Ian Waite
Encyclopedia
Ian Waite is a professional Latin-American dancer, teacher and choreographer.
. He started dancing at the age of 10. Mary Richardson, a former Latin American champion (and now his stepmother) put him through a rigorous medallist regime. By the age of 14, he had completed all his grades and won almost every competition that he had entered. He went on to the open circuit where he achieved international success by becoming the European Youth Latin American Champion. This started a ten year partnership with Melanie Walker (now Melanie Lane), with whom he competed all over the world, representing England in many world and European championships.
He turned professional in 1997 and formed a partnership with the former Latin American world champion, Inga Haas. After nine months, they came third in the British Professional Rising Stars.
He decided to further his dance career by moving to Holland to train with the choreographer and dance coach, Ruud Vermay. There, he formed a four-year partnership with Natalia Panina, with whom he won the Dutch Championship. They also made the final of both the World Showdance Championship and the European Professional Latin American Championship. He went on to dance with Daisy Croes, from Belgium, who now appears on the Belgian version of Strictly Come Dancing
.
After five years in Holland he returned to home. By the summer of 2004, he had started to dance with Camilla Dallerup
. Their first competition was the International Championships at the Royal Albert Hall
, where they made the semi final and in November of that year, they made the final of the British National Dance Championships.
Waite lives in Woodley in Berkshire
, and has expanded his career involving lecturing, demonstration dancing and big spectaculars. He has also made a dance video with Angela Rippon
and presented a documentary called 'Inside Out' for BBC South following the progress of a young couple from Bournemouth. With Camilla Dallerup
he performs a series of ballroom and latin dances on the DVD The Magic of Dance.
, a popular televised celebrity ballroom competition, appearing as a professional dancer. His partners on the programme have been:
Waite has also appeared in three Strictly Come Dancing tours, reprising his partnerships with Zoe Ball in 2008, and with Jodie Kidd in 2009. In the 2010 tour Ian Waite appeared with Natalie Lowe in a showdance. In the 2011 tour he took on the role of the choreographer for all the Pro and Pro/Celeb group dances. He has also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing Christmas specials, with his best performance being runner-up with Zoe Ball in 2006.
In 2011, he returns to Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
using a telestrator
to illustrate his critiques of contestants' rehearsals.
Biography
Waite was born in Reading, UKReading, Berkshire
Reading is a large town and unitary authority area in England. It is located in the Thames Valley at the confluence of the River Thames and River Kennet, and on both the Great Western Main Line railway and the M4 motorway, some west of London....
. He started dancing at the age of 10. Mary Richardson, a former Latin American champion (and now his stepmother) put him through a rigorous medallist regime. By the age of 14, he had completed all his grades and won almost every competition that he had entered. He went on to the open circuit where he achieved international success by becoming the European Youth Latin American Champion. This started a ten year partnership with Melanie Walker (now Melanie Lane), with whom he competed all over the world, representing England in many world and European championships.
He turned professional in 1997 and formed a partnership with the former Latin American world champion, Inga Haas. After nine months, they came third in the British Professional Rising Stars.
He decided to further his dance career by moving to Holland to train with the choreographer and dance coach, Ruud Vermay. There, he formed a four-year partnership with Natalia Panina, with whom he won the Dutch Championship. They also made the final of both the World Showdance Championship and the European Professional Latin American Championship. He went on to dance with Daisy Croes, from Belgium, who now appears on the Belgian version of Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
.
After five years in Holland he returned to home. By the summer of 2004, he had started to dance with Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup is a British-based Danish ballroom dancer, dance teacher and model.-Dance career:Dallerup started dancing at the age of two and a half when her mother took her to her first class in Aalborg. She won the Danish Junior Championships at the age of 12...
. Their first competition was the International Championships at the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, where they made the semi final and in November of that year, they made the final of the British National Dance Championships.
Waite lives in Woodley in Berkshire
Berkshire
Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and...
, and has expanded his career involving lecturing, demonstration dancing and big spectaculars. He has also made a dance video with Angela Rippon
Angela Rippon
Angela M. Rippon, OBE, born 12 October 1944, Plymouth, Devon, England, is an English television journalist, newsreader, writer and presenter. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's Nine O'Clock News, becoming a regular presenter in 1975...
and presented a documentary called 'Inside Out' for BBC South following the progress of a young couple from Bournemouth. With Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup
Camilla Dallerup is a British-based Danish ballroom dancer, dance teacher and model.-Dance career:Dallerup started dancing at the age of two and a half when her mother took her to her first class in Aalborg. She won the Danish Junior Championships at the age of 12...
he performs a series of ballroom and latin dances on the DVD The Magic of Dance.
Strictly Come Dancing
Waite has taken part in 7 out of 8 series of Strictly Come DancingStrictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, a popular televised celebrity ballroom competition, appearing as a professional dancer. His partners on the programme have been:
- Athlete Denise LewisDenise LewisDenise Lewis OBE is a retired British athlete who specialised in the heptathlon. She won the gold medal in the heptathlon at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.-2000 Olympics:...
with whom he finished runners-up in 2004. - Presenter Zoe BallZoë BallZoë Louise Ball is an English television and radio personality, most famous for becoming the first female host of the BBC Radio 1 breakfast show and for her earlier work presenting the 1990s children's show, Live & Kicking.-TV career:The daughter of the children's TV presenter Johnny Ball and his...
, with whom he made the final in 2005, finishing in 3rd place. - Singer Mica ParisMica ParisMica Paris is an English soul singer, radio and television presenter, and occasional actress. Her forename is pronounced Misha.-Beginnings:Paris' roots are in soul and gospel music...
, with whom he was eliminated in the second week in 2006. - Model Penny Lancaster-Stewart with whom he made the sixth week of the competition in 2007.
- Model Jodie KiddJodie KiddJodie Kidd is an English television personality and fashion model.-Early life:Jodie was a showjumper as a child and attended St Michael's School, Petworth.-Family:Jodie is the granddaughter from Hon...
, with whom he made the tenth week of the competition, finishing in sixth place in 2008. - Athlete Jade JohnsonJade JohnsonJade Linsey Johnson is an English athlete, specialising in long jump.She is allergic to sand.Johnson came second in the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Later she won the silver medal at the 2002 European Championships and finished fourth at the 2003 World Championships...
, with whom he reached Week 9 of the competition before having to pull out due to an injury sustained by Johnson in rehearsals in 2009. Ian danced with Natalie LoweNatalie LoweNatalie Lowe is an Australian professional dancer and Ballroom expert.She is a four-time Australian Dance Champion, She is from Melbourne, Victoria, Australia....
in Series 7, as his professional partner, Camilla Dallerup, no longer appears on Strictly Come Dancing. - In series 8 Ian Waite did not have a celebrity partner to teach but appeared in the newly formed dance troupe, the Strictly Showdancers, and choreographed several of their routines. He returned to the Saturday night show on the 23rd October 2010 when he partnered Michelle WilliamsMichelle Williams (singer)Tenitra Michelle Williams , commonly known as Michelle Williams, is an American singer, songwriter, record producer and actress...
whilst Brendan ColeBrendan ColeBrendan Cole is a ballroom dancer specialising in Latin American dancing. He is most famous for appearing on the BBC show Strictly Come Dancing, a dance contest in which a professional ballroom dancer is partnered with a celebrity amateur dancer...
was unable to do so, and appeared regularly on Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes TwoStrictly Come Dancing: It Takes TwoStrictly: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. It airs on weeknights during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30pm...
using a telestratorTelestratorA telestrator is a device that allows its operator to draw a freehand sketch over a moving or still video image. The telestrator is most famously recognized in sports and weather broadcasts to diagram and analyze sports plays or incoming weather patterns. The talent typically draws on a...
to illustrate his critiques of contestants' rehearsals.
Waite has also appeared in three Strictly Come Dancing tours, reprising his partnerships with Zoe Ball in 2008, and with Jodie Kidd in 2009. In the 2010 tour Ian Waite appeared with Natalie Lowe in a showdance. In the 2011 tour he took on the role of the choreographer for all the Pro and Pro/Celeb group dances. He has also appeared in Strictly Come Dancing Christmas specials, with his best performance being runner-up with Zoe Ball in 2006.
In 2011, he returns to Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Strictly Come Dancing: It Takes Two
Strictly: It Takes Two is a British television programme, the companion show to the popular BBC One programme Strictly Come Dancing. It airs on weeknights during the run of the main show on BBC Two at 6:30pm...
using a telestrator
Telestrator
A telestrator is a device that allows its operator to draw a freehand sketch over a moving or still video image. The telestrator is most famously recognized in sports and weather broadcasts to diagram and analyze sports plays or incoming weather patterns. The talent typically draws on a...
to illustrate his critiques of contestants' rehearsals.