The New Year may have only just arrived but already thousands of aspiring ballroom stars from across Europe have made their way to the Blackpool’s Empress Ballroom to compete in the Champions of Tomorrow event.
The world-renowned Winter Gardens has been pivotal to the development of ballroom dancing and has hosted dance festivals for over 90 years that have come to define the town’s dancing heritage.
In January, The Empress Ballroom and Spanish Hall were alive with dancers from across Europe who were in Blackpool for the first dancing event of 2022.
Michael Williams, Managing Director of Winter Gardens Blackpool commented: “It is a delight to welcome dancers back to Blackpool for Champions of Tomorrow. It is the first of many dance events that we host annually here at the Winter Gardens Blackpool which sees dancers from across the globe travel to Blackpool to compete in the magnificent Empress Ballroom.”
“To our delight and despite current circumstances, the numbers attending our first festival of 2022, meant an expansion across the venue, utilising the recently renovated Spanish Hall as well as the Empress Ballroom which received wide praise from competitors and spectators.”
Champions of Tomorrow provides opportunities for dancers of all abilities to compete in categories from under six years of age right through to seniors. Featuring competitions for solos, couples, all girls and pro-am/teacher students, it is one of 10 festivals which take place at the Winter Gardens each year, attracting thousands of visitors from across the globe.
Mr Warren Bullock, who travelled to Blackpool with his dance school, Zig Zag based in Wolverhampton, said: “To see the Winter Gardens so alive again with dance was very special. It was a pleasure to see the dancers in person and live rather than on ZOOM. I loved everything about the weekend, the impressive stage and lighting, the energy and the fantastic music. Wow! We do have some brilliantly talented dancers!”
The next festival is set to take place this April and will welcome juniors from across the world to compete in the Blackpool Junior Dance Festival across 29 different competitions. To find out more visit Blackpooldancefestival.co.uk
Photos attached credit: Gilbert Wu photography.
