COMPETITIONS SOCIETIES AND NATIONAL DANCING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18674, 2 October 1922, Page 6

COMPETITIONS SOCIETIES AND NATIONAL DANCING.

TO THE EDITOR. Slß—Your correspondent “Onlooker,’’ in Ins letter in to-day’s issue, takes exception to my appointment as judge of the dancing competitions at Gore. Docs ho also take exception to the judge of the elocutionary sections at the same competitions? As a letter written over a nom-de-plume is of little value, I reply briefly. A teacher ol dancing officiated as judge' at the last Gore competitions. Did “Onlooker” hike any exception on that occasion? He says that the Pipers and Dancers’ Association does not look at all favourably on any man being appointed as a judge who is also a teacher. Since wdion? If “Onlooker” will call at ray private address, I shall ho very pleased indeed to show him a letter which states that a certain Caledonian Society had written to the. Pipers and Dancers’ Association asking it to send a man to judge the piping and dancing events at its annual gathering in 1922 and that the association wrote to me asking whether I would accept the position, and which will prove to “Onlooker” that the statements contained in his letter aro incorrect,—l am, etc., Robert Clark, 15a M’Brirle street, September 29. Sir,— Replying to Mr C. Wright’s letter, I respectfully beg to inquire in what manner any judge, teacher or otherwise, mav form an opinion as to the merits of a dancer in any other manner than bv his own “theory” as to how such a- dance should be performed, and I fail to perceive absolutely how a teacher, judging his own pupils taught in accordance with his own particular “theories,” may accord a decision to them other than favourable unless they should he hopelessly outclassed. It is obvious that such a decision would condemn his own teachings. Again, it is hard to follow how a judge may discriminate between a beginner or an advanced pupil in the matter of awarding points if both are entered for the same competition except by tlie actual performance. Whilst regretting to have to appear to be making a personal issue of this matter, for that is far from my mind, and whilst disliking the idea of depreciating in any manner the excellent services of Mr R. Clark in Ids piping! for the competitors at the local competitions, I would like to point out that he piped for no pupils other than his own except in the reels, and I would further point out that it, is only common etiquette for a piper to inquire of a dancer, for whom lie may be playing, the time (hat is preferred by him. That, however, is not the point. A s we have a. society, and a. strong one, in this centre which exists solely for the purpose of fostering national dancing, and which controls the dancing events in most competitions besides its own, I consider that all societies which include such items in their programmes should at least consult the Pipers and Dancers’ Association officially before appointing an adjudicator in either of those sections. Such a course would ensure that approved judges would adjudicate in all events and the high standard of dancing and piping for which the society exists would bo more likely to ho maintained—l use the word advisedlv—than by the appointment of judges by the committees of societies, the members of which most probably know little or nothin? of (ho position in tho dancing world of the person they aro appointing.—l am, etc., Onlooker,