Eider Rua, 31, and Luisa Suaza, 21, have been dance partners for a decade. Dancing since he was 12, Rua is director of BNF dance company, with studios in Knowledge Village in Dubai , in Abu Dhabi and in Medellin, Colombia.
Jeff Topping / The National
Eider Rua, 31, and Luisa Suaza, 21, have been dance partners for a decade. Dancing since he was 12, Rua is director of BNF dance company, with studios in Knowledge Village in Dubai , in Abu Dhabi and Show more

Dubai troupe wins global latin dance championship



Six years ago, Eider Rua wrote a lifelong ambition in his diary: to win a global dance contest.

Yesterday, those dreams became a reality when his troupe beat more than 100 professional dancers from around the world to win first prize in the World Latin Dance Cup in the US.

His team of 12 from BNF dance company, based in Dubai's Knowledge Village, came first in the large groups category of the global salsa championship in San Diego, California.

BNF, which has dance schools in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Medellin in Colombia - from which all its dancers originate - swept the board at the competition, claiming three international trophies in total.

Rua, 31, and his dance partner, Luisa Suaza, 21, won second place in the cabaret section for couples for the second consecutive year. Leidy Henao and Luis Usma, also from BNF, came in third.

Three of the six couples in the cabaret final were from BNF.

"I am so proud of my team," Rua said as he celebrated with his team in Las Vegas yesterday. "They did a brilliant job in the competition, and this is the result of all their previous hard work.

"They were representing Colombia, our home country, and the UAE, where we all live. It was the first time we competed in the competition as a group, and to have reached the final with five other groups from around the world, then win first place, is amazing."

The annual World Latin Dance Cup, previously known as the World Salsa Championships, has been strutting since 2005. For serious dancers, it is one of the most prestigious dates on the calendar.

Although dancers from 40 countries took part, the event was dominated by Colombians.

Cali in Colombia, known in the 1980s as the world's salsa capital, has 200 dance schools. Last year, five of the 12 couples in the finals were Colombian.

Rua began dancing at the age of 12. With failing grades at school, he was put to work by his father, but dreamed of joining the dance school opposite the sign painting store where he toiled.

He began taking lessons in secret, but was dragged out of class by his furious father, who did not approve of his son's dancing.

Rua left home at 13 and began making a name for himself, winning dance trophies and finally returning home to Medellin at the age of 19 to open his own dance school, where his once-disapproving father now works.

Five years ago, he opened his base in Dubai, where he now lives. The Abu Dhabi school opened last month, and Rua now has 250 pupils on his books in the UAE.

He attributes his success to making note of his dreams.

"I started writing them down when I was 15 because it is good to have a five-year plan," he said.

"The list I wrote when I was 15 is very different to the one I made when I was 25, but coming first in the contest was up at the top."

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Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu

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Rating: 4 / 5

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Brief scores:

Liverpool 3

Mane 24', Shaqiri 73', 80'

Manchester United 1

Lingard 33'

Man of the Match: Fabinho (Liverpool)

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Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
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if you go

The flights
The closest international airport to the TMB trail is Geneva (just over an hour’s drive from the French ski town of Chamonix where most people start and end the walk). Direct flights from the UAE to Geneva are available with Etihad and Emirates from about Dh2,790 including taxes.

The trek
The Tour du Mont Blanc takes about 10 to 14 days to complete if walked in its entirety, but by using the services of a tour operator such as Raw Travel, a shorter “highlights” version allows you to complete the best of the route in a week, from Dh6,750 per person. The trails are blocked by snow from about late October to early May. Most people walk in July and August, but be warned that trails are often uncomfortably busy at this time and it can be very hot. The prime months are June and September.

 

 

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THE BIG THREE

NOVAK DJOKOVIC
19 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 5 (2011, 14, 15, 18, 19)
French Open: 2 (2016, 21)
US Open: 3 (2011, 15, 18)
Australian Open: 9 (2008, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21)
Prize money: $150m

ROGER FEDERER
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 8 (2003, 04, 05, 06, 07, 09, 12, 17)
French Open: 1 (2009)
US Open: 5 (2004, 05, 06, 07, 08)
Australian Open: 6 (2004, 06, 07, 10, 17, 18)
Prize money: $130m

RAFAEL NADAL
20 grand slam singles titles
Wimbledon: 2 (2008, 10)
French Open: 13 (2005, 06, 07, 08, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20)
US Open: 4 (2010, 13, 17, 19)
Australian Open: 1 (2009)
Prize money: $125m

Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989

Director: Goran Hugo Olsson

Rating: 5/5

The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Power: 268bhp / 536bhp
Torque: 343Nm / 686Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
On sale: Later this year
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Favourite Book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

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The Penguin

Starring: Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz

Creator: Lauren LeFranc

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What is graphene?

Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.

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It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.

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Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.

The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.

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21 Lessons for the 21st Century

Yuval Noah Harari, Jonathan Cape
 

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Four reasons global stock markets are falling right now

There are many factors worrying investors right now and triggering a rush out of stock markets. Here are four of the biggest:

1. Rising US interest rates

The US Federal Reserve has increased interest rates three times this year in a bid to prevent its buoyant economy from overheating. They now stand at between 2 and 2.25 per cent and markets are pencilling in three more rises next year.

Kim Catechis, manager of the Legg Mason Martin Currie Global Emerging Markets Fund, says US inflation is rising and the Fed will continue to raise rates in 2019. “With inflationary pressures growing, an increasing number of corporates are guiding profitability expectations downwards for 2018 and 2019, citing the negative impact of rising costs.”

At the same time as rates are rising, central bankers in the US and Europe have been ending quantitative easing, bringing the era of cheap money to an end.

2. Stronger dollar

High US rates have driven up the value of the dollar and bond yields, and this is putting pressure on emerging market countries that took advantage of low interest rates to run up trillions in dollar-denominated debt. They have also suffered capital outflows as international investors have switched to the US, driving markets lower. Omar Negyal, portfolio manager of the JP Morgan Global Emerging Markets Income Trust, says this looks like a buying opportunity. “Despite short-term volatility we remain positive about long-term prospects and profitability for emerging markets.” 

3. Global trade war

Ritu Vohora, investment director at fund manager M&G, says markets fear that US President Donald Trump’s spat with China will escalate into a full-blown global trade war, with both sides suffering. “The US economy is robust enough to absorb higher input costs now, but this may not be the case as tariffs escalate. However, with a host of factors hitting investor sentiment, this is becoming a stock picker’s market.”

4. Eurozone uncertainty

Europe faces two challenges right now in the shape of Brexit and the new populist government in eurozone member Italy.

Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG, which has offices in Dubai, says the stand-off between between Rome and Brussels threatens to become much more serious. "As with Brexit, neither side appears willing to step back from the edge, threatening more trouble down the line.”

The European economy may also be slowing, Mr Beauchamp warns. “A four-year low in eurozone manufacturing confidence highlights the fact that producers see a bumpy road ahead, with US-EU trade talks remaining a major question-mark for exporters.”

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UFC Fight Night 2

1am – Early prelims

2am – Prelims

4am-7am – Main card

7:30am-9am – press cons

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets

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