The New Zealand Amateur & Professional DanceSport Championships 2006
By Peter S Smith
Photographs by Ballroom Rhythms
To be invited back to my native New Zealand to adjudicate at the 56th presentation of the New Zealand Amateur & Professional DanceSport Championships was a thrill for me, however that thrill was extended to a new level when an invitation came for me to perform the official opening of these championships, a job usually given to a dignitary or politician or at least someone from a different plane from that of a mere DanceSport fanatic like me! Following what was an absolutely magnificent rendition of the N.Z. National Anthem by 16 year old Anthony Utama, a Star of N.Z's Christmas in the Park, the Official Opening was duly performed & I was left feeling very humble at the reception I received. The scene was set for a wonderful weekend of top level DanceSport events.
However before all of the serious competition got under way the hospitality of the N.Z. Federation of Dance Teachers was extended to all visitors and their membership with a welcome Cocktail Party on the Friday evening prior to the weekend of the 29th & 30th July. It was at this function that many old and valued friendships were rekindled, time stood still on many an occasion during the evening and it was perhaps only the reality of the two big days and nights that lay ahead that forced the celebrations to come to an end.
Events of a dancing nature got underway promptly at 10 a.m. on the Saturday morning under the very watchful and ever efficient eye of the Championship organisers Grant & Sherrall Macown, engaged by the N.Z. Federation to organize and run the championships. The atmosphere that abounded in the ASB Stadium in suburban Kohimarama as the first event took place was that of excitement and anticipation which was to explode into an almost deafening roar as the events unfolded.
The adjudicating panel made up of members of the Executive of the N.Z. Federation of Dance Teachers was augmented by visitors from Sydney Bob & Leigh Steele, Peter & Rachel Van der Veek from Lisse in the Netherlands and yours truly travelling from Western Australia to willingly join this panel.
Also visiting these championships, on what was a big first for both of them and their native Japan, were Yoshihiro & Hidemi Yamamoto, the All Japan Professional Latin Champions who were to feature in the evening programme on both nights - the first ever Japanese couple invited to demonstrate at these Championships. These two are brilliant exponents of the Latin dances with the emphasis on the Show Dance Version, they have personality to burn and were very quickly the darlings of this audience who duly accorded them the honour of standing ovations, not just at the end of their show but after every dance.
Whilst entry to these championships is not officially "Open", they are restricted to N.Z. resident couples and anyone based outside N.Z. provided that one half of the competing couple has either N.Z. residential status or holds a N.Z. Passport. This meant that there were a large number of the 150 couples competing who had travelled from far and wide to attend and compete; the mixture quite interesting. Kiwi girls dancing with Australian based men or vica versa and in the end it was often but not always that this blend of local and overseas talent and experience that won through. Whilst there were some excellent couples in the latin championships I felt that it was in the Standard or Ballroom section that the quality on show stood out for me, none more than in the Professional championship where for the fifth time the Queensland based couple of Richard & Natalie Perry were declared the National Champions. thereby augmenting their dominance of this event on both sides of the Tasman Sea, having become the first N.Z. representative couple to ever win the Australian championship in this category just last year.
They were not alone however in producing some excellent dancing in the Standard style. The new N.Z. Amateur Champions were quite frankly brilliant exponents of all the five dances and for good measure their victory was another first for this championship in the fact that they are a brother and sister combination, something that has never occurred here before, namely Tim & Yulia Mullayanov of Christchurch. Throughout this event they produced an excellent top line and shape, were free movers and had great musicality, easy winners on my card and I am pleased to see others agreed with me as they did win all five dances. They were quite frankly a joy to watch.
Another couple who can now lay claim to being champions on both sides of the Tasman were the Queensland based couple in the Senior or Masters category, Robert Rowe & Doreen Hamilton, quite comfortable winners of the Senior A Grade Standard Championship by virtue of also winning all five dances. Currently the Australian champions in the Masters division, Robert is an Englishman & Doreen a Kiwi, another couple adding to the International mix of this championship.
Before moving on to a summary of the results of the major events, I wish to once again thank Mrs. Barbara Edwards President of the N.Z. Federation of Dance Teachers and her Executive team for the invitation to participate in this year's championship, also for their great hospitality and for making me so welcome.
A great big congratulations to Championship Organiser Grant Macown ably assisted by his long suffering wife Sherrall, who despite some recent health problems soldiered on and worked tirelessly to head up the organizing team. That team included the N.Z. Society of Scrutineers headed by Roy Brook and a group who shared the compering/master of ceremonies roles that included Kingsley & Angela Gainsford, all in all a great team effort.
The NZ Professional Standard Championship
1. Richard & Natalie Perry (Qld) (1,1,1,1,1)
2. Peter Head & Janita Berry (Vic) (3,3,2,2,2)
3. Ricci Hancock & Rachelle Evans (Vic) (2,2,3,3,3)
The NZ Professional Latin Championship
1. Jonathon Williams & Helen Candy (NZ) (1,1,1,1,1)
2. Sean Heiford & Brioney Penrose (Qld) (3,3,2,2,2)
3. Richaqrd Peters & Laura Wells (NZ) (2,2,3,3,3)
The NZ Professional New Vogue Championship
1. Peter Head & Janita Berry (Vic) (1,1,1,1,1)
2. Michael Hoggard & Lauren de Boeck (NZ) (2,2,2,2,2)
3. Richard Peters & Laura Walls (NZ) (4,3,3,3,4)
The NZ Amateur 10 Dance Championship
1. Dean Lowder & Jodene Turner (NSW) (1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1)
2. Leonid Bondarev & Camille Webb (NZ) (3,2,3,4,2,2,2,2,2,3)
3. Julian Tocker & Gabrielle Russo (Qld) (2,3,4,2,3,3,3,3,3,2)
The NZ Amateur Standard Championship
1. Tim Mullayanov & Yulia Mullayanov (NZ) (1,1,1,1,1)
2. Dean Lowder & Jodene Turner (NSW) (2,3,3,2,2)
3. Cameron Candy & Tanaya Webb (NSW) (3,2,2,3,3)
The NZ Amateur Latin Championship
1. Dean Lowder & Jodene Turner (NSW) (2,1,1,2,1)
2. Arteme Okunev & Suzanna Petrichtcheva (NSW) (1,2,2,1,2)
3. Leonid Bondarev & Camille Webb (NZ) (3,3,3,3,4)
The NZ Amateur New Vogue Championship
1. Cameron Candy & Tanaya Webb (NSW) (1,1,1,1)
2. Gene Song & Min Fang (NZ) (2,2,2,2)
3. Tom Allen & Natalie Leonard (NZ) (4,4,3,3)