Early Days

Loraine Barry was born on 10 December 1964 in Cabra, Dublin, Ireland.

She began dancing at just six years old after a visit to a local dance studio with her elder sister. For the first four years she danced with a girl partner called Lorraine Confoy. She started with Old Time Sequence Dancing, where she believes she got the best training in using her feet.

Her first dance teachers were the husband-and-wife team, Maureen and Liam Mullins, who immediately spotted her talent. Her first boy partner was Gary Ryan. Early on they excelled in juvenile and junior competitions, winning multiple All-Ireland titles.

Her parents supported her all the way, as they were both dance lovers. Her father was a very popular local Rock’n’Roll dancer and her mother enjoyed Irish dancing as a young woman.

Both parents followed her around the world, watching her dance – from her first World Championship in Germany in 1988 to her last performance, a big retirement party, in Japan in 2002.

Before her father passed away, he told her how proud he was of what she had achieved.

Career with Andrew Sinkinson

At 17, Loraine left Ireland for England to pursue her dance career in the heart of the ballroom world — first in Southport, where she lived with the family of Andrew Sinkinson, who became her new dance partner. Their teachers were George Coad and Pat Thompson.

Loraine’s father was a bit concerned about her relying only on dancing, so before she left she had to complete a secretarial course to appease him.

Very young, Loraine and Andrew moved to London and quickly made their mark in the amateur ranks, winning the British Open Youth Amateur Ballroom Championship and the Amateur British Ballroom Championship three years in a row (1987–1989). They also captured major titles in Ballroom such as the UK Championship, European Championship and World Championship before turning professional in 1989.

Their main coaches for Ballroom were Bill and Bobbie Irvine MBE and they also studied with Benny Tolmeyer.

Their Latin coach was Peter Maxwell. Andrew and Loraine danced Ballroom and Latin until the beginning of their professional career.

As professionals, Loraine and Andrew debuted at the Professional British Open in 1990, winning the Slow Foxtrot — an extraordinary achievement for a first professional outing in Blackpool.

Their partnership, both on and off the dance floor (they married in 1989), ended in 1993.

Career with Luca Baricchi

In 1993, Loraine began a new competitive chapter with Luca Baricchi, an Italian-born dancer. Together they became one of the supreme professional ballroom couples of their era.

Their most significant achievements:

European Professional Ballroom Champions – 1997

World Professional Ballroom Champions – 1999, 2001

British Open Professional Ballroom Champions – 1999, 2000

UK Professional Ballroom Champions – 1999, 2000, 2001

International Professional Ballroom Champions – 1999, 2000

Their coaches were Richard and Janet Gleave. Additionally, they enjoyed studying with Doreen Freeman.

Loraine is Ireland’s most successful ballroom dancer ever, with four World Champion titles and seven British Open Championship titles.

Awards

Beyond competitive championships, Loraine has received several prestigious awards in the dance world, including the Prince Mikasa Award, BDF Awards, and the Carl Alan Award — honours recognising her outstanding contribution to dance.

Sister Michelle

Loraine’s younger sister Michelle ended up following her to London to pursue a career in dancing as well. While there’s a nine-year gap between them, Loraine says that they’re incredibly close. When Loraine’s career was taking off, her sister worked as her assistant to earn some money for her own dance training, and they ultimately ended up competing together.

There was a very special moment in 2001 at the Blackpool Dance Festival where Michelle won the Professional Rising Star and, on the Friday of the same week, Loraine won the British Open Professional Ballroom Championship.

For many years, Michelle and Loraine had a very successful dance studio in the US, which they sold a few years ago.

Life After the Competitive Career

After retiring from competition in 2002, Loraine devoted herself to teaching, lecturing and adjudicating.

Up to the present day, Loraine remains involved in dance education, teaching top competitors from all around the globe and judging worldwide. She enjoys travelling and sharing her lifelong passion for Ballroom dancing.

Dancing with the Stars

Loraine moved into media, becoming Head Judge on Ireland’s version of Dancing with the Stars when it launched in 2017 on RTÉ One, bringing her expertise, elegance and incisive critique to a broad TV audience. She served in this role for eight seasons before stepping down in 2025, warmly praised as a defining presence on the show.

Personal Life and Hobbies

Loraine has been married twice. With her first husband, Andrew Sinkinson, they got married in their early 20s, but split in 1993.

She then married Luca Baricchi and that marriage lasted 13 years.

Now her partner in life is Peter Radcliffe. They’ve been together nearly 12 years. They met on the 3rd of July at Chicago Airport, both flying to Hong Kong.

She says it’s a breath of fresh air not having a relationship with someone from the dance world. They live together in London.

In her free time, Loraine really enjoys physical activity, from stretching to golf and swimming, but most of all spending time with her loved ones.

Personal Note

My first close and genuine contact with Loraine goes back to 2011, during my visit to her and her sister Michelle’s studio in Tampa, Florida. I spent some beautiful days with them.

Two years ago we attended an event in Opatija, organised by Domen Krapez, Stefano Di Filippo and Marco Ciboci, where, besides the workshop and competitions, we had some free time to reconnect and get to know each other a bit better.

People who know Loraine are familiar with her drive, commitment and positive attitude. She talks the talk, she walks the walk. What touches me the most is her incredible passion and kindness.

Andrew Sinkinson (16.4.1964 – 11.1.2025)

With the sudden death of Andrew last year, the dance world lost not only one of the greatest dancers ever, but also an incredible teacher, a true master.

He was a son, husband, father and friend to many other dance icons.

I will remember his outstanding lectures, his total commitment to the fundamental values of ballroom dancing and his truly kind soul.

Enjoy the podcast with Loraine on Spotify - Barbara's Dance Room