Site to sequins: Construction project manager wins two prestigious dancing titles

- 10 Nov 21

A construction project manager has a spring in his step as he adds two more prestigious dancing titles to his impressive repertoire. Roger Griss, project manager at Vistry Group, and his wife and dance partner, Annette, have won the British Senior (over 35’s) Classical Sequence Championship title and the Vice Championship title in the Modern Sequence section at the Blackpool Dance Festival, to add to their international Irish title, among others. Roger, who works for Vistry’s Northern Home Counties region, said: “It was great to be back at Blackpool Winter Gardens – we won the Classical Sequence quite decisively. Anyone over 35 and at this top level of dance can enter this section and we were challenged by a couples in their 40s and 50s. At 62, I was chuffed to beat them.” “We love dancing, and we’ll hopefully return to defend our title again next year.” Roger and Annette, who first met at a Bovis Homes dinner dance when Annette also worked for the housebuilder, have amassed a number of coveted dancing titles and awards during their ten years of competing. They were inspired to take up dancing while on a cruise holiday. “Before we met, dancing hadn’t crossed my mind,” said Roger. “While we’re on a cruise holiday, we saw a few people waltzing and we thought it would be nice to join in. “As well as competing, we do enjoy dancing for fun and attending social dances locally. It definitely keeps you fit and my posture is much better – since I took up dance, I no longer have any back problems.” Roger, who lives with Annette in Broughton, near Kettering, hopes to share his passion with future generations once he retires from competitive dancing. “I’d like to think that I could get into the teaching side of things. Our teacher, Marjorie King of Marjorie King’s School of Dancing, who we have four hours of private lessons with a week, has been teaching for over 50 years and I’ve previously helped her teach social dances.” Roger, who has worked at Vistry Group for 38 years, beginning his career at Bovis Homes in 1983, has praised Vistry for their support. "I save most of my holiday entitlement for dancing and Vistry has always been very supportive of me having the time off.” Under its Bovis Homes and Linden Homes brands, Vistry Group is building brand-new homes across Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Northamptonshire. Visit www.bovishomes.co.uk and https://www.lindenhomes.co.uk/ to find out more. To find out more about Marjorie King’s School of Dancing, based in Kettering, Northamptonshire, please visit: https://www.kingsdancesport.co.uk/

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