From Amsterdam to American stardom: the life of ballroom champion Louis van Amstel
In short: A professional dancer who abandoned school at 16 to pursue ballroom glory, Louis van Amstel eventually became a household name on Dancing with the Stars. His journey spans international championships, high-stakes reality television, and a successful career as a choreographer and entrepreneur.
Born in Amsterdam on June 23, 1972, van Amstel’s dance career began at age 10. By 15, he was competing professionally, and by 16, he had left school to focus entirely on dance. He achieved significant early success with partner Julie Fryer, coached by Ruud Vermeij. Together, they were crowned Dutch Latin Champions and 10 Dance Champions in 1990, and secured bronze medals at the German Open, the World Latin, and the European 10 Dance.
After a brief retirement, van Amstel re-established his partnership with Fryer in 1994, winning three consecutive world Latin Dance championship gold medals from 1994 through 1996. Following a move to New York City and obtaining American citizenship in July 1999, he returned to competition with Karina Smirnoff, winning the United States national championship in 2000.
Van Amstel gained widespread recognition as a professional on the American reality series Dancing with the Stars, appearing in various seasons starting in 2005. His tenure included diverse partnerships, from Trista Sutter to Kelly Osbourne, with whom he reached the finale in season nine. He also achieved a perfect 30 score during the All Stars season in season 15. Beyond the ballroom, he founded the non-profit Visionworx Dance Theater and launched the fitness clothing line LVA in 2012.
In his personal life, van Amstel is openly gay. On 8 January 2017, he wed his partner of many years, Joshua Lancaster, within Sundance, Utah. The couple, who have two adopted sons, Daniel and Jonathan, announced their divorce on October 16, 2023.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Louis van Amstel
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