Two major changes swept through British ballroom dancing in the 20th century. The first was the codification of modern dances, like the waltz and foxtrot, to curb the impact of American ragtime styles. The second was the response, by the world champion Walter Laird, who has died aged 81, to the influx, before and after the second world war, of Latin dances and the jitterbug.
Laird codified the international style of Latin dance that now dominates the Latin and American half of ballroom dancing. He was also the author, in the early 1960s, of the groundbreaking Technique Of Latin Dancing.
With his partner Lorraine Reynolds, he became pre-eminent in the Latin and American categories - the rumba, samba, cha-cha, paso doble and jive - and won the world Latin American championship three times in the 1960s, redefining the style in so doing. His analytical skills enabled him to look at the physics of body movement, and the way in which the weighting of different parts of the body could contribute to the sensuous rhythmic movements that fascinated him.
Dance and theory came together in Laird's lucid insight into the dynamics of this new competition style. His technique explored the flowing, rhythmic possibilities of the dances and their musical forms with characteristic whiplash flicks of the body. Authenticity was critical, and he demanded that "real" music be played - a down-to-earth saltiness was one of his most endearing qualities.
Laird started dancing as a schoolboy with his sister Joan, and, in 1936, won an early jitterbug championship in his home town of Leyton, Essex, where he was educated. Having studied electronic engineering at technical college, he worked at the Royal Aircraft Establishment during the second world war, then stayed with the Ministry of Aviation until retirement in 1980.
He was fortunate to have a series of exceptional dance partners, including Lorraine Reynolds and his wife Julie Laird, with whom he developed his technique in a series of books (translated into eight languages), films and instruction tapes. Until two years ago, he was secretary (and later president) of the Ballroom Dancers' Federation. He opposed the inclusion of ballroom dancing in the Olympic Games, arguing that dance was art not sport.
Just a few days before his death, he woke up one night, and made notes redefining the meaning of technique. Julie described it as his clearest insight; it will be included in the forthcoming new edition of his book.
Laird's mixture of friendliness and gruff heartiness concealed a modesty that belied his achievement. By helping to bring the competition dimension to the forefront, he played a major role in ensuring the survival of British ballroom dancing, and by defining the Latin dance technique, he established its current worldwide supremacy.
He is survived by Julie, and his sister Joan.
· Walter William Laird, dancer, born July 26 1920; died May 30 2002