After the British Open Championships were cancelled in 2020 for the first time since the Second World War due to COVID-19, it was hard to describe the joy and excitement we felt at witnessing such wonderful dancing again in the iconic Empress Ballroom in Blackpool.
While we could have expected standards to drop because of the pandemic, may we reassure you that this was absolutely not the case. Huge credit to all participating couples for their excellent performances!
The Amateur Ballroom Championship was of an incredible level, with all the finalists of the pre-pandemic UK Open 2020 managing to participate again and reaching this final too. The title was won by England’s Kyle Taylor and Izabela Skierska, who triumphed in all four dances, while most other positions were hotly contested and often decided by rule 11.
The Amateur Latin Championships revealed skill levels, class, energy, exuberance and excitement well beyond what could have been realistically expected after such a long enforced break. The eventual winners were Klemen Prasnikar and Alexandra Averkieva from Slovenia.
The enthusiasm to be back on the dance floor was evident throughout the whole festival, leading up to unforgettable and magical Professional Latin final to close the 2021 Blackpool Dance Festival. Winning the Samba, Rumba and Jive, Troels Bager and Ina Jeliazkova became the new British Open Professional Latin Champions in a closely contested final, while the new Professional Ballroom British Open Champions for 2021 were Domen Krapez and Natascha Karabey, winning all four dances.
This double DVD features one DVD exclusively dedicated to Ballroom, showing the semi-finals, the finals, the presentation and the interviews of both Professionals and Amateurs, and an equivalent DVD focusing on the Latin championships.
For more rounds and additional footage of the Open British Championships in Blackpool please visit DSI TV on www.dsi-london.tv
Playing time: Disc 1: Amateur Latin 50 minutes, Professional Latin 65 minutes.
Disc 2: Amateur Ballroom 54 minutes, Professional Ballroom 54 minutes.