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The International MegaStars Dance Festival 2007
Incorporating The Gold Coast DanceSport Championships
Story by: Peter S Smith
Photographs by DanceSportPhoto.net
In the four short years the International Megastars Dance Festival, incorporating the Gold Coast DanceSport Championships held in the Pavilion Ballroom at Conrad Jupiters Casino on the tourist Mecca of the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia, has gone from a very successful fledgling event to one of the premier competitions on not only the DanceSport Australia calendar but the International calendar as well.
Record entries are testament to the popularity of the event and a quick perusal of the entries shows that all states and territories of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Indonesia and even Russia had participants in various events. International adjudicators are also finding this event one that they wish to attend.
Organising an event of this nature over two days and nights is a daunting task indeed, however it is one that the very experienced team of Robert J (Bob) Steele and wife Leigh in conjunction with Norm Carmont have taken on with gusto. They have as a team encompassed the multiple roles of entrepreneur, organisers and promoters of these events. To fill all these roles is a daunting task but when you add the role of Scrutineering supervisor to Leigh's position, Norm looking after all the front of house duties and Bob the evening session Master of ceremonies on both nights you know they are indeed a very close knit efficient team. The behind the scenes team is also very efficient with the unflappable Leanne Riley, ably supported by Brian Searle carrying out the scrutineering duties and the excellent music produced throughout this whole event under the direction of Michael Gunaserkera.
As the title of this event implies, apart from the injection of competitors needed you must also have "MegaStars". Indeed we did have "MegaStars" in the Standard or Ballroom style the mantle of that title was bestowed on Christopher & Justyna Hawkins a couple whose credits well and truly superseded them. Christopher has been to Australia on three previous occasions, but for Justyna it was her first visit. It did not take long for the capacity audience to warm to her and to enjoy the quality of her dancing. Christopher's successes with previous partners are too long to list here, however this young lady has taken the duel role of wife and dancing partner to the ultimate pinnacle of expertise. They were a joy to watch and quite frankly were a much more relaxed audience friendly team than I remember on the previous occasions Christopher has been here. Perhaps it has a lot to do with dancing with your "real life partner". Please come back again soon.
This years Latin "Megastars" were Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis. MegaStars they most certainly are, with the recent retirement of Brian Watson and Carmen, the jostling for top spot in the Professional Latin field has well and truly begun. The question
being asked on the Gold Coast was are Michael and Joanna the heir apparent? On this showing it would be a brave dance pundit who would bet other wise. Their use of the Latin rhythms, brilliant technique, musical expression and quite frankly extraordinary costuming had these two wowing the audience on both nights of this championship. Although no strangers to Australia, especially Western Australia where they have spent a considerable amount of time in recent years, not a lot of Australians who do not travel internationally would have had the pleasure of watching these two dance before, there will however now be a huge queue forming when the news of their next outing in Australia comes up whenever that may be, such is the strength of their new found fan base.