Nina Hunt
Encyclopedia
Nina Hunt was an English Latin American dance coach and choreographer. She had a high reputation for coaching competitive Latin dancers.
. She came to England
to become an actress and found work in a jewellery shop, where she met early Latin American dancer and innovator Dimitri Petrides
. She persuaded him to teach her to dance and quickly became an adept dancer, but went into coaching instead of competing. The couple married, and had a son, Ian. Dimitri died whilst judging at Blackpool in 1985; Nina died from a stroke
10 years later.
Nina trained many world champions and was known for her choreography. Len Goodman
, in his autobiography, gives an amusing account of the relationships between the four leading Latin coaches in the 1960s: Hunt, Walter Laird
, Doris Lavelle and Sidney Francis. Among those she trained and choreographed were Bill and Bobbie Irvine
, whom she coached in their quest for the World Professional Latin Championship, Donnie Burns
– the most successful Latin dancer of all time, Len Goodman, Sammy Stopford
and Barbara McColl, Alan and Hazel Fletcher and Walter and Marianne Kaiser. Nina was once asked to choreograph Winter Olympic gold medal winners Torvill and Dean
but turned them down. Nina first served on the Latin American Faculty Committee in 1964.
An article written by one of Nina's former pupils, five times World Latin Champion Hazel Fletcher, began by saying
1968 and the Golden Dance-Shoe in 1986.
Biography
Hunt was born in 1932 on the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
. She came to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to become an actress and found work in a jewellery shop, where she met early Latin American dancer and innovator Dimitri Petrides
Dimitri Petrides
Dimitri Petrides was a ballroom dancer who was important in developing Latin American dancing in England. He left Cyprus when he was eighteen with his mother after the death of his father, eventually settling in England...
. She persuaded him to teach her to dance and quickly became an adept dancer, but went into coaching instead of competing. The couple married, and had a son, Ian. Dimitri died whilst judging at Blackpool in 1985; Nina died from a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
10 years later.
Nina trained many world champions and was known for her choreography. Len Goodman
Len Goodman
Leonard Gordon 'Len' Goodman is a British professional ballroom dancer, dance judge, and coach. He is a leading personality on television dance programmes such as Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing with the Stars and runs a ballroom dance school in Dartford, Kent.-Early life and career:Goodman was...
, in his autobiography, gives an amusing account of the relationships between the four leading Latin coaches in the 1960s: Hunt, Walter Laird
Walter Laird
Walter William Laird was a major influence in the development of Latin American dancing in Britain after the Second World War. He was World Professional Latin Dance Champion three times. He coached many successful dancers including Allan Tornsberg, Vibeke Toft, Espen Salberg, Jukka Haapalainen,...
, Doris Lavelle and Sidney Francis. Among those she trained and choreographed were Bill and Bobbie Irvine
Bill and Bobbie Irvine
Bill and Bobbie Irvine were British professional ballroom dancers. Bobbie Irvine was born Bobbie Barwell in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, while Bill Irvine, born William, was from Low Craigends in Kilsyth...
, whom she coached in their quest for the World Professional Latin Championship, Donnie Burns
Donnie Burns
Donnie Burns MBE was born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1961. He is a Scottish professional ballroom dancer, specialising in Latin dance....
– the most successful Latin dancer of all time, Len Goodman, Sammy Stopford
Sammy Stopford
Sammy Stopford is a professional ballroom dancer and teacher, and winner of the Professional International Latin American Dance Championship in 1993....
and Barbara McColl, Alan and Hazel Fletcher and Walter and Marianne Kaiser. Nina was once asked to choreograph Winter Olympic gold medal winners Torvill and Dean
Torvill and Dean
Torvill and Dean are British ice dancers and former British-, European-, Olympic- and World champions...
but turned them down. Nina first served on the Latin American Faculty Committee in 1964.
An article written by one of Nina's former pupils, five times World Latin Champion Hazel Fletcher, began by saying
- "Nina Hunt was indisputably the most successful Latin American competitive dance coach of all time. Her record...I am sure, will never be challenged again...Success in dancing is generally calculated by how many Championship titles a dancer has to his or her credit, if it were possible to count the number of couples that Nina trained solely to become top Champions, her record would be so staggering, it is almost unbelievable. She reigned supreme for over three decades."
- "Nina's name became ‘the name’ synonymous with winning...She became a brilliant coach with a great eye for what was successful and how to achieve that in her couples. She was an excellent choreographer and had the ability to poach ‘moves’ from other forms of dance and indoctrinate them into the Latin dances. She was also a great mentor and motivator...Nina decided what competitions her couples should attend; she got involved in their grooming in every detail, their diet was discussed and she even versed her couples on how to walk onto the floor and where to dance. From her tiny studio in Balham she produced so many giants in the competitive world of dance." Hazel Fletcher.
Professional
- CorkyCorky BallasMark Alexander "Corky" Ballas, Sr. is a retired competitive ballroom dancer who holds several Latin dance championship titles.He has one son, Mark Ballas, with former wife and partner Shirley Ballas...
and Shirley BallasShirley BallasShirley Ballas is a British ballroom dancer, teacher and adjudicator. She specialises in the International Latin division, where she won several championship titles earning her the nickname, "The Queen of Latin." Shirley was first married to, and competed with, fellow Briton Sammy Stopford. They...
. - Bill and Bobbie IrvineBill and Bobbie IrvineBill and Bobbie Irvine were British professional ballroom dancers. Bobbie Irvine was born Bobbie Barwell in Oudtshoorn, South Africa, while Bill Irvine, born William, was from Low Craigends in Kilsyth...
MBE: 1960, 1961, 1966, 1968 (World), 1963 (9 Dance), - Walter and Marianne Kaiser: 1965 (World)
- Sammy StopfordSammy StopfordSammy Stopford is a professional ballroom dancer and teacher, and winner of the Professional International Latin American Dance Championship in 1993....
with Shirley and later with Barbara McColl - Rudi and Mechtild Trautz: 1967, 1969–1971 (World)
- Wolfgang and Evelyn Opitz: 1972 (World)
- Hans-Peter and Ingeborg Fisher: 1973–1975 (World)
- Alan and Hazel Fletcher: 1977–1981 (World)
- Donnie BurnsDonnie BurnsDonnie Burns MBE was born in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1961. He is a Scottish professional ballroom dancer, specialising in Latin dance....
MBE and Gaynor FairweatherGaynor FairweatherGaynor Fairweather is a British professional ballroom dancer. She and her partner, Donnie Burns, were 14-time Professional World Latin Dance Champions and 11 times Professional International Latin American Dance Champions. This is by some way the record number of wins in both these top competitions...
MBE: 1984–1996, 1998 (World); 1990–1992, 1994, 1996 (International)
Amateur
- Karl and Ursula Breuer 1961.
- Dr Jurgen and Helga Bernhold 1962, 1966–1967.
- Robert Taylor and Anita Gent 1964.
- John and Betty Westley 1965.
- Peter and Hanni Neubeck 1968, 1970–1971.
- Raymond Root and Francis Spires 1969.
- Alan and Hazel Fletcher 1972–1973.
- Ian and Ruth Walker 1975.
- Jeffrey Dobinson and Debbie Lee London 1977.
- David Sycamore and Denise Weavers 1978–1979.
- Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather 1981.
- Marcus Hilton and Karen Johnstone 1982–1983.
- Horst Beer and Andrea Lankenau 1985.
- Bryan Watson (dancer) and Claudia Leoni 1991.
Awards
Over a successful career she won several awards including the Carl Alan AwardCarl Alan Awards
The Carl Alan Awards is an awards event held annually in the United Kingdom and honouring people who have made a significant contribution to the dance and theatre industry, such as teachers, performers and choreographers...
1968 and the Golden Dance-Shoe in 1986.