Andrew Sinkinson

Andrew John Sinkinson was born on April 16, 1964, in Southport, England, and became one of International Style Ballroom's most decorated amateur and professional competitors. Dancer and historian Jack Reavely recalled seeing the young Sinkinson perform at the Tower Ballroom in Blackpool at around eight years old with childhood partner Audrey Pankhurst, already marked by unusual focus and promise.

Sinkinson's defining partnership was with Irish dancer Loraine Barry. By the late 1980s, they had established themselves as a leading amateur couple, winning the British Open Amateur Ballroom championship at Blackpool in 1987, 1988, and 1989 in succession. Dance organizations also record them as World and European Amateur Ballroom champions. The pair turned professional after their third Blackpool victory.

In 1990, Sinkinson and Barry made their debut at the Professional British Open, winning the Slow Foxtrot section. The British Dance Council records them as British National Professional Ballroom champions in 1991 and 1992. After the partnership ended in 1993, Sinkinson competed with Amanda Owen (winning the British National title that year), Eleny Fotinos, Adele Preston (1996 British National champions), and Charlotte Jørgensen, with whom he won the 1997 British National Professional Ballroom championship and reached major professional finals including runner-up placings at the British Open, World, European, and UK championships.

Sinkinson's influence extended far beyond competition results. As a teacher, adjudicator, lecturer, choreographer, and organizer of the London Ball, he became globally recognized for preserving classical Ballroom principles: clear foot use, coordinated rise and fall, balance through the standing leg, and musical phrasing that avoided decorative distortion. Colleagues called him "Mr Foxtrot" and the "King of Foxtrot" for his distinctive musical continuity and technical precision. His show performances with Jørgensen became widely studied video references, while his lectures carried the same classical priorities to new generations of dancers worldwide.

Sinkinson died on January 11, 2025, one day after teaching with Loraine Barry. He was survived by his wife Irina and children Mark and Sophie. Institutional tributes from the British Dance Council and dance organizations worldwide emphasized both his competitive achievements and the scale of his lasting influence on ballroom teaching and technique.