Tony Meredith
Encyclopedia
Biography
Tony Meredith, born in HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, discovered ballroom dancing after replying to a newspaper ad seeking dance teachers.
Dance career
Tony met Melanie LaPatinMelanie LaPatin
Melanie LaPatin is professional ballroom dance champion and choreographer, originally from Brooklyn, New York. LaPatin formed a professional partnership with Tony Meredith in 1981, marrying him in 1989, traveling the world representing the United States twelve times in the Professional World...
in 1981 and the two subsequently formed a professional partnership, traveling the world representing the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
12 times in the Professional World Latin-American Dance Championships, and eventually moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to train and open a studio. Tony and Melanie married in 1989, but divorced amicably following the opening of their studio.
With Melanie, Tony captured over 100 first place trophies and in 1995, won the professional Latin division
U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Latin)
The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
of the U.S. Dancesport Championships. The couple retired from competitive dance in 1998.
Currently, Tony serves as a ballroom dance competition adjudicator, coach, and choreographer, and possesses a wide range of versatility: from cha-cha
Cha-cha-cha (dance)
The Cha-cha-cha is the name of a dance of Cuban origin.It is danced to the music of the same name introduced by Cuban composer and violinist Enrique Jorrín in 1953...
to swing
Swing (dance)
"Swing dance" is a group of dances that developed with the swing style of jazz music in the 1920s-1950s, although the earliest of these dances predate swing jazz music. The best known of these dances is the Lindy Hop, a popular partner dance that originated in Harlem and is still danced today...
, tango
Tango (ballroom)
Ballroom Tango is a ballroom dance that branched away from its original Argentine roots by allowing European, American, Hollywood, and competitive influences into the style and execution of the dance....
to hustle
Hustle (dance)
The Hustle is a catchall name for several disco dances which were extremely popular in the 1970s. Today it mostly refers to the unique partner dance done in ballrooms and nightclubs to disco music. It has some features in common with swing dance. Its basic steps are somewhat similar to the...
, mambo
Mambo (dance)
Mambo .In the late 1940s, Perez Prado came up with the dance for the mambo music and became the first person to market his music as "mambo". After Havana, Prado moved his music to Mexico, where his music and the dance was adopted. The original mambo dance was characterized by freedom and...
and salsa
Salsa (dance)
Salsa is a syncretic dance form with origins in Cuba as the meeting point of Spanish and African cultures.Salsa is normally a partner dance, although there are recognized solo forms such as solo dancing "suelta" and "Rueda de Casino" where multiple couples exchange partners in a circle...
to rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
.
TV and Film
Tony has been behind the scenes as well as made appearances in various films, TV shows, and BroadwayBroadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, including feature film performances in Dance with Me
Dance with Me (film)
Dance with Me is a 1998 drama film on love and dance directed by Randa Haines and starring Vanessa L. Williams and Puerto Rican singer Chayanne.-Plot:...
, The Thomas Crown Affair
The Thomas Crown Affair (1999 film)
The Thomas Crown Affair is a 1999 American heist film directed by John McTiernan. The film, starring Pierce Brosnan, Rene Russo and Denis Leary, is a remake of the 1968 film of the same name....
, Let It Be Me and The Last Days of Disco. He is also known for co-hosting seasons 1 and 2 of the PBS series America's Ballroom Challenge
America's Ballroom Challenge
America's Ballroom Challenge is a competitive ballroom dance television series airing on Public Broadcasting Service in the United States since 2006.It is part of the annual Ohio Star Ball, a festival of DanceSport in Columbus, Ohio....
with Marilu Henner
Marilu Henner
Mary Lucy Denise "Marilu" Henner is an American actress, producer and author. She is best known for her role as Elaine O'Connor Nardo on the sitcom Taxi from 1978 to 1983.-Early life:...
, and most recently, Tony and Melanie have appeared fairly regularly as guest choreographers on the FOX dance competition-reality show So You Think You Can Dance
So You Think You Can Dance (Season 3)
So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. Season three premiered May 24, 2007....
.
Achievements
- 1995 - U.S. National Professional Latin ChampionU.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Latin)The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
with Melanie LaPatin
See also
- U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Latin)U.S. National Dancesport Champions (Professional Latin)The United States national professional ballroom dance champions are crowned at the United States Dance Championships , as recognized by the National Dance Council of America and the World Dance & DanceSport Council ....
- So You Think You Can Dance (Season 3)So You Think You Can Dance (Season 3)So You Think You Can Dance is an American television reality program and dance competition airing on the Fox network. Season three premiered May 24, 2007....
- America's Ballroom ChallengeAmerica's Ballroom ChallengeAmerica's Ballroom Challenge is a competitive ballroom dance television series airing on Public Broadcasting Service in the United States since 2006.It is part of the annual Ohio Star Ball, a festival of DanceSport in Columbus, Ohio....