End of an Era

The Pro-Latin held on the Wednesday at the Wintergardens was a competition I was very much looking forward to seeing.

For the first time in a while I would get the opportunity to see all the big guns in the latin world - Bryan Watson & Carmen, Slavik Kryklyvyy & Elena Khvorova, Michael Maltowski & Joana Leunis all on the floor a the same time.


a packed audience standing 5 - 6 deep in places

There was also the return of Michael Wentink to look forward to and the first major pro comp for last year's amateur champions Peter Stokkebroe and Kristina Juel-Stokkebroe. All in all this was going to be an interesting and exciting event to watch.


The "view" from the balcony

But the evening was to prove more special than I would have imagined as Bryan Watson and Carmen chose this evening to announce their retirement from competition.


Bryan and Carmen in action

At the start, we had no idea that they were going to do this, and apparently they kept this very quiet from everyone - including their coaches! Some who knew them well thought something special was happening when by the way they danced the first round.

Those on the ground floor suspected when Carmen came out in tears for the final of the Rumba. Others noticed them crying during the Paso, but from our vantage point on the first floor we were oblivious to this. We only became aware when the audience started their standing ovation during the jive. Talking to one of the finalists the next day, I asked when he knew, and he too only realised during the Jive.


Standing ovation from the audience DURING the final!

Half way through the Jive, everyone in the packed Ballroom was on their feet joining in the standing ovation. At the end, the other finalists took a shortest bow I've seen before all turning and joining in the applause for Bryan and Carmen. I have no idea how long the ovation went on for, or indeed how the clapping somehow manages to break into unison. For those few minutes the Ballroom floor belonged to them.



The results were announced in the traditional manner of each dance being presented in turn, and Bryan and Carmen took all five dances.


After the trophy presentation, another standing ovation

At the end they were presented with the trophy and Richard Gleave announced what we already knew that they were retiring. 'It is traditional for the champions to stand alone" he said "and Bryan and Carmen truly stand alone having won here a record seven times" Donny Burns, who's record had just been broken was in the front row applauding their achievement.

Swept up by the magnitude of the event, Richard Gleave didn't give the usual run down of the other places, but to be honest by then it was not important. Instead he asked them to do one last honour dance and to dance a Rumba.



From behind the stage I saw all the other latin finalists scurry to the edge of the floor to witness this last dance from the champions.


The emotion of the evening clear to see on their faces



It was a beautiful dance, cut short by the emotion of the event getting to thm and they stopped to yet more rapturous applause.







Again standing ovation with hardly a dry eye in the house. They left the floor for the last time through the throng of their fellow competitors applauding and hugging the champions.



Its next to impossible to describe to you the feeling that evening. It was one of the most emotionally charged evenings Blackpool has witnessed. It was one of those evenings where those present will always be able to say "I was there"

Submitted by Martyn 12/06/07