Dancing his cares away at 88

Owen De Abrew the most senior Ballroom Dance Professional of Sri Lanka, Award winner for Outstanding contribution to Ballroom dancing in Sri Lanka presented by the National Association of Teachers of Dancing, U.K. (NATD) in 1989 turns 88 on April 22.

De Abrew was felicitated for completing fifty years of teaching dancing by the Ballroom Dancers' Federation International Sri Lanka on August 1, 2004.

He still dances giving private individual lessons in Ballroom and Latin American dances at his residence in Kadawatha.

De Abrew continues to adjudicate for Medal Examinations at Dance Lanka, Nugegoda.

In addition to the popular Latin American dances - Cha Cha Cha, Jiva, Rumba and Samba, Standard Ballroom dances such as Slow Waltz, Quickstep, Slow Fox Trot, Tango and Viennese Waltz in Bronze, Silver and Gold Medal tests are conducted at Dance Lanka school.

Owen also compiled the Saturday night, Ballroom of the Air, for many years over the SLBC.

Students are trained in group classes by a British qualified Dance Teacher D. W. Chandratilleke. These candidates are examined by De Abrew regulary.

De Abrew's son Ravi de Abrew is a qualified Senior hair-stylist working at a leading hair dressing Salon in Colombo.

Ravi is also an Australian qualified Latin and Ballroom Dance Teacher. Ravi is the first second generation dance teacher in Sri Lanka.