About The Directors
john & Jane Byrnes
Our Partnership
John and Jane’s dancing career has given them innumerable opportunities to travel extensively around the world, making new friends and experiencing different cultures, and to ‘work’ doing something they love, as well as living life to the full.
At the age of eight John was involved in Football, Judo and Boy Scouts, when his mother decided he should learn to dance. He’s not sure if it was because of his high energy levels or if it was to keep him out of mischief, or simply to teach him some social etiquette. He did his medal examinations and started competitive dancing, travelling throughout Australasia.
As an amateur living in Australia, he won the Australian Championship, and was a finalist at the World 10 Dance Championship, and semi-finalist at the World Ballroom Championship in Germany. It was at this time that he decided to move to England because he wanted to be the best in the world.
Jane began dancing at the age of seven in Stoke-on-Trent, England. She achieved high honours in her medal examinations and won the Juvenile Mixed Doubles at the Open British. As a Junior and Youth she travelled the world making all the major Championship Finals. In the Amateur Latin American Championships she made the Closed British Final and the semi-finals of all the major Championships.
In 1986 they teamed up and have been together ever since! They were married in 2001 and in 2004 had their first child, a baby boy, whom they christened Jonathan. In 2007 they had twins Juliana & Jackson.
December 2010 saw them purchase a building in Beckenham, Kent and in 2011 the work commenced and another dream was realised – JJ Dance Studios.
Dance Achievements
Professional
– United Kingdom Closed Latin American Champions
– British National South American Showdance – Champions
– World South American Showdance Championship Finalists
– European Latin American Championship Finalists
– World Latin American Masters Finalists
– Selected to represent England at the World & European Latin Championships & Showdance Championships
– United Kingdom Rising Star Latin American Champions
Amateur
– European 10 Dance Champions
– Undefeated British National Latin American Champions
– Finalists – World, International (3rd) European, British Open (3rd), UK Open & all other major Championships in the world
– World Ballroom Championship Semi-Finalist
– Australian Ballroom Champion
Other
– Recently featured on the BBC 1 TV show “Blackpools’s Dance Fever”.
– Professional Dancer & Consultant for BBC TV show “Strictly Come Dancing”
– Latin Cabaret performance for Sir Elton John at his celebrity Birthday Party
– Danced in the film “Evita” starring Madonna (1996)
– Original cast members of “Burn The Floor”
– Danced in the film “Cold Comfort Farm” starring Joanna Lumley
– Latin Cabaret performance for the Prince of Japan & the Princess of Philippines
– Dance performances & interviews on numerous national TV & radio shows
Qualifications & Memberships
– The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing,
– The International Dance Teachers Association,
– The United Kingdom Alliance
– Former Chairman of the British Competitors Dance sport Corporation
– Former Director of the British Dance Council
– Former Press Relations Officer of the World Dance & Dance Sport Council
– Former Executive Member of the Ballroom Dancers Federation
– John and Jane have both been chosen by the British Dance Council to represent England as Professional World Championship Adjudicators.
Adjudicating
Qualified to adjudicate Ballroom and Latin championships both nationally and internationally, John and Jane have adjudicated major championships both in England and abroad.
Nationally this includes:
The International Championships (The Royal Albert Hall, London).
The Open British Championships – Juniors (The Tower & Wintergardens, Blackpool) & the Amateurs & Professionals (The Wintergardens, Blackpool).
The Open United Kingdom Championships (The Bournemouth International Centre).
The National Championships – (The Wintergardens, Blackpool).
The United Kingdom Closed – (The Bournemouth International Centre).
Internationally this covers:
World Championships in China, Italy, Russia & many National Championships.
John and Jane have regularly been nominated by the British Dance Council to represent England as adjudicators at various World Championships: The World Professional South American Show Dance Championships 2004, The World Professional 10-Dance Championships 2005, The World Professional South American Show Dance Championships 2014.
Location
PARKING
Parking is free on the High Street after 7.30pm & free all day on Sunday. There are also car parks in Fairfield Road which are free after 7.30pm & on Sundays.
There is also free parking close to JJ Dance Studios at;
Greenways, Manor Road, Uplands, Burnhill Road, Kelsey Park Road, Court Downs Road, Village Way, and The Drive.
Beckenham Junction Train Station is only a 5 minute walk to JJ Dance Studios.
There is also a tram stop at Beckenham Junction which runs from various places e.g. Croydon
