Hide Tanaka And Adele Preston

Hide Tanaka and Adele Preston formed their competitive ballroom partnership in 1997, representing Japan on the International Standard circuit. According to their studio biography, they placed third at the Open British in their debut year. By 1998, their competitive run had reached the highest levels: the Japan Ballroom Dance Federation records them as champions of both the All Japan Selective and All Japan Segue competitions in Modern—the historical JBDF term for what is now called International Standard. That same year, they finished fifth in Modern at both the UK Championships and the British Open, establishing their standing among the world's elite partnerships. Their competitive partnership was brief but concentrated; they retired from competition at the 1998 British Open and gave a farewell demonstration at the JBDF Japan International later that year. After stepping away from the floor, Tanaka and Preston transitioned into teaching and adjudication. They have maintained an active presence in ballroom instruction and administration, with teaching activity based across Osaka, Tokyo, and London. Hide Tanaka has served as a judge at major international festivals, including panel appointments at the Blackpool Dance Festival in 2018 and 2024, roles that reflect their continued standing within ballroom governance.