Blackpool History – Amateur Ballroom

The very first champions in this event in 1931, were James Pike & Viola Ford of the UK. Right up to, and including 1975, only British couples had clinched this title. 

GREG SMITH & MARION ALLEYNE

Our records show that John & Wendy Thornton from Queensland, were Australia’s first finalists in the Amateur Ballroom, we believe they placed 4th in both 1972 and again in 1973. That same year saw them join the Professional ranks and go on to win the Australian Professional Ballroom Championship 1973. In 1976 however, the British Open title went to a non British couple, in the form of Queensland’s John & Carol Kimmins, making them the first Australians to ever clinch the British Amateur Ballroom title.  They featured in the final for the first time in 1974 where they placed 6th, then again in 1975 in the runners up position, and then on to win the title in 1976.  They also won all 5 dances at the German Open that same year beating the two couples who placed above them at the World Championships just 3 weeks prior.

The following year, 1977, Greg Smith & Marion Alleyne (Welsh) from New South Wales won the title again for Australia. This gave Australia have back to back wins in this event, a feat that has never been repeated by Australian dancers in the Amateur Ballroom event. Greg & Marion then went on to become the first and only Australian couple to this day, to win the World Amateur Ballroom Championship. Greg & Marion were placed 25th in 1973 and then made a massive jump into the final in 1974 placing 5th, just in front of John & Carol. They then placed 4th in 1975 and, in 1976 came in 3rd place before winning the title in 1977. The 1977 British Amateur Ballroom Final line up can be seen below;

1977 BRITISH AMATEUR BALLROOM LINE UP
L to R
1st. Marion Alleyne & Greg Smith (AUSTRALIA), 2nd. Barbara & Robert Grover (UK), 3rd. UK, 4th, Lindsey Tate & Stephen Hillier (UK), 5th. Denise Weavers & David Sycamore (UK), 6th, Anne & Hans Laxholm (Denmark)
GLEN TIERNEY & ANNE-MARIE POWELL

The only other Australian to win this event has been Donna Reeve (now Shingler) in 1998, Donna danced for England with her husband Alan Shingler. They went on to win the Professional Rising Star Championship the following year and then on to be regular Professional Ballroom finalists.  Interesting to note that Glen Tierney from Western Australia who placed 3rd in 1985 with Anne-Marie Powell, in that same year they won the British Open Amateur Modern Sequence Championship (the only non British person to do so) and he and Anne-Marie were also the Closed British Amateur Ballroom Champion in 1984 and 1985. 

All of the results we have to date can be seen below. We have gone up to those who have placed in the round of 48 and above. If anyone has any results we can add, please email us at info@outsidechange.com

CHAMPIONS

  • 1976 – John & Carol Kimmins (QLD)
  • 1977 – Greg Smith & Marion Alleyne (NSW)
  • 1998 – Alan & Donna Shingler (UK)

RUNNER UP

  • 1975 – John & Carol Kimmins (QLD)
  • 1997 – Alan & Donna Shingler (UK)

3RD PLACE

  • 1976 – Greg Smith & Marion Alleyne (NSW)
  • 1985 – Glen Tierney & Anne-Marie Powell (UK)
  • 1996 – Alan & Donna Shingler (UK)

4TH PLACE

  • 1972 – John & Wendy Thornton (QLD)
  • 1973 – John & Wendy Thornton (QLD)
  • 1975 – Greg Smith & Marion Alleyne (NSW)
  • 1984 – Glen Tierney & Anne-Marie Powell (UK)
  • 1993 – Alan & Donna Shingler (UK)
  • 1994 – Alan & Donna Shingler (UK)
  • 1995 – Alan & Donna Shingler (UK)

5TH PLACE

  • 1974 – Greg Smith & Marion Alleyne (NSW)
  • 1983 – Glen Tierney & Anne-Marie Powell (UK)

6TH PLACE

  • 1974 – John & Carol Kimmins (QLD)
  • 1982 – Glen Tierney & Anne-Marie Powell (UK)

SEMI FINAL

  • 1969 – Dick Foley & Kay Waterman (NSW) 7th place
  • 1970 – Dick Foley & Kay Waterman (NSW)
  • 1976 – Dick Foley & Kay Waterman (NSW)
  • 1977 – Dick Foley & Kay Waterman (NSW)
  • 1989 – Claus Jordan & Donna Reeve (Denmark)
  • 1990 – Claus Jordan & Donna Reeve (Denmark)
  • 1991 – Claus Jordan & Donna Reeve (Denmark)
  • 1992 – Claud Jordan & Donna Reeve (Denmark)
  • 1998 – Tomas Atkocevicius & Kym Johnson (NSW)
  • 1999 – Tomas Atkocevicius & Kym Johnson (NSW) 11th place
  • 2010 – Bjorn Bitsch & Ashli Williamson (Denmark) 7th place
  • 2011 – Bjorn Bitsch & Ashli Williamson (Denmark) 8th place

QUARTER FINAL TOP 24

  • 1966 – Neil & Jenny Rosenfeld (VIC)
  • 1967 – Dick Foley & Kay Waterman (NSW) 13th place
  • 1967 – Neil & Jenny Rosenfeld (VIC)
  • 1982 – Stephen & Katrina Pulbrook (SA)
  • 1983 – Stephen & Katrina Pulbrook (SA)
  • 1987 – Paul Wilson & Donna Reeve (NSW)
  • 1997 – Adam Reeve & Rebecca Allen (NSW)
  • 1998 – Adam Reeve & Yulia Sheina (NSW)
  • 2001 – Anton Du Beke & Erin Boag (UK) 17th place
  • 2002 – Anton Du Beke & Erin Boag (UK) Equal 19th
  • 2004 – Matthew Rooke & Anna Longmore (VIC) Equal 16th
  • 2007 – Bjorn Bitsch & Ashli Williamson (Denmark) Equal 18th
  • 2007 – Matthew Rooke & Anna Longmore (VIC) Equal 21st
  • 2008 – Matthew Rooke & Anna Longmore (VIC) 23rd place
  • 2009 – Bjorn Bitsch & Ashli Williamson (Denmark) Equal 18th
  • 2012 – Andrea Zamarella & Krisite Simmonds (USA) 17th place

TOP 48

  • 1988 – Paul Wilson & Donna Reeve (NSW)
  • 1998 – Anton Du Beke & Erin Boag (UK)
  • 1998 – Damon Sugden & Rebecca Walker (WA)
  • 1999 – Anton Du Beke & Erin Boag (UK) 26th place
  • 1999 – Damon Sugden & Rebecca Walker (WA) Equal 35th
  • 2000 – Anton Du Beke & Erin Boag (UK) Equal 25th
  • 2002 – Brian Redmond & Kerry Lavell (Ireland) 29th
  • 2003 – Brian Redmond & Kerry Lavell (Ireland) Equal 44th
  • 2004 – Richard Tonizzo & Claire Hansen (Canada) Equal 33rd
  • 2004 – Damien Kolouris & Natsha Manderson (QLD) 36th place
  • 2005 – Matthew Rooke & Anna Longmore (VIC) Equal 32nd
  • 2005 – Damien Kolouris & Natasha Manderson (QLD) Equal 39th
  • 2006 – Matthew Rooke & Anna Longmore (VIC) Equal 41st
  • 2006 – Bjorn Bitsch & Ashli Williamson (Denmark) Equal 50th
  • 2008 – Bjorn Bitsch & Ashli Williamson (Denmark) 30th place
  • 2009 – Matthew Potter & Victoria Rafeiner (NSW) Equal 45th
  • 2010 – Mario Cicala & Bianca Tonizzo (WA) Equal 30th
  • 2010 – Michale Glikman & Milana Deitch (NSW) 43rd place
  • 2011 – Michael Glikman & Milana Deitch (NSW) 30th place
  • 2011 – Matthew Potter & Victoria Rafeiner (NSW) 48th place
  • 2012 – Steven Grinbergs & Rachelle Plaass (NSW) Equal 34th
  • 2012 – Michael Glikman & Milana Deitch (NSW) 43rd place
  • 2012 – Matthew Potter & Talysa Trevallion (NSW) Equal 46th
  • 2013 – Steven Grinbergs & Rachelle Plaass (NSW) Equal 34th
  • 2013 – Matthew Potter & Veronika Rezepina (NSW) Equal 46th
  • 2021 – Mihai Cotos & Stephanie Leyden (VIC) 37th place