More than 4,000 contestants from around the world will compete in an international ballroom and Latin dance competition from Friday to Sunday at the Shenzhen Stadium in Futian District.

Organized by the World Dance Council (WDC), the 2011 WDC World Cup and the ninth Shenzhen China Open Championships will be the biggest so far with the largest number of contestants and prominent judges, organizers said Monday.

It is the highest profile competition in China to be approved by the council to be held in Shenzhen between 2009 and 2018. It is one of the three most important dance competitions in the world. Contestants are from more than 30 countries and regions, including Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and Nigeria.

The number of foreign contestants had increased by about 30 percent over last year and the number of contestants from the Asian-Pacific region had increased by about 20 percent this year, organizers said.

There will be 19 judges this year, all of whom are dancing world champions and include top judges such as Max Hilton from Britain and Svytoslav Vlokh from Russia. Average price for tickets is 100 yuan (US$15.4) and reservations can be made on 400-683-8000.