TOWN HALL DANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23352, 18 November 1937, Page 9

TOWN HALL DANCE

FINAL OF CONTEST ELEVEN COUPLES TO COMPETE Dunedin ballroom dancing enthusiasts will have something unusual to occupy their attention on Saturday night when the 11 sets of finalists in the competition conducted at the Town Hall dance will compete for the honour of representing Otago at the New Zealand Dancing Championship at Wellington. The judges of the finals will be the members of the public themselves, who will be called upon to vote for the couple who, in their opinion, is most worthy of representative honours. The results of the voting will be announced by the Mayor (the Rev. E T. Cox) at 11 o’clock, when the National Commercial Station 4ZB will relay a special broadcast from the Town Hall. The finalists are requested to communicate with the manager (Mr J Brown) as soon as possible. The 11 finalists are: Mr and Mrs Bert Duff. Mr and Mrs Eric Bolton, Mr Jack Robinson and Miss Betty Anderson, Mr T. Shrimpton and Miss Violet Wiggs, Mr V. McKane and Miss M Marks, Mr L. Schmeltz and Miss C Duff. Mr C. Garland and Miss K. Eckhoff,' Mr S. Parker and Miss M. King, Mr A. Wilkinson and Miss M. Thomson Mr P. McNamara and Miss I. Woods, and Mr J. McAnally and Miss N. Grant. Mr and Mrs Bert Duff, who have been dancing together for the past seven years, have won several cnampionships in Dunedin, and were successful in winning the Otago championship in 1931 and 1932. Mr and Mrs Eric Bolton have won a large number of competitions in Dunedin, including the first competition conducted at the Town Hall dance, and two years a they won the Otago championship. Mr Jack Robinson, who has been dancing for 10 years, has. with Miss Betty Anderson, demonstrated for the Phyllis Bates School of Dancing in several dance halls in Dunedin. He won the 1934 Otago fox trot championship. Mr T Shrimpton and Miss V. Wiggs have been showing steady improvement since the beginning of the competition. Mr V. McKane and Miss M. Marks have had considerable success together during the year; they have won five out of the six competitions they entered for. this year, and were placed second in the sixth. Miss Cora Duff commenced dancing at the age of four years and a-half, and has won many prizes for ballet, lap. character, and ' classical dancing. Her partner. Mr L Schmeltz. has been learning ballroom dancing for the past six months, and even in this short time has shown decided talent. Miss K Eckhoff and Mr C. Garland were the winners of the quickstep and jazz waltz at the last Dunedin Competitions, and have also given exhibitions at Christchurch this year. Miss Eckhoff was also a successful competitor at the Dunedin Competitions from 1922 to 1931. gaining numerous awards for fancy dancing and elocuA lion. Mr A. Wilkinson and Miss M. Thomson were voted into the finals at the second semi-final, and arc expected to put up a good performance. Miss N. Grant first danced in the Bon Bon Review in Dunedin a few voars ago. and is keenly interested in all types of dancing. Her partner. Mr J. McAnallv, commenced dancing at the Waldorf “Palais de Dance in Glasgow, Scotland, and came to New Zealand in 1928 He won the Wairarapa ballroom championship in 1929 at Eketahuna. The winner of the contest at Wellington will represent Now Zealand at 1 he' Australia and Now Zealand championship. Should the Olago couple be unsuccessful at Wellington they will be sent to Melbourne as an independent entry to represent Otago. The first prize in the contest in Australia is a sports car. and there will be several smaller prizes A flashlight photograph of Saturday night’s dance will bo taken, and, owing to (he great interest which is being taken in this event, intending spectators arc advised to bonk their seats in the circle at McCracken and Walls’s, The right of admission to the floor of the hall will be strictly reserved.