The International Championships was a very successful trip for us. We had a bad start at the World 10-Dance Championships where we placed in the top 12 in three dances but finished overall 15th. We were at least hoping to place in the semi-final, as we regularly beat the 6th place couple at other events. The discrepancy of the results was quite noticeable but that is the life of a comptitor of DanceSport. You get up the next day and get right back at doing what you love.

When we got to London we had 3 days just practice. Because we had gone direclty from the World 10-Dance Championships to London we had no lessons scheduled for those three days so we got plenty of the needed rest and lots of practice. We were going to Cheam practice in the morning, then to our office (aka Starbucks), then to Kingston practice at lunch, then back to the office, on some occasions we also do the Cheam evening rounds but it's tough to do the evening and the morning as we can't get enough rest and it's packed at night. It's good practice with all the couples on the floor but it gets a little dangerous so we avoid it sometimes.

Our International Championships starts with the Imperial at Frimely. We danced really well, although we did not get along (it was Kora's fault as usual). We placed really well - in the top 24 but still don't know our exact placement. Next we had more lessons and finally to the big event.

At the International we barely missed the top 24 of the rising star and again, barely missing the top 48. That was our goal for this year but we'll have to wait until the UK. If you make the top 48, you get to dance at the Royal Albert Hall. It is definitely our next goal on the agenda.

The last comp we do during our October trip to London is the London Ball. Organized by Brian Watson, Carmen, Andrew Sinkinson and Hans Gelke, and judged by all former World Championships this is the must comp of the year.We had a spectacular finish in the quarter final.

So it was not an up and down trip but rather a "down then up". Our goals from here are to make the top 48 in the Open at the UK and the 24 in the Rising Star. We are also training

Simeon & Kora at the London Eye

really hard to get further into the semi at the 10-Dance World's. We know we deserve to place higher but will make sure that it is obvious enough.

Thank you to all of our coaches, students, and friends for your support. We could not have done it without your support.

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