On 5/3/2023, the Hong Kong Ballroom Dancers International (HKBDI) organized the “11th HKBDFI Cup Ballroom Dance Championships” at Regal Riverside Hotel in Hong Kong. This was the first DanceSport competition with a dinner party in three years due to the mask-wearing rule being lifted on 1/3/2023. I received a congratulatory message from Mr Greg Smith, Chairman of BDFI, which I am honoured by.

The competition had a great turnout with 125 solo dancers, 65 couples, and 4 Synchronized Dancing groups participating. The competition started at 11:00 hrs and ended at 18:45 hrs. The adjudication panel was comprised of 4 Italians, 1 Romanian, 1 Danish, 1 Ukrainian, and 29 locals. The last two events of the day were Open Professional Latin and Open Professional Standard, which were danced alternately.

One of the adjudicators, a Ukrainian, encountered some difficulty arriving at Hong Kong airport on 4/3/23 but was, fortunately, able to enter Hong Kong smoothly.

Unfortunately, due to my careless mistake, the Regal Riverside Hotel’s management staff did not provide the Backdrop as the contractual details had changed since the last time we worked together.

The evening dinner party began at 19:30 hrs with 21 dinner tables each seating 12 or more guests. The HKBDI initiated the first HKBDI Junior & Junior All Year Round Champion Award in 2019. In the past three years, the prize presentation ceremony was held in the community hall. However, this year, the young Award recipients were thrilled to receive their Awards during HKBDI’s grand dinner dance party.

A new event introduced by HKBDI in 2023 was the “Latin Dance Super Series,” featuring six stunning couples from Italy, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. The Champions, Ryan Ma & Victoria Leung (HK), and the 1st Runner-up, Andrea Francaland & Benedetta Orlandini (Italy), were arranged to perform a special honorary performance at the evening dinner party. The audience and supporters were mesmerized, and the whole dinner dance party was filled with an electric atmosphere.

Sincerely,

Lawrence Chan International Director, BDFI

(Major Results)

Open Amateur Latin : 1^st  Andrea Francaland & Benedetta Orlandini (Italy), 2^nd Ryan Ma & Victoria Leung (HK), 3^rd Howard Chung & Nancy Long (HK), 4^th Enoch Ng & Didsbury Cheung (HK) , 5^th Cheng Ka Lok & Man Sze Nga (HK), 6^th Lee Pui Yin & Choi Zhi Yan (HK)

Open Amateur Standard : 1^st Chan Cheuk Haug & Ip Hoi Ling (HK), 2^nd To Kam Yuen & Lee Chui Bik (HK), 3^rd Kevin Wong & Sandy Tse (HK)

Open Professional Standard : 1^st Tang Chun Kit & Song Kuen (China), 2^nd Wu King Chung & Shun Lai (China), 3^rd Simon Lau & Nancy Wong (HK), Kwan Yiu Keung & Choi Woon Yimg (HK)

Open Professional Latin : 1^st Aleksandr Andreichev & Kristina Nikiforova (HK) ; 2^nd Danny Huang & Jenny Wang (Taiwan)

Latin Super Series : 1^st Ryan Ma & Victoria Leung (HK), Andrea Francaland & Benedetta Orlandini (Italy), 3^rd Howard Chung & Nancy Long (HK), 4^th Enoch Ng & Didsbury Cheung (HK) , 5^th Lee Pui Yin & Choi Zhi Yan (HK)

(Photos) : –

(a) all European young adjudicators with organizer Lawrence Chan

 (b) Prize presentation of Latin Super Series

(c) Open Professional Latin Champions  Aleksandr Andreichev & Kristina Nikiforova

(d)  Open Amateur Latin Champions Andrea Francaland & Benedetta Orlandini

(e) Open Professional Latin prize presentation 

(f) Latin Super Series Champions   Ryan Ma & Victoria Leung

(g) Open Amateur Latin Prize Presentation

(h)  Open Amateur Standard Champions Chan Cheuk Haug & Ip Hoi Ling