Dance Master UK is a dance competition held annually in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

Overview

Dance Master UK was established in the late 1990s by the

International Dance Teachers Association The International Dance Teachers Association (IDTA) is a dance teaching and examination board based in Brighton, England. Operating internationally, the IDTA currently has over 7,000 members in 55 countries. The IDTA is recognised by the nationa ...

, as the male equivalent of their long running competition

Miss Dance of Great Britain Miss Dance of Great Britain is a stage dance competition for girls, which is held annually in the United Kingdom. Overview Miss Dance of Great Britain is a long running theatre dance competition for girls, established and organised by the Inter ...

. Dance Master UK is a

theatre dance Concert dance (also known as performance dance or theatre dance in the United Kingdom) is dance performed for an audience. It is frequently performed in a theatre setting, though this is not a requirement, and it is usually choreographed and p ...

competition for boys held annually in the UK with a national final held at the Winter Gardens in

Blackpool Blackpool is a seaside resort in Lancashire, England. Located on the North West England, northwest coast of England, it is the main settlement within the Borough of Blackpool, borough also called Blackpool. The town is by the Irish Sea, betw ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. The finals also include the judging of ''

'', and the ''

International Ballet Championships International is an adjective (also used as a noun) meaning "between nations". International may also refer to: Music Albums * ''International'' (Kevin Michael album), 2011 * ''International'' (New Order album), 2002 * ''International'' (The T ...

''.

Qualifying

Entrants who wish to compete in the national finals of Dance Master, must first qualify for the competition by winning a regional heat. Heats are held at

dance festival Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

s nationwide throughout the year. The majority of these festivals are independently run and must apply to the IDTA in order to stage a heat of Dance Master. To enter a regional heat, competitors must be aged 16 years or over on the day of the competition and must be amateur dancers or be in full-time training. Professional dancers are not permitted to enter. In the heats, each competitor performs a three-minute solo dance in a modern theatre or cabaret style. This may include jazz, tap, song, dialogue, instrumentation or comedy, with dance as the dominant discipline.

Classical Ballet Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its ...

character dance Character dance is a specific subdivision of classical dance. It is the stylized representation of a traditional folk or national dance, mostly from European countries, and uses movements and music which have been adapted for the theater. Char ...

or national dance styles are not permitted. The IDTA requests that competitors present a solo that has been specially choreographed for the competition. Should a competitor win their regional heat, they must perform the same solo, without changes, at the national final. To qualify for the national finals, a competitor must win their heat with a score of 85 marks or more, and they then represent that festival at the finals. A runner-up place is also awarded and the runner-up may compete at the national finals if they have scored a qualifying mark and only if the heat winner is unable to compete. It is very common for dancers to compete in numerous regional heats throughout the country in order to qualify for the national finals.

The Finals

The national finals of Dance Master are organised by the IDTA and are held annually at the Winter Gardens in

. During the finals, the competitors compete in a series of dance-offs, judged by a panel of specialist adjudicators. This narrows down the number of competitors to a selection of 7 finalists. The finalists then perform again for the judges in the grand final and the winner of the Dance Master title is awarded. The winner of Dance Master UK receives a trophy and a cash prize, with trophies also being awarded for the runner-up and 3rd places. The winner holds the title for one year, until a new winner is chosen the following year. The title holder may compete to retain the title, but do not automatically qualify for a place at the national finals. Being a prestigious competition, the winner of Dance Master will normally enjoy a number of other benefits including dancing at various IDTA seminars and events, and being invited to perform at the IDTA's annual showcase gala at a major UK theatre.

Grand Final Winners

''2022'' Winner - Scott Millar - Sharon Wood School of Dance and Drama Runner up - Max Penfold 3rd Place - Jake Kitching ''2019'' Winner - Harrison Smallman - Jelli Studios Runner up - Daniel Richards - Splinters Dance Studio 3rd Place - Jack Skelton - BAD ''2018'' Winner - Harry Wilson - Scott Stevenson School Runner up - Harrison Smallman - Jelli Studios. 3rd Place - James Wilkinson Jones - Nadine's Dance Company ''2017'' Winner - Kieran Price - Tabs Studios Runner up - Ashley Chafer - Marilyn baker school of dance. 3rd Place - James Wilkinson Jones - Nadine's Dance Company ''2016'' Winner - Arron Hough - sk dance Runner up - James Buckley - Adele Taylor

2015

*Winner - Reece Woodier Tabs studios *Runner Up - Benjamin Holloway "Adele Taylor School of Dance" *3rd Place - Michael Brown Kathleen Knox school of dance

2014

*Winner - Rhys Yeomans *Runner Up - Nathan Johnson nadines dance company *3rd Place - Benjamin Holloway'' "Adele Taylor School of Dance"

2013

*Winner - Joseph Burridge *Runner Up - Jamal Wolfe *3rd Place - Samual Wall

2012

*Winner - Stephen Garrity from Thornton academy of Dance Studios, Middlesbrough *Runner Up - Samual Wall *3rd Place - Nathan Colman

2011

*Winner - Rio Samuels of the ''Dawn Dawson Academy of Dance'' and ''Dolphin Dance Studios'' *Runner Up - Connor MacLeod of the ''Georgie School of Theatre Arts'' *3rd Place - Dex Lee of the ''Morgan Aslanoff School''

2010

*Winner -

Matthew Koon Matthew Koon is a British actor and dancer. Career Koon began studying ballet at the age of 2, at the Alison Livesey School of Dance and Drama in Whitefield, Greater Manchester. At the age of 9, he auditioned for the Royal Ballet School Junio ...

of the ''Centre Pointe School of Dance'' *Runner Up - Josh Kinsella of ''Phil Winston's Theatreworks'' *3rd Place - Connor McLeod of the ''Georgie School of Theatre Arts''

2009

*Winner - Billy George of the ''Armley School of Dance'' *Runner Up - John Stevenson Janice Wilsons school of dance *3rd Place - Will Botting of the ''Premier Dance Academy''

2008

*Winner - ‘’’ Danny Rowe ‘’’ - of ‘’Lumsdale Theatre Arts’’

2007

*Winner - Andrew Wragg Amersall School Of Dance

2005

* Winner - Joseph Connor of the ''Dupont Dance Stage School'' * Runner Up - Craig Moffat * 3rd Place - Matthew Croke of the ''Maureen Law'' & ''Sharon Berry'' Schools

Sources

Dance Master UK - 2008 Winner
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External links

International Dance Teachers Association

Official Site of Joseph Connor
Dance awards Dance festivals in the United Kingdom Competitions in the United Kingdom 1990s establishments in the United Kingdom Annual events in the United Kingdom