Ian Waite

A highly regarded professional in the dance industry, Ian Waite is a dancer, teacher and choreographer best known for his participation in the BBC dance contest Strictly Come Dancing, named by The Guinness World Book of Records as the world’s most successful reality TV show, having been exported worldwide.

Specialising in Latin American Dance, Waite previously came third in the British Professional Rising Stars alongside his world champion partner Inga Haas before moving to the Netherlands to train as a dance choreographer and teacher. With his dance partner Natalia Panina, the pair went on to win the Dutch Championship and made it to the finals of the World Showcase Championship and the European Professional Latin American Championships. In 2004 Waite also made the finals of the British National Dance Championships with his then partner Camilla Dallerup.

Since Its beginning, Waite has been a professional dancer on Strictly Come Dancing and has performed in seven series alongside celebrity partners including Denise Lewis, Jodie Kidd and Zoë Ball with whom he finished in third place during the 2005 final. Waite also regularly appears as part of the Strictly dance troupe, the Strictly Showdancers and has appeared in three of the Strictly Come Dancing tours.

Of his other dance ventures, Waite toured alongside Oti Mabuse across the UK in the show An Audience With. He has also created the Latin & Ballroom dance fitness programme FitSteps alongside Mark Foster and Natalie Lowe. As a dance teacher, Waite regularly teaches at the leading Donahey’s Dancing with The Stars weekends.