Dancers Will Try Their Luck In Sydney

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30393, 18 March 1964, Page 2

Dancers Will Try Their Luck In Sydney

* Off to Australia next week to try her luck in the highly competitive field of Sydney cabaret and night club entertainment is a young Christchurch dancer, Miss Yvonne Soeterik, and her dancing partner, Mr John Pass.

The pair, who have been dancing together for 18 months, have been finding an increasing demand for their adagio dancing acts both for cabarets and private gatherings, and are keen to see if they can also “hit it off” in Sydney.

“The competition there is Berce —it really is a cutthroat business, but we want to go over and have a look iround,” Miss Soeterik said yesterday. Mr Pass, who came to New Zealand from Scotland 10 years ago has previously danced in Australia. “Making a break is the hardest thing,” Miss Soeterik said. The dancers are allowing themselves four weeks to try and get bookings. But if they do not obtain any engagements, she intends to make the most of her trip by taking lessons in ballet and modern dancing in Sydney. “You can learn something wherever you go if you want to,” she >said.

Adagio dancing was a mixture of ballet, modern dancing and ballroom dancing. Miss Soeterik said. There

were lifting and balancing movements and also miming, telling a story either seriously or “in a funny way.” Mr Pass is the choreographer for their routine. Happy When Dancing Miss Soeterik has danced from her childhood. “As long as I’m dancing I’m happy,” she said. Born in Holland, she went to Indonesia with her family when she was nine, and came

to New Zealand when she was 16. “I learned rhythmic dancing in Holland, and started ballet lessons in Djakarta.” Although she now has her own ballet school, and teaches, she is still learning and taking examinations. “I love my ballet I want to keep it up.” Though she is interested in all kinds of dancing, ballet is her basic medium.

As well as performing “live,” Miss Soeterik has also danced on television, with a group for whom Mr Pass also does the choreography. Scope for Settings

Though there was more scope for settings, and scene changes on television, one also missed the special feeling of excitement that could come from an audience, she said. “You have to work harder on television. You don’t get the atmosphere from the audience. You have to create your own.” There was more rehearsal needed because of the precision demanded in front of the television cameras. “The slightest mistake can be picked up straight away.”

However, she could always watch herself later dancing on television.

It was fun, “but you always think you could have done it better.” Miss Soeterik is also a qualified primary school teacher. This year she has been undertaking relieving work, to enable her to make the trip to Australia.