Stephen Hillier MBE
Stephen started dancing at the age of 7, in a local dancing school
in North London. After a successful career as a Junior and
Amateur, he went on to win all of the major Championships,
including the World Amateur Ballroom Championship in 1978, and
the British Amateur Ballroom Championship in 1978 and 1979.
He received his first Carl Alan Award in 1978 as an amateur and
32 years later picked up his second – the Competitive Coach
Award at the 2010 Carl Alan Awards. In 2010, he was also
extremely proud to be awarded the Imperial Highness Prince
Mikasa Award for Lifetime Achievement in Ballroom Dancing,
presented to him by Princess Akiko of Japan.
During his professional competitive career he won all the major
Ballroom Championships, including 5 International,
4 United Kingdom, 3 European, 3 British and 3 World Professional
Ballroom titles.
Stephen retired from competitive dancing in 1989 and has since travelled all over the world training
all levels of dancers from beginners to world champions. He is an eminent lecturer and adjudicator.
With his wife Jennifer, he has produced many videos on Ballroom Dancing, which have been extremely
popular with all grades of dancers. He has written a book on the technique and fundamentals of ballroom
dancing, and often writes important articles for the dancing press. Stephen is also a Fellow of the
ISTD in Ballroom and a Fellow of the IDTA in Ballroom and Latin American.
He was elected on to the executive committee of the BDF (Ballroom Dancers’ Federation) in 1993, and has
since had a major influence on the development and control of competitive Ballroom Dancing. He was
awarded the MBE for services to Ballroom Dancing in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2009.
Stephen is very proud to be the new President of the Forget Me Not Fund which is now a registered charity.
Stephen and Jennifer teach, lecture and adjudicate all over the world together. They are based in London,
at the JJ Dance Studio, 182b High Street, Beckenham, Kent, BR3 1EW.
When he has the time, Stephen loves to play golf with Jennifer and has a 14 handicap.
Jennifer has a 20 handicap. Stephen’s other passion is for their house and garden at his home in Surrey,
England.
Stephen and Jennifer won the 2015 Galaxy Classique Teaching Award.