Blackpool 2018 – The Greatest Dancesport Festival You Can’t Miss this Spring
It’s Blackpool time, one of the most highly anticipated championship events in the calendar year!
At Blackpool Festival 2018, dance couples from all over the world will entertain the audience with their energy and creative performances. The competition runs from Thursday 24th MAY to Friday 1st JUNE 2018, in Blackpool, England.
The Rich History Of Blackpool
If you’re thinking about the most historical dance event, then you’re thinking about Blackpool. In fact, the festival got off to a flying start since the first edition that took place in 1920 during Easter week in the fabulous Empress Ballroom in the Winter Gardens.
The Winter Gardens Blackpool
The Winter Gardens celebrates this year 140 years of illustrious entertainment. Up to the present time, since its opening in 1878, the Winter Gardens Blackpool is home to many iconic gigs and events. All of them are held in its collection of theaters, ballrooms, exhibition halls and public spaces.
Here can find more about the Winter Gardens.
The idea behind Blackpool
It’s not known for sure whose idea was the festival. For example, it could have been Mr Harry Wooed, the Musical Director of the Winter Gardens. Or it could’ve been Mr. Nelson Sharples of Messrs Sharples & Son Ltd., or the music publishers of Blackpool who published all the sheet music for the Novelty dances invented by the M.C.’s in the Empress and Tower Ballroom’s.
The evolution of competitions
At that time in history, Ballroom wasn’t what it is today. More exactly, the dances in the Ballrooms consisted mainly of Sequence Waltzes, the Lancers, Two Steps and many Novelty Dances. Namely, the Blackpool Festival had only three competitions meant to find three new Sequence Dances in three tempos – Waltz, Two Step and Foxtrot.
Nevertheless, from three competitions in 1920, Blackpool evolved to having now the British Open Championships for Adult Amateur and Professional couples, Formation Teams and the British Rising Star Amateur Ballroom and Latin Competitions.
The 1st place winners of 2017
- Amateur Rising Star Latin: YIMING TANG & XINYI HUANG
- Amateur Rising Star Ballroom: ARTEM KUKLIN & ALIKA DIKA
- Professional Rising Star Latin: PASHA PASHKOV & DANIELLA KARAGACH
- Professional Rising Star Ballroom: VLADISLAV SHAKHOV & EKATERINA POPOVA
- Over 50 Ballroom: XINGMIN LU & KATERINA LU
- Senior Latin: SUPPAKORN CHUWONGWUT & ZUZANA VASAILES
- Senior Ballroom: TAMAS KEMENY & NORA PRINCZ
- Under 21 Latin: LLOYD PERRY & REBECCA SCOTT
- Under 21 Ballroom: ARTEM KUKLIN & ALIKA DIKA – UKRAINE
- Amateur Latin: FERDINANDO IANNACCONE & YULIA MUSIKHINA
- Amateur Ballroom: CHONG HE & JING SHAN
- Professional Latin: RICCARDO COCCHI & YULIA ZAGORUYCHENKO
- Professional Ballroom: VICTOR FUNG & ANASTASIA MURAVYEVAU
Why You Should Attend Blackpool
To put it simply, Blackpool encourages excellence in dance and increases opportunities for the public to experience the best in dancesport.
Indeed, the 2018 Blackpool programme surely satisfies varied tastes of fans and the general public.
In their latest press release Michael Williams, the Managing Director of Blackpool Entertainment Company Limited, has stated that this edition of the festival the audience will be delighted with the Empress Orchestra under the musical direction of Ashley Frohlick. Especially, The Empress Orchestra has prepared for this event more than 30 new orchestrations in addition to their current repertoire.
The only way to fully understand the quality and excellence of this event is to come to the Blackpool Festival and experience it first hand. In fact, an all senses journey is waiting for you at Winter Gardens. Certainly, from the minute you’ll arrive, you’ll be able to feel the positive energy from dancers from all over the world. They are all eager to dance and learn from some of the best in the industry. Spectacular outfits and truly breathtaking show!
Also, if you or anyone you know will go to Blackpool know that you can get your dream photos made by photographer Alex Rowan. But for that make sure you fill in a form at www.Blackpoolphotos.com.
How To Get Your Blackpool Ticket
Tickets for the show can be paid:
1. By cheque drawn on a British Bank in Pounds Sterling.
2. By Postal Orders in Pounds Sterling.
3. By Credit Card: VISA or MASTERCARD only.
4. By Bank Draft or cheques drawn on an accredited London Clearing Bank made payable in Pounds Sterling.
5. By Bank Transfer.
Moreover, online ticketing is open for purchasing Admission Tickets only.
For more information on the methods of payment check out their Ticket information letter.
Get your umbrella and your sunglasses and be ready for the unpredictable English weather! If you want to enjoy the city while you’re there, go and find more about Blackpool attractions on http://www.visitblackpool.com/.
This is the event dancers have worked all year to get to. That’s why the Dancesport Life team is wishing the best of luck to all the contestants who are fighting for a place at the competition!
Find the author on:
Catalin Matei
Dancing has been my passion since I was 13 and since then I've been doing things in that direction. Writing, creating and putting together the biggest community for dancers around the world!