Stephen Thomas

Australian by birth and now based in Mexico City, Stephen has spent thirty-five years in professional dance — as a competitor, a teacher, a performer and, more recently, on the other side of the floor as an examiner and adjudicator. He teaches more than thirty styles of partner dance.

He competed internationally as a professional Latin and Ten Dance dancer, winning the Singapore International Championship and reaching the final of the United Kingdom Professional Closed Championship. His training spans the United Kingdom and the United States, with time in Spain and the Dominican Republic specifically for bachata, and his coaches have included Shirley Ballas.

Stephen trained in London — a foundation course in dance at the University of London and a Diploma of Dance at Kensington & Chelsea — while teaching Latin and ballroom at the Semley Dance School. He then spent years in California, running Stephen Thomas Dance in Santa Ana and teaching at Londance Studio in Santa Ana and Laguna Niguel, coaching dancers from a first lesson through to international competitors.

Today he is the owner and principal teacher of Independent Dance in Mexico City, Mexico President of the Asociación Independiente de Baile Deportivo, the British DanceSport Association's representative in Mexico and the Americas, and head of International Dance Training for the USA and the Americas. He continues to travel to examine, to coach and to judge championships.

Stephen competed for more than fifteen years as a professional Latin and Ten Dance competitor, in Australia, the United Kingdom, Asia, Georgia and the United States. Selected results:

Stephen holds championship adjudicator licences with the following bodies:

• World Dance Organisation (WDO) — International Championship Adjudicator's Licence: Latin and Ballroom
• International Dance Training (IDT) and British DanceSport Association (BDSA) — Championship Adjudicator's Licence for Mexico, the USA and Australia: Latin, Ballroom and Australian New Vogue
• Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) — Officials Membership, DanceSport Adjudicator
• DanceSport Australia (DSA) — Championship Adjudicator's Licence, Level 2: Latin and Ballroom

Championships judged:

• World 10 Dance Championship, Amateur (WDO) — 2021
• World Formation Dancing Championships, Amateur (WDO) — 2023
• AAU Junior Olympics (USA) — 2019 and 2021
• ABD British National Championships (United Kingdom) — 2018 and 2021
• Australian DanceSport Championships — 2014, 2015 and 2016

• Mexico President — Asociación Independiente de Baile Deportivo (AIBD), the Mexican DanceSport body
• Representative for the British DanceSport Association (BDSA) in Mexico and the Americas
• Mexico Chairman — International Dance Training (IDT)
• Head of International Dance Training in the USA and the Americas (IDT Teachers' Society)

Stephen holds professional teaching qualifications with the following bodies:

• International Dance Training (IDT) — Examiner and Fellow: Latin, Ballroom, American Smooth, American Rhythm, New Vogue, Salsa and Bachata
• Associated Board of Dance (ABD) — Fellow: Latin and Ballroom; Licentiate: Australian New Vogue
• Georgian National Dance Council (GNC, World Dance Council) — Fellow: Latin and Ballroom
• International Dance Teachers' Association (IDTA) — Licentiate: Latin and Ballroom
• United Kingdom Alliance of Dance Teachers (UKA) — Licentiate: Latin and Ballroom
• Queensland Association of Dance Schools (QADS) — Licentiate: Latin and Ballroom
• Australian Dancing Society (ADS) — Licentiate: Latin and Ballroom
• DanceSport Australia (DSA) — Level 2 Coach: Latin and Ballroom

As an IDT examiner he assesses medal examinations and professional examinations.

Dance education

• University of London — Foundation Course in Dance: ballet, contemporary, choreography and choreology (2007)
• Kensington & Chelsea — Diploma of Dance: ballet, contemporary, jazz and African dance

Stephen has taught partner dancing professionally since 1992. He teaches group classes and private lessons at Independent Dance in Mexico City, across International Latin, International Ballroom, American Rhythm, salsa, mambo, bachata and Australian New Vogue, and coaches competitors and professionals preparing for examinations.

Teaching specialties

• Technique
• Mechanics
• Connection
• Styling
• Choreology and dynamics
• Choreography

Styles taught

• International Latin
• International Ballroom
• American Rhythm
• Salsa and mambo
• Bachata
• Australian New Vogue

Where he has taught

• Independent Dance, Mexico City — owner and principal teacher
• Stephen Thomas Dance, Santa Ana, California — proprietor and principal teacher in all styles of partner dancing, 1992 to present
• Semley Dance School, London — Latin and ballroom teacher, adviser and coach, 2004 to 2008
• Londance Studio, Santa Ana and Laguna Niguel, California — instructor and adviser, 2008 to 2012 and 2017 to 2018

Stephen has performed across London and abroad — at the Café de Paris, the Waldorf Hilton, Café Royal and the Kensington Roof Gardens, in Trafalgar Square and Regent's Park, and in Tbilisi — and has appeared as a dancer on film, in music video and on television.

Film, music video and television

• The Quiet American (film, with Michael Caine and Brendan Fraser) — dancer
• Me and Orson Welles (film, with Zac Efron and Claire Danes) — dancer
• George Michael, “Round Here” (music video) — 1980s new wave and 1950s rock and roll
• Television — various roles, including BBC reality shows, appearing as a dance teacher and adviser
• Learn to Dance: Latin, Ballroom, Mambo — instructional DVD, Two Left Feet Productions, 2006

Selected live performances

• Café de Paris, London — “Fred and Ginger” night: samba, rumba and waltz
• Waldorf Hilton, London — Waldorf tea dance: salsa and waltz; Hammonds Solicitors “Strictly Come Dancing” show
• Café Royal, London — Slovak Ball with the British Ambassador: cha cha and Viennese waltz
• Trafalgar Square, London — St George's Day celebration 2008: cha cha and rumba
• Regent's Park, London — “Dancing in the Park” 2008: salsa teaching and show
• Kensington Roof Gardens, London — salsa show
• Porchester Hall, London — “World Dance Unite” festival: salsa and rumba; “Prison Break” jive show
• Embankment, London — Argentine festival: paso doble and rumba
• Roundwood Park, London — “Respect” festival: swing, hustle and tango
• Chancery Court Hotel, London — Great Ormond Street Hospital charity show: cha cha, jive and rumba
• Tbilisi, Georgia — Georgian International Dance: waltz and Latin show
• Irish Centre, Hammersmith — Hollywood party: ballroom and Latin show