BALLROOM DANCE WINNERS GET FREE TRIP TO PERTH

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1948, Page 8

BALLROOM DANCE WINNERS GET FREE TRIP TO PERTH

An air trip to Perth, Australia, to take part in the Australian and New Zealand championships for ballroom dancing on November 17, was the prize won at Auckland this week by Mr and Mrs Roy des Jardines, of Wellington. With two other couples they were finalists in a New Zealand contest for champion ballroom dancers, each couple being the winners in their respective centres. The competition was conducted by the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing (Australia and New Zealand).

The runners-up were Miss Yvonne Davis and Mr W. McGavick, of Christchurch, and Mr and Mrs E. Such, of Auckland. The sole judge for the contest was Miss Eileen Kane, of Sydney and Brisbane, .who is examiner for the Federal Association of Teachers of Dancing (Australia and New Zealand). The standard of ballroom dancing was not quite as high in New Zealand as in Australia, said Miss Kane, but this she attributed to less experience. The Federal Association had been formed in Australia in 1931. but had been established in New Zealand only two years ago. On the whole, Miss Kane said, she had found the technique in New Zealand very good, with some promising material, but, compared with Australian couples, dancers showed a lack of experience and body movement. The Samba and Paso Doble, of LatinAmerican origin, were more popular in this country.