Havana Estudio Celebrates 10th Anniversary In Style

Havana Estudio recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a birthday bash on December 13 2008 at Indochine Bar Savanh in Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. Those present at the party, themed "Come As Your Favourite Star/Celebrity" included guests, students of Havana Estudio and dance instructors Sharie Dekorte, Sam Sopiee (Salsa Sam), Aisha Mansoor, Stephan Finzer, Kaye Maxey (Kayla), Nancy Bakhshy, Fellast Yan, Toh Kong Eu and Pang Shueh Miin.

The instructors took turns to showcase their dancing skills to those present at the event. Salsa Sam and Aisha performed the salsa, bachata and also paid a tribute to the late P Ramlee and Saloma while doing the twist. Stephan and Sharie put up a scintillating Argentine tango routine while Kong Eu and Shueh Miin captivated the audience with their rhythm tap dance. Flamenco artiste Kayla, belly dancer Nancy and hip hopper Fellast had the crowd in rapt attention with their dazzling dance moves.

A Malay joget dance was also performed by Sharie, Sam, Aisha, Stephan, Kayla, Nancy and the choreographer of the dance, Puzi. Their performance drew loud applause and calls for an encore from the audience. Sharie said that the idea for the joget came from their Argentine tango instructor Stephan, and all the instructors were game for it. Students of Havana Estudio also entertained the guests with some slick salsa and rueda dance routines.

Established in 1998 by Sharie Dekorte, Havana Estudio was the first salsa and street Latin dance school in Malaysia. Besides salsa, Havana Estudio also conducts classes in Argentine tango, rhythm tap, belly dancing, flamenco, hip hop, capoeira and yoga. It has 2 studios in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Kuala Lumpur - one at 34B Persiaran Zaaba and the other at 56A Jalan Datuk Sulaiman. For more information, contact Sharie at 012-2952890 or check out her website at www.havanaestudio.com.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Dance, Be Merry And Have A Happy New Year 2009

Today, Christians all over the world will be celebrating Christmas. I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Christians especially those visiting my blog "A Merry Christmas". I remembered those days many years ago when I was learning ballroom dancing. During the month of December, my dance teacher would add to the festive cheer by teaching the dances to the accompaniment of Christmas songs and carols. We would often waltz to "Silent Night", do the quickstep to "Jingle Bells" and dance the foxtrot to "White Christmas". It was kind of fun and enjoyable and I in fact always looked forward to the Yuletide season every year so that I could do ballroom dances to Christmas tunes.

Next week, denizens of the world will be ushering in the New Year 2009, the "Year Of The Ox." I guess many of us will be glad to bid farewell to 2008. What a year it was. It really was an annus horriblis (Latin for horrible year)! Let us all pray that the global financial crisis will soon be over and we will all be able to lead normal lives again. It is often said that life goes round in cycles with the good times interspersed with the bad. Someone once said that the good times, or a period of joie de vivre comes every 20 or 30 years. We had the "Roaring 30s", the "Swinging 60s" and the "Discoing 80s". Hopefully the good times or the halcyon days (together with a new fad or dance craze) will roll in again during the 2010s. It's long overdue.

Malaysians, like many of their counterparts around the world will be coming out in droves to welcome the New Year, recession or no recession. The mood may be somewhat subdued and many may tighten their belts, but it's party time nonetheless. In Kuala Lumpur, the places to join the festivities, watch the concerts and fireworks display would include the Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), Bukit Bintang and KLCC. Over in George Town on the island of Penang, the action will be at the Esplanade and Gurney Drive. Down south in Johor Baru, the crowd will be converging at Danga Bay for a night of fun and merriment.

Many hotels, restaurants and nitespots will be having New Year parties. Merry makers will be making a beeline for Jalan P Ramlee in KL to chill out and party the nite away at the many clubs and restaurants there. Some dance schools and associations will also be organizing New Year bashes. The place to celebrate New Year in KL would undoubtedly be at the Royal Selangor Club. Their "New Year's Eve Ball" is an annual event which has been held for more than a century! At the stroke of midnite, the revellers at the club will link hands and sing "Auld Lang Syne" to welcome in the New Year while watching the fireworks display at Dataran Merdeka. Have a "Happy And Prosperous New Year 2009!"

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Benji Schwimmer Wins "So You Think You Can Dance Season 2" Competition

The second season of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) premiered in the United States on May 12 2006 with a new host Cat Deely replacing Lauren Sanchez of Season 1. Auditions for season 2 were held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Charleston. One hundred and sixteen contestants were selected for a week of training at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. The group were shortlisted down to 41 from which 20 were chosen for the Top 20. The Top 20 were:-

Guys - Benji Schwimmer, Travis Wall, Ivan Koumaev, Ryan Rankine, Dmitry Chaplin, Musa Cooper, Jaymz Tuaileva, Ben Susak, Jason Williams, Stanislav Savich

Girls - Donyelle Jones, Heidi Groskreutz, Natalie Fotopoulos, Allison Holker, Martha Nicols, Ashlee Nino, Jessica Fernandez, Aleksandra Wojda, Joy Spears, Erin Ellis

A very good and varied style of dances were performed in So You Think You Can Dance USA Season 2. All the Ballroom and Latin American dances were showcased. American Swing dances: the Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing were introduced this season. The other genres of dance performed included Hip Hop, Contemporary, Jazz, Broadway, Salsa and Disco. All in all, it was a fantastic mix of the various styles of dance and the dancers were entertaining and a delight to watch.

After a series of elimination rounds, the Top 4 were chosen for the Grand Finals which was aired on August 16 2006. The Top 4 were Benji Schwimmer, Travis Wall, Donyelle Jones and Heidi Groskreutz. The eventual winner of SYTYCD USA Season 2 was Benji Schwimmer who received a cash prize of US$100,000, a new hybrid SUV and a one year contract with Celine Dion's Las Vegas Show "A New Day..." Benji once worked as a missionary in Mexico and was a former US Swing dance champion. He and his cousin Heidi Groskreutz were the winners in the Showcase Division of the 2005 US Swing Dance Open Championships.

Related Post

> So You Think You Can Dance Malaysia 2 - Post Mortem

Learn To Swing At KL Swing!

KL Swing! will be organizing a Swing dance workshop and social dancing session for Swing dancing enthusiasts. The details are as follows:-

Venue
Shall We Dance Studio
12A-2, Jalan Telawi 3, Bangsar
59100 Kuala Lumpur
(between Starbucks and Affin Bank)

Date

December 23 2009, Tuesday


Time
7.00 pm to 8.30 pm - Beginners
8.30 pm to 10.00 pm - Intermediate (knowledge of swing-out is required)
10.00 pm to 12.00 midnight - Social dancing


Fees
1.5 hours class - RM30 includes social dancing entry
Social dance only - RM10


Shoes
Only dance shoes or sneakers at the studio please


Registration
At the studio. Just turn up dressed comfortably with your shoes

Social dancing (Aliyaa In The Swing Time) will also be held every Tuesdays at Aliyaa Restaurant at 8 Lorong Dungun, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur from 9.00 pm to 11.00 pm. There will be a 30-minutes taster class for absolute beginners starting at 9.00 pm. The class is free of charge but those attending are requested to support the restaurant with food and drink orders. For more information on the Swing dance workshop and social events, please contact Ming Pang at 6012-6964568, email:info@klswing.com or log on to http://www.klswing.com/. Happy swinging!

Related Posts

> Jive And American Swing Dances - The Similarities And Differences

> Glenn Miller Orchestra To Perform Live In Genting Highlands Arena Of Stars

> Swing, American Smooth And American Rhythm Dances

Lacklustre Performances In Strictly Come Dancing China Season 2

After the success of Strictly Come Dancing (SCD) China Season 1 last year, China Hunan TV and Hong Kong's Television Broadcast Ltd (TVB) once again entered into another callaboration to produce Season 2 of the series this year. Strictly Come Dancing China Season 2 paired 20 celebrities (10 guys and 10 girls) with 20 professional dancers in various ballroom, Latin and other genres of dance routines that were adjudicated by a panel of judges and by public votes. Season 2 ran from April 17 to June 18 2008 and was telecast live in China. In an effort to boost its ratings, China enlisted the participation of 1995 World Figure Skating Champion, Chen Lu and 4 entertainment artists from Thailand, South Korea and France. The celebrities from Hong Kong were mainly artistes from TVB. The list of celebrities were:-

China Hunan TV Contestants

Yu Hao Ming

Zhang Jun Ning

Gao Zi Qi

Sira Rattanaphokastit (Thailand)

Lee Seung Hyun (South Korea)

Chen Lu

Niu Meng Meng

Yang Ruo Xi

Anusara Wantongtak (Thailand)

Laetitia Zeppellini (France)

Hong Kong TVB Contestants

Derek Kwok

Timmy Hung

Kevin Cheng

Kenneth Ma

Eddie Kwan

Grace Wong

Nancy Wu

Myolie Wu

Angela Tong

Christine Ng

SCD China Season 2 is currently being shown every Saturday at 9.30 pm over Astro Wa TV Channel 315. During round 1 of the show which was aired on December 13, all the 10 male contestants had to perform a dance each with a professional dancer. The dances that were performed included the cha cha cha, jive, paso doble, waltz, tango, hip hop and jazz. Almost all the male dancers appeared stiff and wooden. They were unable to bring out the character of the dances and many were also out of timing. Several of them did more walking and posing than dancing. Overall their performances were lacklustre and painful to watch. The eventual winners of SCD China Season 2 were Chinese singer Yu Hao Ming partnering Grace Wong (Miss Hong Kong 2007, 1st runner up).

Related Post

> Strictly Come Dancing China Season 1 Premieres On Astro

Jive And American Swing Dances - The Similarities And Differences

The term "Swing dance" is a generic term that covers over a dozen different types of partner dances. The US Swing Dance Council defines Swing dance as follows:- "Swing dance is an American Rhythm dance that consists of 6 and 8 beat rhythms that cover either a circular or slotted area on the dance floor. The dance incorporates underarm turns, side passes, pushes and whips, plus other variations, syncopations and extensions. All styles incorporate the same identifiable moves. If you can define the dance as something other than Swing, it is not Swing". Some of the more popular and well known Swing dances are the Lindy Hop, East Coast Swing, West Coast Swing, Balboa and the Carolina Shag.

A meetup group called KL Swing was recently set up by a group of Swing dance enthusiasts to promote Swing dancing in Malaysia. For the past couple of months, KL Swing has invited Sinclair Ang, a renowned Swing dance instructor from JAZZ INC, Singapore to conduct classes and workshops in Kuala Lumpur. As I was keen to know what the similarities and differences between Jive and American Swing dances were, I emailed Sinclair for his views. This was his reply:- "One could say that Lindy Hop/Swing was the original form of Jive, historically speaking, and it is danced mainly to 8 counts. Six-count Swing or East Coast Swing, done to triple steps are a part of a lindy hopper's repertoire of moves but it is always tied-in with the 8 count or Charleston. Six-count Swing is closely related to Jive but the main difference comes in the feel in which they are executed."

Sinclair further elaborated - "I am not an expert on Jive or Rock n' Roll but the general feel of Jive is upwards and bouncy. The bounce or pulse in Swing (even 6 count) is downwards, keeping in closer tradition to its African American roots. And because the swing era music that inspired the Lindy Hop dancers came earlier (1920s to 1940s), compared to the Jive (1940s onwards), the emphasis of the music, and thus the dance, is on the even (off) beats rather than on the odd (on) beats, thereby creating the swing feel. While there is ballroom swing, the original form of Swing/Lindy Hop remains a street dance and ballroom swing would probably have more in common with Jive than the original street version."

JAZZ INC is a collective of dancers led by Sinclair Ang to promote Jazz dancing, from vernacular Jazz to Charleston and Lindy Hop through classes and performances. Sinclair has been a leading figure in the Lindy Hop and Swing dance community in Singapore since 2001. He is known internationally as well, having taught at several workshops and camps across Europe, Australia and Asia over the years. Sinclair has trained and choreographed for several performance groups and has performed for the stage, both locally and abroad. He is currently focused on helping the fledgling Swing dance scenes in Asia grow. To know more about Sinclair Ang and his dance classes, please check out his websites at www.sinclairang.com or www.jazzinc.wordpress.com.

Related Posts

> Can't Stop The Lindy Hop - A tribute To Lindy Hop Legend Frankie Manning

> Swing, American Smooth And American Rhythm Dances

Jazz It Up At Jazzercise Team Dance Challenge 2009

Jazzercise, Remix and Youth Malaysia will jointly be organizing the Jazzercise Team Dance Challenge 2009. Further information are as follows:-

Date: January 9 - 11, 2009

Venue: Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), Kuala Lumpur

Prizes: 1st - RM3000, 2nd - RM2000, 3rd - RM1000, 5 consolation prizes of RM500 each

Registration Fee: RM100 per team

The salient Rules and Regulations (please refer to the organizers for the full Rules and Regulations) are:-

1) Each team must have a minimum of 5 and up to a maximum of 20 participants.

2) Participants must be between 15 - 30 years old.

3) Performances must be a minimum of 3 minutes and not longer than 5 minutes.

4) Each choreography must feature at least 6 movements as shown in the website http://www.jazzercise.com/.

- 2 Basic Aerobic Moves
- 1 Power Legs Move

- 3 Fancy Footwork or Side-To-Side Movements (3 of each category or a mix of both)

(Check out their website to learn the moves)

Basic Aerobics Movements
Jazz Stretch
Attitude Lift
Diagonal Toe Touches
Flick-Kick
Heel Hop
Knee Lift
Pendulum Lift
Hip Rock

Power Legs
Lunges
Plies
Rock Lunge

Fancy Footwork
Jazz Square
Kick Ball Change
Triplet
Turned-Out Triplet

Side-To-Side Movements
Chasse
Grapevine
Half Step Grapevine

5) If props are used, only those that are hand held or worn are allowed (eg. canes, fans, hats & boas).

This event is held in conjunction with the Youth '09 Festival which will be held on January 9 - 11, 2009 at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur. For enquiries, please contact the YouthMalaysia.com crew at 03-80233352. For more information and online registration, please log on to http://www.youthmalaysia.com/.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Dancers From China Shine At 15th Penang Open International Ballroom Dancing Championship 2008

The 15th Penang Open International Ballroom Dancing Championship 2008 which was held on November 22 at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) was a resounding success. Organized by the Malaysian Dancers Association (MDA) together with PenEvent, the competition saw some 600 dancers from 22 countries compete in Ballroom Standard & Latin, Salsa and Belly Dancing. Guests were feted to a sumptuous dinner and entertained to a stunning display of dance artistry by the various competitors. This competition is one of the most looked-forward to events in the Malaysian dancing calendar.

The Ballroom Standard Professional Open title was won by the English pair of Warren Boyce, 27 & his wife Kristi, 25. Hailing from Bournemouth, in the south coast of England, this couple are also regular competitors in the Blackpool Dance Festival and have risen very quickly up the world rankings. The other major title, the Ballroom Latin Professional Open was taken by Lu Ning and Zhang Ding Fang from China. Both Lu, 24 and Zhang, 22 are dance instructors at Guangzhou Sports University in Guangdong, China. Second place went to China's Zhao Liang & Gao Xue. Russian couple, Glad & Elena Svanchenko came in third.

China showed her prowess in ballroom dancing by taking two other major titles. The Ballroom Professional Standard Asia Closed was won by Zhang Hao & Song Xiao Rong while the Ballroom Professional Latin Asia Closed was lifted by Zhao Liang & Gao Xue. Dancers from Malaysia also put up a commendable performance. Siblings Louis Haw, 11 and Katryn, 12 from Sabah were victorious in the Juvenile Under-12 Standard and Under-12 Latin Medley categories. Louis & Katryn also came in second in the Junior Under-16 Latin Medley. Both showed great talent and have taken part in many dance competitions in Malaysia before.

We are seeing the emergence of dancing as a hugely popular pastime and sports in China. Visitors to China are often amazed to see multitudes of people practicing Chinese folk or ballroom dancing in the parks and open spaces. Chinese ballroom dancers are now considered the best in Asia and they have brought a breath of fresh air to this art. Every year, they participate in many dance competitions around the world including the prestigious Blackpool Dance Festival in England. Hopefully we may get to see the Chinese win the Blackpool Ballroom Professional Standard and Professional Latin titles in the not too distant future.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Brooke Burke Wins "Dancing With the Stars" Trophy

Brooke Burke, television host and model waltzed away with the mirror ball trophy in the Dancing With the Stars (DWTS) Season 7 finale on November 25. Dancing a Viennese Waltz with her partner Derek Hough to the song Daughters by Joe Mayers, she impressed the judges and television viewers, and scored 88 out of a maximum 90 points. Coming in second was former National Football League player Warren Sapp who did the Hustle with Kim Johnston to the catchy tune of Funky Town. At third place was former 'N Sync singer, Lance Bass swinging the Jitterbug with Lacey Schwimmer to the song Jim Dandy.

Dancing With The Stars is based on the format of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) hit television show Strictly Come Dancing in which celebrities are partnered with professional dancers in various ballroom and Latin American dance routines that are judged by an expert panel and by public votes. Season 7 of Dancing With The Stars premiered on ABC TV on September 22 2008 and was one of the most popular television shows in the United States. During season 7, Salsa, West Coast Swing, Jitterbug and Hustle were included for the first time in the show.

The 13 celebrities who took part in Season 7 included singer Toni Braxton, actress Cloris Leachman and Olympic sprinter Maurice Greene. Among the professional dancers were world renowned Latin American dancer Karina Smirnoff (the former partner of Slavik Kryklyvvy), Corky Ballas, the US Profession Latin Champion 1984-1991 & World Professional Latin Champion 1995-1996, and his 22 year old son, Mark Ballas. Mark who danced and grew up in England became the British Junior Ballroom and Latin American dance champion at the age of 10.

The day after being crowned Dancing With The Stars Champion, Brooke Burke's past as a Playboy model was a hot topic on the internet. Burke had been featured on the cover of Playboy twice, first on the May 2001 edition and most recently on the November 2004 issue. No sooner had the champagne bottles been popped that there is already buzz about the next season of the show. Season 8 of Dancing With The Stars is scheduled to premiere on Monday, March 9 2009 at 8.00 pm ET. The celebrities who will be taking part include gymnast and Olympic gold medallist Shawn Johnson, singers Jewel and Belinda Carlisle.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

5th Malaysian International Dance Championship 2009 To Be Held At Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands

A&C Dynamic Dance Studio of Kuala Lumpur will be organizing the 5th Malaysian International Dance Championship 2009. Further information are as follows:-

Date: February 27 & 28, 2009 (Friday & Saturday)

Venue: Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands

Events: Ballroom - Standard & Latin, Hip Hop, Line Dancing, Belly Dancing

Closing date for entries: January 15 2009

Participation: Open to the world

The organizers are expecting more than 1000 competitors from 28 countries to compete in 36 events. The first day of the competition will focus on ballroom standard and Latin dances while on the second day, the attention will be on the other dances like hip hop, line dancing and belly dancing. The highlight of the first day of competition will be the Professional Standard Open and the Professional Latin Open where the top 12 couples will compete in each category. This championship will offer cash prizes for these two categories and is part of the Asian Open Dance Tour 2009.

For the second day of competition, the Inter School Team Match Competition will be the main event. This event will see teams from different dance schools competing amongst themselves. Each team will have to perform a three and a half minute dance routine consisting of a single ballroom dance or a medley of ballroom dances. There is no age limit to this category and each school can send in a maximum of two teams to compete. Judging will be based on choreography, synchronization and expression. This is the first time such an event is being introduced in this competition.

The principals of A&C Dynamic Dance Studio are Alex Lim and his wife and dancing partner, Carmen Chuang. A&C Dynamic Dance Studio presently has 2 dance studios - one in Jalan Pantai Baru, Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur and the other at Tropicana Golf & Country Resort in Petaling Jaya. For more information regarding the competition, call 6012-7008016 or 6012-7028016, email acddsmy@yahoo.com.uk or visit http://www.ancdancestudio.blogspot.com/. Tickets for the competition can be obtained from Axcess Tickets at http://www.axcess.com.my/ or 603-77115000.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Pole Dance With Maple Loo

Pole dance seems to be making inroads and getting popular in Malaysia. During the middle of this year, Clorets organized the inaugural Malaysia Amateur Pole Dancing Competition 2008, in which contestants had to submit videos online of them pole dancing. 15 finalists (13 girls and 2 guys) out of 75 contestants were chosen for the grand final which was held at Zouk Club in Kuala Lumpur on September 5. The finalists combined pole dance with various styles of dance ranging from ballroom to Latin American, ballet, broadway and hip hop, to a wildly enthusiastic crowd. The winner of the competition was dance instructor Lilli Ussaraporn Kosin who impressed the judges with her beautiful dance routine and graceful style.

As pole dance is a total body workout involving dance steps and aerobics, the health benefits are immense. The benefits include upper body strength, toning of back, shoulders, arms, midriff and legs. In addition you gain overall flexibility, balance and co-ordination. An average hour long session of pole dancing will help you to burn about 400 calories. Compare this to 210 for dancing the waltz or fox trot, 315 for line dancing and 330 for jazz or tap dancing. Pole dancing is also fun and sensual at the same time. However as pole dancing is quite strenuous and if you intend to take up pole dance, it is advisable to consult your doctor if you have not exercised for a long time.

There are quite a number of dance schools and fitness centres in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor which are conducting pole dance classes. One of these is The Hanging Garden, a pole dance school located at Linda Jasmine Performing Arts Studio in Ampang Point in Ampang, Selangor. The principal of The Hanging Garden is the gorgeous looking Maple Loo, a freelance dancer, choreographer and performer for more than a decade. Students of pole dance are expected to learn the basic movements like the Chair and the Pencil before progressing to the more advanced manoeuvres like the Serpent, Scorpio and Bird's Nest.

The Hanging Garden will be hosting the first ever Asian Pole Summit in Malaysia. To be held on December 6 & 7 2008, the event will bring pole dancing to the forefront as an aesthetic art form that is technically challenging and artistically creative. A lineup of professional pole and dance instructors including world renowned pole fitness instructor, KT Coates from the United Kingdom will be in town to teach pole dancing, women styling, special dance techniques, flexibility, core strengthening as well as exotic dances. For more information on this workshop, contact Maple Loo at 012-2326482 or check out her website at www.mapleloo.blogspot.com.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

'Dancing Pig' Quits "Strictly Come Dancing"

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) political correspondent John Sergeant, nicknamed 'The Dancing Pig', announced last week that he was pulling out of the BBC dance competition Strictly Come Dancing because he is afraid that he might win. Sergeant has been this season's surprise (or rather, rising) star on the BBC hit show despite being harshly criticized by the judges as the worst-ever competitor on the programme. One compared him to a 'dancing pig in Cuban heels' and accused him of not taking the competition seriously. Despite consistently receiving the lowest scores from the judges, television viewers however thought otherwise and have repeatedly voted for the portly Sergeant above more accomplished dancers.

Like its American spin-off, Dancing With The Stars, the BBC show pairs celebrities with professional dancers in various ballroom and Latin American dance routines that are judged by an expert panel and by public telephone votes. Week after week, the judges have lambasted the 64-year old Sergeant for his wooden and clumsy dance moves. In one episode, while dancing the Paso Doble, he inelegantly dragged his partner Kristina Rihanoff across the dance floor thus earning him the sobriquet 'The Dancing Pig'. "It was always my intention to have fun on the show and I was hoping to stay in as long as possible. The trouble is that there is now a real danger that I might win the competition. Even for me that would be a joke too far" Sergeant said in a statement.

Strictly Come Dancing is now into its sixth season and is a top rated show in the UK. This season, 16 celebrities were paired off with 16 well known professional dancers. The professional dancers included Matthew Cutler, Karen Hardy, Vincent Simone and Flavia Cacace. Matthew Cutler, dancing with Alicia Dixon were last year's winners. Cutler was a former 4-times UK Closed Professional Latin Champion. Karen Hardy, partnering Mark Ramprakash were the winners in 2006. Before her retirement from competitive dancing in 1999, Hardy was dancing with Bryan Watson and they had won several world championships. Simone and his partner Cacace are the current UK Professional Ten Dance Champions as well as the World Argentine Tango Show Champions.

It really comes as no surprise that Sergeant has been able to come this far in the competition in spite of, or rather because of his ungainly dance style. Despite appeals by judges to the television audience to vote for the best, rather than the most popular dancer, the viewers had differing views. Many had found Sergeant to be entertaining and had wanted to keep him in the show as long as possible. His unexpected decision to quit prompted an outcry from his fans who accused the BBC of forcing him out. Rumour has it that the rules for the next season of Strictly Come Dancing may be changed to prevent another "John Sergeant" situation. Austin Healey, the former England rugby international is now the favourite to win the show.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia