Anika grew up in Echuca on the Murray River, enjoying water skiing from a young age. In 2001 she was an exchange student to Panama, which enabled her to become fluent in Spanish and experience the vibrant Latin culture.

Anika moved to Melbourne in 2004 to study a Bachelor of Business, Event/Tourism Management. In 2006 she undertook a 12 month work placement with Tourism Australia, based in Auckland, New Zealand.

Her love of dance includes 10 years of Calisthenics and five years of jazz ballet. She has recently taken up Belly dancing.

Anika is a new recruit to the World Latin Championship office and eager to help make the 2008 Australian and World Latin Championships a success.

Kerri’s involvement in Dancesport began in 2004 when she went to her first social dance class. This ignited her passion for dance and she soon began dancing up to six days a week.

Kerri has a strong background in administration spending many years in a variety of administration and PA roles (incorporating event co ordination).  She has also completed a Diploma of Business at Swinburne University of Technology and is also about to commence a Diploma of Event Management also at Swinburne. 

Kerri has enjoyed being a spectator and competitor at Dancesport events over the past four years and is very excited to now have the opportunity to contribute to such a prestigious event.

Sidney is currently a full time student at Monash University in Caulfield. She is studying a Bachelor of Business specialising in marketing and management.

Sidney lives in Berwick on small acreage with her parents, horses and cat. She is an avid horse rider, specialising in dressage at a state and national level.

Those of you who attended the 2007 Australian DanceSport Championship would recognise Sidney as the elegant hostess on the Grand Final evening. She was also the organiser of the 2007 Australian Championship media launch.

We welcome Sidney to the team.

Dallas Williams is a professional dancesport photographer. He has been involved in the dancesport industry for over 30 years as a competitor, adjudicator and scrutineer.

He is an official photographer at the Blackpool dance festival.

Check out Dallas’ work at www.dancesportphoto.net

Barry started dancing in 1960 at the Teenager’s Dance Academy under the guidance of Barrie and Joan Marr. He began competitive dancing in 1967 and focused mainly on the New Vogue style until 1974 when his partner moved overseas.

He then turned to teaching, mainly medal classes, qualifying as a New Vogue teacher with the Australian Dancing Society, DMA and Commonwealth Society of Teachers of Dancing (C.S.T.D.) in 1979.

Barry has his first break into DJ for dancesport events when Russ Hesketh (husband of Wynn Hesketh with whom Barry was learning ballroom) asked him to play music for a CSTD Championship that Russ was organising.

A big influence in Barry’s DJ career was Barrie Marr who assisted and promoted Barry to help him get his new business, Barry’s Dance Sound, off the ground in 1975.

By the late 1970’s Barry was supplying, setting out and playing the music for all dancing competitions in Victoria in which, in those days, was nearly one event every weekend from March until December.

In 1975 he worked with Lee Roberts of LDR Electrics, until Lee sold his business in 2006. Lee supplied the sound equipment while Barry supplied and played the music for all dancing and social events. Lee and Barry were introduced to each other by Barrie Marr and over the years formed a close bond.

Barry is was a part of the very successful 2004 World Ten Dance team and we are delighted to have him with us again for the 2008 Tattersall’s IDSF World Latin Championship, Melbourne 2008.