Sri Lanka has achieved a historic milestone on the global stage of performing arts, as dancers Tarja De Silva and Gihan Umesh clinched championship honours at the 100th Anniversary Blackpool Dance Festival, held on May 19, 2026, at the iconic Winter Gardens in Blackpool, United Kingdom.
Widely regarded as the “Olympics of Latin Dance,” the Blackpool Dance Festival is the world’s most prestigious ballroom and Latin competition, featuring disciplines such as Cha‑Cha‑Cha, Samba, Rumba, Paso Doble, and Jive. Each year, over a hundred elite dance couples compete for the coveted titles, making every victory a rare and extraordinary accomplishment.
Against this elite international field, De Silva and Umesh delivered a remarkable performance in the Professional‑Amateur (Pro‑Am) category, becoming the first Sri Lankan couple in history to compete in the division and, more significantly, the first ever to win championship honours at the festival.
Their triumph marks a defining moment for Sri Lanka’s performing arts community, proving that Sri Lankan talent can stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with the world’s best.
De Silva, an internationally acclaimed professional Latin dancer and educator based in the UK, is also the founder of Colombo Dance Studio in London and teaches at Pineapple Dance Studios.
Umesh, one of Sri Lanka’s leading dance champions and choreographers, serves as Principal Dancer and Co‑Choreographer of Muddrika Dance Studio and co-founded KG Twins School of Dance.
This landmark victory was made possible through collaboration between Muddrika Dance Studio in Sri Lanka and Colombo Dance Studio in the UK, combining international expertise and shared vision to elevate Sri Lanka’s presence on the global dance stage. (Newswire)