

EVENT : Johor Stars of Tomorrow 2012 (International Ballroom Dancing Championship)
VENUE : Restoran Pekin Sutera Sdn Bhd
ORGANIZER : Dancer's Home Dancing Center (dancesport_allan@yahoo.com)

30th & 31st July 2012, Monday & Tuesday

EVENT : New Zealand Open Dancesport Championship
VENUE : Auckland, New Zealand
ORGANIZER : New Zealand Federation of Dance Teachers

5th August 2012, Sunday

EVENT : 2nd Singapore Open Dance Championships 2012
VENUE : Fairmont Ballroom @ Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore
ORGANIZER : singaporeopen@hotmail.com ; admin@johnjosephinedance.com.sg
Website: www.johnjosephinedance.com.sg

25th August 2012, Saturday

EVENT : 4th Malaysian Open Dance Fest 2012
VENUE : Manhattan Grand Ballroom, Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ORGANIZER : Ms Lane Lee (012-655.3187)

26th August 2012, Sunday

EVENT : 10th Crystal Dancesport Championship 2012
VENUE : Mahattan Grand Ballroom, Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
ORGANIZER :  World Dance Academy, Mr John Lim (012-212.0326) Ms Joanne Leong (012-217.1376)

31st August - 2nd September 2012, Friday-Sunday

EVENT : 2012 New Zealand Dancesport Championships
VENUE : CBS Canterbury Arena, Christchurch, New Zealand
ORGANIZER : http://www.dancesport.org.nz/events.php

4-8th September 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : United States Dance Championships 2012
VENUE : Swan Hotel, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida, USA

15th September 2012, Saturday

EVENT : 3rd Bellare Singapore Open Dance Championship
VENUE : tbc
ORGANIZER : Melvyn Low Dance Studio (melvynlowdancestudio@yahoo.co.sg)

16th September 2012, Sunday

EVENT : 3rd Taiping Open Dance Championships 2012
VENUE : Persatuan Ong Si Thye Guan Tong, Taiping, Perak, Malaysia
ORGANIZER : P H Lim Dance Studio (Mr Lim : 012-523.9366 / Ms Shirley : 012-231.9366)

22nd & 23rd September 2012

EVENT : The Swiss Open WDC-AL
VENUE : Switzerland
ORGANIZER : www.theswissopen.com

9-11th October 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : The International Open to the World Championships 2012
VENUE : Brentwood & Royal Albert Hall, London, England

20th & 21st October 2012, Saturday & Sunday

EVENT : The 62nd New Zealand National Open and Closed Championships

VENUE : ASB Stadium, Kohimarama Road, Kohimarama, Auckland, New Zealand

ORGANIZER : Kingsley Gainsford (gainsford-gotta@xtra.co.nz)

INFO : http://www.dancesportnzchampionships.co.nz/

8-11th November 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : The Dutch Open Championships 2012
VENUE : De Bonte Wever, Assen, Holland

24th November 2012, Saturday

EVENT : 19th Penang International Ballroom Dancing Championship 2012
VENUE : Bayview Beach Resort, Batu Ferringhi Beach, Penang, Malaysia
ORGANIZER : Malaysian Dancers' Association (mdamy@streamyx.com / mda-my@hotmail.com)

7-9the December 2012 (from WDC website)

EVENT : Disney Cup Professional Ballroom & Latin
VENUE : Disneyland Paris Resort, Paris, France

2nd Taiping Open Dance Championships - 22nd October 2011

Organizers, Lim Poh Hu & Shirley Hun, managed to pull together their second championship in as many years. A change of date enabled them to continue what was begun in 2010 and they had obviously learnt much from their first experience and didn't make any repeat mistakes. Hats off to these two lovely people. Its always so refreshing to know people who are never afraid to learn. Bravo Shirley & PH.

It was very much a Malaysian event with dancers coming from all corners of the country to compete in Standard, Latin American and Belly Dancing. If you're wondering why Belly Dancing was included, it is because Shirley also teaches this genre of dance. The event was held at the Persatuan Ong Si Thye Tong hall in Taiping, Perak, which was also used last year. The angle of the floor was moved which made a refreshing change for all.

The championship was endorsed and supported by PDMB, BDFI, IDO, MDA, Perak State Govt and the WDC-AAL. The guest of honor was YB Dato' Ho Cheng Wang and the championship advisor was Mr John Lim. The Chief Adjudicator was Mr Teh Swee Guan. His panel of adjudicators were - Benny Chan, Belman Salihovic, Joanne Leong, Y S Lee, Yukiko Hori, Merle Lau, Richard Hoh, Michael Yeap, Louis Low, Alice Hor, Irene Au, Koh Kin Ho, Tam Kong Choy, John Lee, Billeon Yong, Jocelyn Peh, Annie Ong, Emily Mah and David Ng. The Chief Invigilator keeping an eye on sylabus, rules & regulations was Mr John Lim. Scrutineering was performed by Mr Nixon Ong & Co.

The event ran fairly smoothly, without too much delay and we were all treated to the traditional afternoon rain storm that Taiping is famous for. The evening programme ran well too with everyone enjoying their dinner while being entertained by the best of dancer in the Amateur levels as they fought for placing in their various events.

Here is the list of CHAMPIONS :
(as presented)

Stand Junior Under 16 : Shaun Chew & Reana Low (Selangor)

Standard Amateur Rising Star : Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)

Belly Dance Indv. Novice : Grace Heng (Kedah)

Standard Amateur Open : Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)

Belly Dance Troupe : 2 Five Step Teszia Divas (Perak)

Latin Juvenile Under 9 : Duncan Yeam & Jolene Teh (Selangor)

Latin Junior Under 16 : Mok Wing Kit & Louise Cheow (Perak)

Latin Amateur Rising Star : Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)

Belly Dance Indv. Intermediate : Shanny Tan (Perak)

Latin Amateur Open : Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)

Standard Solo Under 12 : Grace Heng (Kedah)

Standard Solo Under 9 : Jolene Teh (Selangor)

Standard Senior Over 55 : George Tan & M H Hew (Kedah)

Standard Juvenile Under 12 : Duncan Yeam & Jolene Teh (Selangor)

Standard Senior Over 40 : Ooi Hun Teong & Lim Choon Suan (Penang)

Standard Juvenile Under 9 : Duncan Yeam & Jolene Teh (Selangor)

Latin Solo Under 12 : Zoe Lim (Selangor)

Latin Solo Under 9 : Choi Keh Yin (Selangor)

Latin Senior Over 55 : Ian Tan & Christine Eng (Penang)

Latin Juvenile Under 12 : Duncan Yeam & Jolene Teh (Selangor)

Latin Senior Over 40 : Ian Tan & Christine Eng (Penang)

Latin Senior Beginners 40 : Lvy Soo & Yong Thean Loke (Penang)

Latin Novice : Mok Wing Kit & Louise Cheow (Perak)

Beginners Cha Cha : Ervin Kok & Eelynn Kok (Penang)

Latin Ladies : Adele Lim & Crystal Yip (Selangor)

Beginners Jive : Ervin Kok & Eelynn Kok (Penang)

Latin Solo Dance : Zoe Lim (Selangor)

Beginners Rumba : Lee Kah Hong & Jessie Loh (Perak)

Latin Pre Amateur : Tye Jian Jin & Cindy Law (Perak)

Beginners Samba : Ervin Kok & Eelynn Kok (Penang)

Latin Ladies Synchronize : Lee Ying Jin & Chen Poh Hsiang (Penang)

Beginners Paso Doble : Gary Eng & Esther Khoo (Penang)

Latin Malaysia Amateur Closed : Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)

Belly Dance Indv. Intermediate Crystal : Teoh Mei Ling (Perak)

Belly Dance Indv. Novice Crystal : Catherine Ng (Perak)

Belly Dance Indv. Intermediate Diamond : Ong Siew Eng (Perak)

Beginners Waltz : Alvin Hoh & Riena Aiysa (N.S)

Standard Novice : Alan Hoh & Evelyn Lim (Selangor)

Beginners Tango : Patrick Phan & Rebecca Wong (Perak)

Standard Senior Beginners 40 : Lawrence Tang & Ivy Kong (Selangor)

Beginners Viennese Waltz : Patrick Phan & Rebecca Wong (Perak)

Standard Solo Open : Susan Lee (Kedah)

Beginners Foxtrot : Patrick Phan & Rebecca Wong (Perak)

Standard Pre Amateur : Alan Hoh & Evelyn Lim (N.S)

Beginners Quickstep : Patrick Phan & Rebecca Wong (Perak)

Standar Senior Beginners 55 : Lawrence Tang & Ivy Kong (Selangor)

Standard Ladies : #149

Standard Malaysia Amateur Closed : Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan

Congratulations to all the winner and a great effort from all the dancers.

The organizers are confident that they will be able to bring us another segment of the TODC series, they've already confirmed a date. So see you all again at the 3rd Taiping Open Dance Championship on the 15th September 2012 (Saturday) !

1st Singapore Open Dance Championship 2011 - 6th November 2011

This is the first of the 'freedom to dance' events to be held in Singapore. The message from the Chairman of the organizing committee, Mr Tommy Chua, sums it up.

"The inaugural Singapore Open Dance Championship is Singapore's response to the new Freedom to Dance concept, born to provide fairness, integrity and human rights.


This competition is open to anyone who wish to compete in ballroom standard and, or Latin American dancing, irrespective of the dance affiliation.


While respecting all dance fraternities who nurture and promote ballroom dancing, we pledge to stay true to the principles of being neutral while promoting the love for ballroom dancing. Unleash our competitors' desire with the freedom to dance, in any competition, anywhere in the world.


So dancers, do not be afraid ! You have the freedom and rights to dance. With strength and power, together we can change it !


We thank you, my brave and distinguished competitiors from all over the world - you have made this event in Singapore posible !"


A very well written speech which obviously reflected the passion behind the desire & courage to organize this championship. The dancers in turn did not disappoint the organizers and came in impressive numbers from around the world to attend, compete & support the event. For a first time event, having over 200 entries is quite a feat. Tommy, who was advised by Mrs Josephine Tan, pulled together a fantastic event which ran smoothly and was enjoyed by all who were there.

At the helm of the championship on the day was Chief Adjudicator - Mr David Roberts from UK. I have worked with David for more then a decade now and he has always managed to keep everything, from the judges to the organizers to the scrutineers and the DJ's, marshalls and myself, under tight control, managing to split himself into many parts to be able to be 'on the ball' with everything. Nothing ever gets past him and it's such a relief to know he's there. This year David's panel of adjudicators comprised of - Anthony Hurley (England), Alan Shingler (England), Akihiro Hojo (Japan). Masami Suda (Japan), Polina Teplenko (Russia), Sergey Frantsen (Ukrain), Richard Morrissey (Australia), Ednah Asano (Philippines), Edgar Borromeo (Philippines), Shu Chuan Hsieh (Taiwan), Larry Chen (Taiwan), Erwan Phanjaya (Indonesia), Hadi Tjahjono (Indonesia), Kenji Po (Hong Kong), Brenda So (Hong Kong), Lee Man Ho (Korea), Lee Kwang Sik (Korea), Yanling (China), John Lim (Malaysia), Dharshan Wijesooriya (Sri Lanka), Sheng Zhi Chong (Singapore), Tan Why Pong (Singapore), Steven Han (Singapore), Peggy Gan (Singapore) and Andre De Silva (Singapore). The Chief Scrutineer for the event was Ms Agnes Ang.

The souvenir programme this year was a work of art in its own right. With a beautifully elegant cover, they filled it with some much needed information to help inform and educate those attending the event. There were beautiful action pictures and write ups on the two top world professional performers - Katusha Demidova & Arunas Bizokas and Melinda Torokgyorgy & Andrej Skufca. The articles gave great insight into the performers personal lives and their journeys to where they are now in the world competitive scene.

Another difference in the souvenir programme was the interesting way the competitors action photo's were laid out, another piece of art. To further make this a 'book' to take home and actually read, were the two very informative articles about dance. The first was 'Dance - today, yesterday' by Mary Clarke, editor of Dancing Times and 'A brief History of Dance' by David Roberts, president of the UKA. I hope every new/young dancer present at the championship managed to get a copy and take it home with them. These articles are a MUST READ for those who are truly passionate about dance as their art form.

There were many Malaysian couples that decided to attend this inaugural event. They were - Alfred Choo & Cecilia Yong, Vernon Choo & Elie Cheah, Veroy Ng & Loh Weng Che, Tye Jian Jin & Cindy Law, Kelvin Choo & Villy Chai, Siew Wai Lok & Joey Wong, Siow Kai Yaw & Bong Poh Leng, Caitanya Thailan & Natalie Poon, Radhanath Thailan & Saibya Thailan, Mok Wing Kit & Louise Chew, Eric Foong & Ice Kwan, Natasha Poon and Amanda Chan.

The Malaysian couples were entered in almost all the various events. We had our top Amateur couples, Rising Star couples, Pre Amateur, Novice, Junior, Juvenile and even several of our girls in the solo events. The only thing missing was our ballroom standard couples. The couples that attended were all in the Latin American genre of competition. However, our couples did an amazing job of making their presence felt among the highly ranked international couples. Every couple/dancer proved themselves worthy of sharing the floor with the other great talents but a few really stood out. They were - Alfred Choo & Cecilia Yong (Amateur), Siew Wei Lok & Joey Wong (Junior/Pre Amateur), Mok Wing Kit & Louise Chew (Junior/Novice), Eric Foong & Ice Kwan (Juvenile), Siow Kai Yaw & Bong Poh Leng (Senior). All these couples managed to place high in the finals and definitely deserve a mention for their enthusiasm, determination & dedication. I was overjoyed for them.

Here is the list of CHAMPIONS :

Latin Professional Open : Przemek Lowicki & Martina Markova (Poland)

Standard Professional Open : Andrea & Sara Ghigiarelli (England)

Latin Amateur Open : Sarunas Greblikas & Viktorija Horeva (Latvia)

Standard Amateur Open : Steven Grinbergs & Rachelle Plaass (Australia)

Latin Professional Closed AP : Andrey Gorbunov & Dearlie Baculi Gerodias (Singapore)

Standard Professional Closed AP : Jim & Anita Chen (Taiwan)

Latin Amateur Closed AP : Arkady Bakenov & Rosa Filippello (Australia)

Standard Amateur Closed AP : Steven Grinbergs & Rachelle Plaass (Australia)

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Latin Events :

Amateur Rising Star : Mykyta Yakymchuk & Taisiya Sporysheva (Russia)

Pre Amateur : Siew Wei Lok & Joey Wong (Malaysia)

Novice A : Mok Wing Kit & Louise Chew (Malaysia)

Novice B : Jowe Kwek & Rebecca Sit (Singapore)

Junior Open : Ai Li Zha Ti & Wang Na Na (China)

Juvenile Open : Ai Li Zha Ti & Wang Na Na (China)

Junior Under 16 Solo : Germaine Gan Zi Min (Singapore)

Juvenile Under 12 Solo : Valerie Chen (Taiwan)

Senor Over 35 : Vincent Law & Sheryl Tan (Singapore)

Senior Over 45 : Vincent Law & Sheryl Tan (Singapore)

Pro Am 5 Dance : Evseev Evgeny & Vicki Wong (Hong Kong)

Pro Am 3 Dance : Evseev Evgeny & Vicki Wong (Hong Kong)

Pro Am 2 Dance : Arthur Eroles & Myrna Tan (Philippines)

Pro Am 1 Dance : Sam Fong & Susan De Silva (Singapore)

Teacher Student 2 Dance : Armando Ocampo & Millie Khoo (Singapore)

Teacher Student 1 Dance : Armando Ocompo & Millie Khoo (Singapore)

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Standard Events :


Amateur Rising Star : Joel & Sara Smith (Australia)

Pre Amateur : Mark Perez & Maureen Tan (Singapore)

Novice A : Nicholas Yue & Valerie Seah-Yue (Singapore)

Novice B : Kelvin Poh & Tan Ailing (Singapore)

Senor Over 35 : Michael & Rebecca Barlow (Australia)

Senior Over 45 : Lai Kim Sang & Wu Sin Hung (Hong Kong)

Grand Senior Over 60 : Vincent Thoo & Chris Chia (Singapore)

Pro Am 3 Dance : Jason Beaman & Tilly Wong (Australia)

Pro Am 1 Dance : Jason Beaman & Tilly Wong (Australia)

Teacher Student 4 Dance : Lu Tai Lin & Dora Ip (Hong Kong)

Teacher Student 2 Dance : Robert Pavlik & Theresa Ang (Singapore)

Teacher Student 1 Dance : Ramu Ramos & Margaretha Schrijver (Philippines)

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Congratulations to all the champions and well done to all the competitors.

I'm sure I speak for all dancers when I say, I hope and pray that the 'Freedom to Dance' series of championships will grow around the world so that dancers everywhere can compete without fear of reprimands and expulsions and just be allowed to do what they love among their peers.

The beautiful pictures you see here were taken by one of Dancesports most renown photographers - Mr Rob  Ronda. Please do visit his website robronda.com to view the many other pictures that he captured. Feel free to enquire directly with him if you wish to purchase any copies.

Competitions & Events 2011 - Updated 11th Nov. 2011

4th November 2011, Friday

EVENT : Taipan D'Danceworld & Henry Dance School Anniversary Dinner & Dance

ORGANIZER : Ms Josephine Seow (012-278 1263)

VENUE : Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur

6th November 2011.

EVENT : 1st Singapore Open Dancesport Championship

ORGANIZER : Josephine Tan (singaporeopen@hotmail.com)

VENUE :  Suntec City Convention Center, 1 Raffles Boulevard Suntec City, Singaopre

NOTES : 

- Total Price monies US22100 for Professional & Amateur events in Standard & Latin. please refer to entry form for more   details. 

- Standard & Latin show by Guest Artistes: 

  1) Arunas Bizokas & Katusha Demidova (USA)

  2011 World, British Open, UK Open Professional Ballroom Champions

  2) Andrej Skufca & Melinda (Slovenia)- 

  2011 World, British Open, UK Open Professiona Latin Finalist

- Lectures to be held on 7th Nov. 2011, Monday

  Latin Lecture by Andrej skufca & Melinda (2:00pm - 3:30pm)

  Ballroom lecture by Anthony Hurley (4:30pm-6pm) 

  Venue : LeDanz at  Suntec

13th November 2011, Sunday

EVENT : The 2nd Thailand International Ballroom Dancing Championships 2011

ORGANIZER : Thailand Association of Teachers of Dancing (TATD)

VENUE : Dusit Thani Hotel , Napalai Grand Ballroom Bangkok

NOTES : 

- Accommodation : at The Dusit Thani hotel only just 150 USD/night and The Ambassador hotel only just 80      

  USD/night if  you contact directly to us. 

- Ticket Price: We have a Big band, Big dance floor with elegance place, ticket sitdown dinner 150 USD, 100 USD,

  and 80 USD. Really special price for competitors 80 USD only.

19th November 2011, Saturday

EVENT : Official launch of Dancers' National Association (DNA) & Mini competition

ORGANIZER : DNA - Ms Josephine Seow, President (+6012.278.1263) & Ms Carmen Cheung, V.President         (+6012.206.6093)

VENUE : Bangunan Peladang, Jalan Templer, Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia

26th November 2011, Saturday

EVENT : 18th Penang International Open Ballroom Dancing Championships 2011 & 2nd Penang ADC-AL Open Championship.

ORGANISER : Malaysian Dancers Association (mdamy@streamyx.com)

VENUE : Bayview Beach Resort, Penang, Malaysia

4th December 2011, Sunday [UPDATED]

EVENT : Queen Cup Ballroom Dancing Championship 2011

ORGANIZER : Yulia Phanjaya (dance_indo@yahoo.com)

VENUE : Nelayan Seafood Restaurant, Jakarta, Indonesia

10th December 2011, Saturday [UPDATED]

EVENT : 11th Sabah Open 2011 Dancesport Championship.

ORGANIZER : Imperial Ballroom Dancing School (ibdsymmc@yahoo.com)

VENUE : Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

18th December 2011, Sunday [UPDATED]

EVENT : Dance For Good Health, Peace & Joy 2011 (Line Dance get together & exchange)

ORGANIZER : Bunga Raya

VENUE : Wisma Tiong-Hua Johor Bahru, 8 Jalan Keris, Taman Sri Tebrau,Johor Bahru, Malaysia

Dance workshop in December people. See if you can make it.