Bryan Watson and Carmen retire
Alison Gallagher-Hughes reports from the Blackpool Dance Festival, 2007. Photographs by Ron Self
It was a tearful farewell. But a unique reign was crowned with “respect” for retiring Latin American professional champions Bryan Watson and Carmen. A standing ovation became a rousing swansong of adulation as the audience learnt that the couple, who had just clinched the title at the British Open for an unprecedented seventh time, would not compete again.
During a ten-minute presentation, Bryan and Carmen’s tears of triumph and sorrow, were triggered by a wave of realisation and appreciation from the audience. The result was literally overwhelming – South African Bryan said that he felt “numb” on leaving the floor.
Speaking immediately after the competition he said: “All I ever did was try to do the best dancing that I could, tried to share that with everybody, be the best champion that I could be, be a good example to the couples around me and earn their respect.
“To be a champion is great, but to earn the respect of other dancers and professionals is what’s most important,” he told fellow professional dancer John Byrnes for The Dancing Channel.
Carmen, of Germany, said that she had found preparing for her last competition difficult to do. “To go through a five-round competition knowing it was going to be the last was very, very hard for me. I felt very tearful and had to have a good talk to myself about three o’clock this afternoon and say, ‘OK it’s time to get it going’.”
Following presentation of the trophy Bryan and Carmen were asked to take the floor one last time and danced a beautiful and simple farewell to the rumba “Only Love”, demonstrating their amazing skill in the rudiments of dance.
The competition MC noted that “timing is at the very heart of their artistry and it is fitting and poignant that they chose this moment in time to announce their retirement from dancing”.
“It is a tradition in Blackpool for the champions to stand alone. Tonight, Bryan and Carmen stand alone and supreme winning this championship more than any other couple in the history of Latin American dancing,” he said, and paid tribute to the couple’s “extraordinary talent, professionalism, dedication and popularity”.
However, retiring from competition doesn’t mean Bryan and Carmen, who are based in England, will be hanging up their dancing shoes. They have a packed calendar of commitments that includes performing and teaching across the world, plus guest appearances in dance-related television programmes. Watch this space.
This interview and presentation can be seen in full at www.thedancingchannels.com
