We Are 11-Year-Old Latin Dance Partners, Not Boyfriend-Girlfriend! Tiny & Talented | On The Red Dot

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Published 2024-01-10
You might think Latin dance is a physical and intimate art form reserved for romantic couples. But there is an entire vibrant competitive Latin dance scene just for children under 12. Chiang Loong has been the odd boy out in dance studios since he was 6. He embraces Latin dance as a fun weekly hobby; competitions aren’t even on his radar. Mathilda Cook has dreamt of being a professional competitive dancer since she was 6 years old. She draws the attention of the crowd as a competitive solo dancer, but to go big, she needs a partner.

Can the two young dancers come together and learn to move as one – both on and off the dance floor? Will they conquer the international dance scene, including the prestigious Blackpool Junior Dance Festival? Can their friendship hold up under pressure?

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00:00 "My mother tricked me into learning Latin dance"
02:55 11-year-old shows how to catch the eye of the Latin dance judges
08:36 The search for a competition dance partner
11:44 Working on their chemistry for competition
14:24 High-pressure dance competitions
18:45 Competing at Perak International Dancesport Championship
22:08 What does the future hold for them?

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All Comments (21)
  • lmfao " i thought it was going to be a lightsaber class" NO "my mum lied to me"
  • @jauxro
    "My friends think he's hot" "... don't put that in" 😂 rip bro
  • @xOxsleepyheadxOx
    The level of education in SG is really showing with their youth. They speak so well and surprisingly matured. Hearing them speak their minds makes me smile. Rooting for your future success.
  • @montserrat722010
    The beauty of being young and innocent. Great kids. Chiang Loong is a very matured and considerate young man. Tilly is honest and driven. Hope whatever the future holds for them, that they remain as good friends. Both have wonderful supportive moms/families and they both seem so well adjusted. Good job to the coach!
  • @kimmytan6573
    Tilly is indeed "the boss", so diplomatically correcting Chiang Loong's grammer. Chiang Loong's is such a gentleman. Beautiful dancing couple.
  • @marieg2g
    Both of them are so adorable. Hope they can dance and grow up together.
  • @ot7stan207
    what a lovely family to support the boys dancing. the reaction from the brothe rwas immediate protection mode and no joking around cuz he supports waht his brothers passion is!
  • @yzkkoch479
    17:15 extrovert and introvert dance partners so cuteee 😭 THE SHIRTS. I hope I see them still dancing together as they got older and become really good friend
  • @colleenm9188
    I love how they are both so genuine, mature and ambitious! It's so wonderful to see how much they have accomplished together as well as individually. And, they look so beautiful and accomplished on the dance floor!
  • @albertkoey
    Mathilda is definitely a Go-Getter! Hopefully she achieves everything that she sets out to do! Chiang Loong seems to be contended with whatever he has on his plate. Nothing wrong with that attitude. I'm sure he has set himself some targets, but he needs to be more confident in himself!! Whatever the outcome of their partnership, I wish them both all the best, enjoyment in their dancing, and not forgetting to enjoy their childhood as well!
  • @bobblegummers
    as a good friend of mathilda’s, I was really shocked when I saw her pop up on my youtube page! (on cna somemore AHAHA) I’m really proud of her and i’m always amazed by her dancing skills, even during the small dance assignments and performances in school. go tilly <3
  • @Thubanshee
    They're so sweet and honest together. I love seeing people be themselves like that.
  • @yumingsu9263
    Chiang and Tilly are both adorable, talented, and very smart. You can really feel their love for dancing. Hope they can go far in the dance world! Good luck!
  • “I learnt to handle someone’s emotions” - training for husband material!!!
  • @exxxxcellent
    Mathilda is a magnetic dancer, she really draws the eye. Chiang is very good too. I wish them the best but I am not sure the partnership will last. The boy looks like he is going to be very tall and the girls looks like she won’t so the future height difference might be an obstacle
  • @jennifera4350
    Both such graceful and accomplished dancers, they catch your eye at once, and how special that they are also such lovely, kind, mature people too!
  • @nigellow8153
    Love this segment. Adorable kids and their interview crack me up. 😅 Both are very talented dancers and hereby wish them all the best.
  • @aros4327
    Fantastic dancers! Could not stop watching! Your accomplishments and improvements are so visible. I had no idea the length of time and energy required for each dance section. You are both true athletes with dance as your sport. Having to put in 16 hours just to compete. Big 👏👏 for the Teacher & Mothers. Extremely time consuming , not to mention very expensive$.
  • I love these 2 kids, so cute, so loveable. I kept rewatching this video. Hope they enjoy their dancing journey and competitions. They certainly have great mothers. Not all kids have the privilege of learning dancing.