The 2006 National Capital DanceSport Championships
By Peter S Smith
Photos by www.ballroomrhythms.com
From the most humble of beginnings this event has grown in fourteen short years to become the second biggest event in the Australian DanceSport Calendar. Starting out as a simple one day event in a suburban Canberra hall this event now encompasses all DanceSport styles offered here in Australia, covering all ages and grades, so much so that the 2006 version attracted competitors and adjudicators alike from all over Australia, New Zealand, U.K.,USA and many parts of Asia. Also for the first time it featured Pro-Am events in both New Vogue and the Standard styles. Over four hundred competitors graced the floor of the Australian Institute of Sport Stadium in Bruce an inner Canberra suburb for the two action packed days and nights of this championship.
Whilst this event has grown into a "not to be missed" event here in Australia it was this year a "hard to get to event" courtesy of the weather man, who chose to cover Canberra and surrounding areas with a extremely heavy cloud of fog in both the days leading up to the weekend of the 24th-25th June and the weekend itself. This of course threw airline schedules into utter chaos and in the process left many an adjudicator and unfortunately some competitors cooling their heels in airport lounges all over the country when in fact they should have already been in Canberra. Some, who were fortunately an extreme and not too large group traveling from Tasmania and Melbourne in Victoria were even forced to stay overnight in Sydney after two aborted attempts to land in Canberra and then driven by Coach the following morning to the National Capital a journey of in excess of four hours by road.
Though this caused concern and consternation for the organisers, for this very efficient and experienced team of led by Robert J Steele, Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing, his wife Leigh Steele and the local team of David Gunasekera and Penny De Kauwe, it was a matter of simply the show must go on!
It meant some last minute changes to adjudicating panels which saw Chairman of Adjudicators Derek Gatley asking many on this rather large panel to double up for several events on the Saturday morning session. By just after lunch on Saturday it was all back to normal. As the fog lifted outside so did the stress and strain on the faces of the organizing team inside the arena.
Like major events of this nature all over the world Sponsorship has become an absolute necessity as costs skyrocket and this event was no exception. Australian Capital Tourism heads the list with their support being locked into a recent three year contract. Other sponsors who played a significant role in supporting this event were WIN Television, Radio Station Mix 106.3; Rydges Hotel Lakeside Canberra; Australian Dance Review and associate sponsors Living Simply
One other aspect of this championship over the years has been its ability to attract guest performers and this years special guests were Michael Wentink and Kristina from the U.S.A. They performed their interpretations of all the Latin dances to this very appreciative audience on both evenings of this championship.
Before moving on to the championship events themselves a very special mention must be made of the quality of the music presented by Musical Director, Michael Gunasekera. Having attended countless events all over the World where recorded music is used I cannot remember ever being so taken back at both the quality of the music presented for the competing couples and the thought that went into choosing the tracks for the various events. It was great to see Juvenile and Junior couples dancing to tracks that had a special meaning to them "a la" Disney themes and not to music that was complicated and overpowering for them. They obviously enjoyed dancing to these types of tracks and in the process it produced some quality dancing from these youngsters. Well done Michael!
The Rydges Lakeside Canberra Pro Standard Championship
1st: Davide Tonizzo & Emily Reilly (WA) This couple ran out easy winners of this event by virtue of winning all five dances. Danced with a lot of confidence and enthusiasm, a well deserved win.
2nd: Adam Blakey & Megan Alderton (Vic) These relative newcomers to the professional ranks also danced with a lot of confidence & enthusiasm, but on this occasion had to settle for second in all five dances. I felt they did not produce the quality of dancing that the winners displayed.
3rd: Jared Parnell & Kelli Brogan (Vic) Decisively third with a summary of third in all five dances, these two are a neat and tidy couple who do very little to offend.
The Mix 106.3 Pro Latin Championship
1st: David Byrnes & Karla Gerbes (Vic) It was the first time I have seen these two dance together and quite frankly I like what I saw, lots of potential here, they won all dances except Jive.
2nd: Adam Blakey & Megan Alderton (Vic) Another confident and exuberant performance from these two again having to settle for second place, but on this occasion did win Jive, with seconds in all the other dances.
3rd: Sean Heiford & Briony Penrose (Q) These two were quite comfortably third in fact finished there in all five dances.
The WIN Television Pro New Vogue Championship
1st: Adam Blakey & Megan Alderton (Vic) In this style these two really did dominate, they won all of the New Vogue dances except Carousel and in doing so perhaps set a benchmark for their fellow Professional competitors to try and attain for the remainder of the year.
2nd: Jared Parnell & Kelli Brogan (Vic) They won Carousel and were second in Barclay Blues and Tango Terrific and had to be satisfied with thirds in Swing Waltz and Twilight Waltz. They are excellent exponents of this style but have a contrasting approach to the winners.
3rd: Ian Gillard & Cherie Isbell (NSW) This couple had several adjudicators awarding them first places in each dance so whilst finishing third,their best individual dance results were seconds in the Waltzes, (Twilight and Swing) they had to be in contention.
Pro/Am Standard
1st:Paul Cruddas & Kate Alouker (NSW) Whilst only winning one dance, that being Slow Foxtrot, these two were second in Tango and Quickstep and Third in Waltz and therefore managed to hang on to a win in this event.
2nd: Jared Parnell & Helen Angwin (Vic) These two won both Waltz and Tango, were third in Slow Foxtrot, but it was a tired fifth place Quickstep which cost them dearly.
3rd: Darryl Davenport & Natalie Smith (WA) These two won Quickstep were second in Slow Foxtrot, but fourth places in Waltz and Tango were their undoing.
Pro/Am New Vogue
1st: Darryl Davenport & Natalie Smith (WA) A more than satisfying result for these two as they clearly won all four of the New Vogue dances in this event.
2nd: Joseph Di Rocco & Linda Brown (WA) They were third in Lucille Waltz and second in all the others.
3rd: Grant Langley & Nicole Knight (Q) Second in Lucille Waltz and third in Carousel and fourth in Gypsy Tap and Tango Terrific was their final summary to give them a well deserved third place.
The WIN Television Adult Open Standard Championship
1st: Michael Glikman & Milana Deitch (NSW) A comfortable win for this very talented couple, whilst I thought they could perhaps even have won every dance others thought differently as they won only Tango, Slow Foxtrot and Quickstep.
2nd: Craig Denham & Tegan Short (WA) Whilst they won the two Waltzes I thought that the win in V.W. definitely flattered them. Enthusiastic dancers, but their interpretations have too much of a similarity for my liking.
3rd: Antonio Micheli & Bianca Tonizzo (Vic) A consistent third in all five dances meant they secured this spot quite easily but I feel their dancing lacks power off the standing leg especially from this tall young man.
The Australian Capital Tourism Adult Open Latin Championship
1st: Michael Miziner & Anastasia Belykh (NSW) Very comfortable winners of this event by virtue of winning all five dances. These two are a formidable team and the quality of the dancing they produce really does show through in an event like this. Both of them possess a strong positive leg action and their rhythmic interpretation of the Latin dances is excellent.
2nd: Laurence Moldavsky & Athena Merillo (NSW) Here we have another couple with all the ingredients needed to excellent exponents of the Latin style. A clear second in all five dances, they too have excellent legs and feet and are a joy to watch.
3rd: Michael Hemera & Lauren McFarlane (NSW) A final summary of third in the first three dances and fourth in Paso Doble and Jive meant that they quite easily held off the remaining finalist that were snapping at their heels for this last podium position.
The Mix 106.3 Adult Open New Vogue Championship
1st: Gino Cella & Prue Hatcher (NSW) A win in fine style for this newish young partnership. With Prue magnificently groomed as usual and with musicality to burn this couple won four out five dances in this event, La Bomba their only blemish.
2nd: DamianGarozzo & Taryn Montgomery (Q) They won La Bomba but had to settle for second in all the others. Perhaps would have started favourites in this championship but being the enthusiastic competitors they are I am sure they will bounce back with a vengeance.
3rd:Rhett Watts & Amanda Kirk (Vic) A mixed bunch of final analysis marks for them, but third placings in Barclay Blues, Twilight Waltz and La Bomba secured this spot for them. I enjoyed their dancing in all styles all weekend so to see them finish in the top three of this event did not surprise me.
The Australian Capital Tourism, Adult Open Ten Dance Championship
1st: Michael Glikman & Milana Deitch (NSW) Australia has a great record in
International ten dance events and from a quick perusal of the field in this event one would think that that tradition could continue. On this showing these two are the ones who will carry those ambitions in the immediate future, clearly head and shoulders above the rest of this field they won all of the dances except Cha Cha and Samba. It was a solid and consistent performance over all the Ten Dances.
2nd: Antonio Micheli & Bianca Tonizzo (Vic) These two actually won the two dances that eluded the victors and were second in all the others. A fairly even across the board result, but I felt they only just held out the third place getters
3rd: Benny Rozen & Masha Khazanova (NSW) These two were third in all of the Ten Dances and were a pleasure to watch, obviously enjoying the challenge. I believe they have a big future in this type of event.
The Australian Dance Review Junior Open 8 Dance Championship
1st: Brodie Barden & Nicole Prosser (WA) This diminutive young couple won all of the dances in this event except Waltz & Jive. They are developing a positive floor appeal and along the way their dancing has become more positive and consistent. With two other West Australian couples in this final there was a fair amount of state rivalry in this event, in the end it was the tiniest couple on the floor that won out.
2nd: Matthew MacKay & Lana De-Foneska (WA) They ran out winners in Waltz and Jive, are a much improved couple of late especially in the standard style, a well deserved runners-up spot.
3rd: David Mitchell & Louise Millington (Q) Second in Quickstep was their best individual dance result, another young couple with a bright future.
The Australian Dance Review Junior 6 Dance Championship
1st: Errol Williamson & Christina Morrissey (WA) By the fact that this couple won all six dances in this event and in the process dropped very few first place marks they clearly sent a message to all other couples in their age group, "catch us if you can" or something similar.
2nd: Michael Zinner & Bianca Lazar (Vic) They held off the challenges that came from all over the country in this event to take the runners-up spot. They were second in Quickstep, Samba and Jive and third in the rest.
3rd: Joshua & Jessica Leis (NSW)Fifth places in Waltz, Slow foxtrot and Quickstep meant they could not challenge for higher honours and in the process only just managed to hold out the fourth placed couple.