Thousands will be Cha Cha’ing and Quickstepping their way into Hisense Arena next weekend for the 71st Australian DanceSport Championships.
Couples from all over Australia and the world flock to Melbourne each year to compete over 3 jam-packed days for the coveted title of “Australian Champion”. From juvenile competitors as young as five, right up to Masters competitors in their seventies, the championships promise to be an exciting showcase of DanceSport.
New Zealand’s current Closed Professional Standard and New Vogue Champions, Blair Petterd and Jessie Wong, will be travelling to Melbourne again this year for the championships. Relatively new to the Professional DanceSport field, Blair and Jessie were successful in achieving a top six finish at last year’s championships, and this year they hope to go one better.
“We’re really hoping we can make it into the final again this year, and can improve on last years results (6th place)” Jessie told The Newsroom.
After an incredibly successful competitive year here in Australia and abroad, Blair and Jessie are feeling optimistic about the upcoming championships. With three New Zealand Closed titles under their belt, as well as finishing in the top 96 in the 2016 British Professional Championships, Blair and Jessie are strong contenders for the Australian Professional title on December 10th.
Blair & Jessie competing in Blackpool, England.
The Australian DanceSport Championships, or the “Aussies” as it is affectionately called amongst competitors, is not only the premier DanceSport event in Australia, but it also remains one of the key events on the international circuit. The three-day championship provides Australian athletes with the opportunity to compete against some of the world’s best on home soil, and for Australian audiences to witness the skill, glamour, and athleticism of world-class DanceSport.
“We’re finding that the international showcase attracts a lot of overseas competitors, and it also increases the number of entries we receive from couples here in Australia,” said Ms Lonsdale.
So to all Melburnians, come along to Hisense between 9th and 11th December and experience DanceSport for yourself!
About the author
Lauren Kavanagh is a journalism student at Macleay College in Melbourne. You can follow Lauren on twitter @laurenlkavanagh
