OPERATIC DANCING

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 102, 27 October 1938, Page 6

OPERATIC DANCING

TEACHERS' ORGANISATION

ACADEMY QUALIFICATION

This morning a large number of teachers of operatic dancing met in a private lounge of the Hotel Waterloo T in order to form a Wellington branch • of the Australasian Society of Teachers of Operatic Dancing, and to elect an executive. Miss Frances Scully, president of the New South Wales branch, •) who was appointed by the Royal Academy of Dancing as examiner for the children's grade competitions held £ recently, has spent six weeks travelling d throughout New Zealand, her special [c mission being to form branches of the Australasian Society in the main \ centres. She presided at the meeting l" held this morning, explaining the add vantages of the society and the work of [c the New South Wales branch. v In an interview with a representative y of the "Evening Post" Miss Scully said IS that the association was connected with s~ the Royal Academy of Dancing, Lond don, and that only those who had S- passed the teachers' examinations l^ judged by examiners from the Royal *" Academy could qualify as members. l" In this way the public and' parents *" could make certain that children studyy ing operatic dancing were learning 3- from fully-qualified teachers. The 0 branches formed in New Zealand hoped }' in time to get a scholarship to the ir value £100 from the Royal Academy -' to be used for the purpose of sending winners to England to continue their N studies. As the society became more c financial it would no doubt supplement k this scholarship. A scholarship had IS already been granted by the, Royal !S Academy to the Australasian Society, d the winners also receiving financial as- !• sistance in setting up their own schools c of dancing. £ . SIX FREE CLASSES. c ' One advantage of being a member, d said Miss Scully, was that six Iree p classes were held each year, the d teachers, when possible, being visiting 5- celebrities. The Wellington branch d hoped to be able to engage a principal ,c of the Russian ballet to give its first free class. Interest in the ballet was increasing everywhere, said Miss Scully. Where ever she went in New Zealand she n had had a great reception and there , s had been hundreds of candidates, for 1 the Academy examinations. She had 1 visited' Auckland,- Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Palmerston North, Wanganui, . Christchurch, Greymouth, Ashburton, " Timaru, and Dunediii, and branches of .j, the society had been formed in each * centre. The Wellington branch would \t incorporate the Taranaki and Hawke's Bay districts. Miss Scully, who is a children's ex"S aminer, is the third examiner sponj sored by the Royal Academy to visit g New Zealand. The first was Mr. Felix \ Demei-y* a member of the grand couns cil of the Royal Academy, who formed the Australasian Society on his first visit to Australia in 1935, and the I second was Miss Lorraine Norton, also 'of the Royal Academy, London. A , major examiner would visit New Zealand next year when students would have the opportunity of qualifying as ," teachers. ; Those elected as members of the '* executive at. the meeting this morning were as follows: —President, Miss Jeane Home (Wellington), vice-president, '" Miss /Constance Macdonald (Napier), ~' entertainment organiser, Miss Gwen ' Gibbs (Palmerston North} and Miss " Dorothy Daniels (secretary)." After, the meeting Miss Scully, who ' will leave tonight.by the Wanganella , on her return to Sydney, was entertained.' by the teachers at ,a farewell morning tea. :