To felicitate and celebrate the Silver Jubilee of Antonio (Toni) Fernandez’ Professional Career as one of the foremost Ballroom and Latin  dance teachers of this country,  students of Antonio’s Dance Circle have organized a dinner dance, the ADC Ball 2012, to be held on Saturday, 2nd June, at the Golden Rose, Boralesgamuwa.

The Golden Rose which has a ballroom to house over 600 persons is the latest venue for such an event.  It has all the facilities necessary for guests to execute their dance steps for maximum enjoyment.

Toni’s career as a dance teacher commenced in 1987 when he combined with Cyraine Illangakoon and Dharshan Wijesooriya to form the Dance Academy.  That year, the Dance Academy won the Most Outstanding School Award at the  Ceylon Amateur Dancesport (CADA) Championships, held under the auspices of the Ministry of Sports.

Thereafter, Toni and Cyraine formed another dance school, Dancemania, which  won the Most Outstanding School Award for two successive years at the CADA Championships.   In 1990, Toni was awarded the Medal for the “Most Outstanding Ballroom Dance Teacher” by Dance Vision, Sri Lanka.  In 1991, Toni and Owen de Abrew, a veteran Dance Teacher,  founded Owen’s & Toni’s Dance Studio which also won the CADA Award for the Most Outstanding School in the same year. This award  was discontinued by the CADA thereafter.

In 1995, Toni formed his own school, Antonio’s Dance Circle, which has seen a large number of students, both young and old,  pass through its portals. Many have represented Sri Lanka overseas and several of Toni’s students have won and secured places in international dancesport championships held in Bangkok, Malaysia and Singapore.  Currently the youngest student at ADC is 8 years old. ADC perhaps is the only dance school teaching Ballroom and Latin American dancing in Sri Lanka to boast of over 60 students under 16 years of age.

Toni is , perhaps, the only qualified teacher of Ballroom and Latin Dancing in Sri Lanka to have an unbroken career as a professional dance teacher for 25 years whilst, also ,participating and winning at International Championships , both in Sri Lanka and overseas during his professional life.

In 1987, Toni together with his partner Cyraine, became the first professional couple to represent Sri Lanka in an International Dance Championship, when they reached the Semi-Finals at the South Asia Pacific Championship in Bangkok, Thailand.  In 1988 Toni was a Finalist in the Professionals Modern at the Singapore International Ballroom Dancing Championships and, again in 1989, he was a Finalist in the Professionals Modern & Latin American in the Malaysia Professional Ballroom Dancing Championships.

In 1989 Toni was Highly Commended in the Modern Section, Associate Level by the National Association of Teachers of Dancing (UK) Examinations and yet again in 1990, was Highly Commended in the Latin American Section, Associate Level, National Association of Teachers of Dancing (UK) Examinations. Toni has also been appointed as an Adjudicator for Internatonal Dancesport Championships by the World Dance Council in 2012
In 1998 Toni obtained his Licentiate Qualification from  Dance Masters International Association, Perth, Austrialia in both Latin and Modern (Ballroom) Sections and was Highly Commended. Thus, Toni is suitably qualified, not only to teach beginners but, also, to train teachers  of Ballroom & Latin American Dancing to qualify in such disciplines.

Toni is of the view that dancing symbolizes  attributes  such as team work, relational skills, generosity, love and care, which are important in the make up of human personality. Quite apart from being a trained skill  and great physical exercise, dancing also nurtures and fosters confidence and  commitment. Toni says dancing is also liberating and is a great form of expressing emotion.

The contribution dancing makes to the social accomplishment of an individual is, therefore, immeasurable. . Dancing is an unparalleled form of self expression whilst regular participation in dancing is now widely accepted as being beneficial both physically and mentally.

Along with wonderful memories, Toni looks back with satisfaction  on two and half decades of supreme enjoyment on passing on to enthusiasts , skills he has acquired in an activity which has been a crucial component of his life. The ADC Ball is expected to be an event not to be missed, especially by Toni’s past students who have, on many occasions, supported Toni in all the Championships ADC has held up to date.

The evening promises to be exciting and scintillating with several dance demonstrations by Toni’s students.  For those who will be present there will be many surprises as well.  The night’s programme will be compered by Mohammad Adamally and the Band in attendance would be Nalin and The Star Combination and DJ by Priyanga. 

Further there will be guest performances by Billy Fernando, Prince Leone of Colombo and JJ Prins (Julian & Jason).  Tickets priced at Rs. 3,500 will be available from ADC, St. Anthony’s Church Hall, Colombo 3 between 6 pm and 8 pm on Saturday, Sunday and Mondays. Also available at Stone ‘N’ String Colombo 3 Office.