Bryan Watson (born 18 April 1969) was nine times Professional

World Latin Dance Champion This page lists the official World Champions – Professional Latin of the World Dance Council (WDC). The championships are authorized and organized under the auspices of the WDC, and held annually in the last quarter of each year. The competit ...

and won the International Latin American Championship five times. Watson was born in

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

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. He became the UK Open Amateur champion with Claudia Leonie in 1991 and the runner-up in the International Latin Professional World Championships with

Karen Hardy Karen Hardy (born 14 July 1970) is a British professional ballroom dancer, coach, teacher and adjudicator. In 1998, she won the professional International Latin American Dance Championship with Bryan Watson. She also won the United Kingdom Op ...

in 1996. He then won his first International Latin Professional World Championships with Carmen Vincelj in 1999. Watson and Vincelj proceeded to win every major International Latin Professional Championships that they entered until their retirement from competition in 2007. The couple continue to run a dance teaching studio in

Wimbledon, London Wimbledon () is a suburb of southwest London, England, southwest of Charing Cross; it is the main commercial centre of the London Borough of Merton. Wimbledon had a population of 68,189 in 2011 which includes the electoral wards of Abbey, Wimb ...

and gave an interesting interview on the subject of retiring from competition.

Career

World championships

Bryan Watson and Carmen Vincelj won the

World Dance Council The World Dance Council Ltd (WDC), is a registered limited company, the legal successor to the ''International Council of Ballroom Dancing'', and was established at a meeting organized by Phillip J. S. Richardson on 22 September 1950 in Edinburgh, ...

's World Professional Latin Championship for nine years running, from 1999–2007.

International Latin American Championship

Watson won the Professional Latin American title at the International Championships at the

Albert Hall The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London, England. It has a seating capacity of 5,272. Since the hall's opening by Queen Victoria in 1871, the world's leading artists from many performance genre ...

, London, five times. These are the oldest recognised Latin championships in

ballroom dance Ballroom dance is a set of European partner dances, which are enjoyed both socially and competitively around the world, mostly because of its performance and entertainment aspects. Ballroom dancing is also widely enjoyed on stage, film, and te ...

.Details from the programme of the 57th International Championships 2009, which lists all previous prizewinners. * 1998 with

as partner. * 2000, 2001, 2003, 2004 with Carmen Vincelj as partner.

Other international titles

Watson also won the British Open Latin Championship seven times (details not to hand.) * 2005

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. It is located on the Irish Sea coast of the Fylde peninsula, approximately north of Liverpool and west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. It is the main settlement in the Borough of Blackpool ...

Professional Latin 1st * 2005 WDC European Professional Latin 2005 Russia 1st * 2005 German Professional Latin 2005 Germany 1st * 2004 Moscow Kremlin Cup 2004 Latin 1st * 2004 British Professional Latin 1st * 2004 Professional Latin Cup 2004. Germany 1st * 2004 German Professional Latin 2004 Germany 1st * 2004 WDC German Masters Latin 2004. Germany 1st * 2003 WDC World Masters 2003 Professional LA Austria 1st * 2003 GP von Deutschland (Grand Prix) Closed Professional LA 1st * 2003 WDC US Open Professional LA USA 1st * 2003 WDC German Open GOC 2003 Professional LA Germany 1st *

International Latin American Dance Champions The International Latin American Dance Championships were created after the Second World War in England by Elsa Wells, and are now organised by ''Dance News'' special events. The current full title is the ''Elsa Wells International Dance Champions ...

World Latin Dance Champions This page lists the official World Champions – Professional Latin of the World Dance Council (WDC). The championships are authorized and organized under the auspices of the WDC, and held annually in the last quarter of each year. The competit ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Bryan 1969 births Living people People from Durban South African ballroom dancers