NATIONAL DANCING

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18582, 17 December 1934, Page 9

NATIONAL DANCING

(To the Editor of the Herald.)

Sir,—ln your I-read with' amusement the efforts the commit?, tee of the local dancing centre is: trying co justify tn,e system of handicapping it has introduced! One-would think by tlia reading of the report that Wiv the first lii existence' to think nandicappuig competitors. I-wonder it tliey ever thought that it is quite probable their flan lias been thoughtJOf oefore, but-rejected on account of tm. absurdity of trying to form a- system for handicapping dancers. The; remark* of the "eminent judge'' regarding han* dieapping competitors by, making nhe best dancers wear Slioes ' several •sizes too big for them is- too childish for words. How ridiculous. Fancy publish: ing a handicap list .as .follows.:. Colleen t"erston must wear shqessize 40's,She|la Munro size 38's, Tui Mehziefe jS's, Lprnn Johnstone 28's, and .so-on. down to stee 2's. If this "eminent judgtf'.even siig-; gested that it was possible % handicap dancing in.any shape or forinj -his naitte' should be removed from"the ; list '.oi official judges if his name is' there.' ; My belief is that he was just being sarcastic. Why, judges differ in their; views as'to the requirements of national, dancing, and this in itself makes it : iaipOßSible to handicap: fairly. This hßndicapping will bring with it all the evils .jtfot handicap sport breeds* and it 7M' *?et: tainly no encouragement ;to- those dancers who practise; conscientiously and try to improve ■ their ; standard /of dancing; in fact, it has already the best dancers to refuse tolioinia£te for events, thereby making the standard the poorer by their absence." Furthermore, the "official bandicappers''. b?ive never been announced, nor has the basis for handicapping been made clear, Why are the handicaps not published in ttie same manner as the -athletic eVenfe?"The way things are now .there is 'too much secrecy, and if the executiye ISJMietiiJn the confidence of /the public?, parents and competitors, these, essential' detiails should be made clear. .As oiie who'is interested in the prestige. arid.;dignity. with which Highland and' na"tidnal dancing should be conducted, my'advice is to drop this fooling about with'the rules of the New Zealand I'ipirig and Dancing Association and stick to Hie motto, "Let the best win."—Yours, etc;, V "ftIELANpER.".;..;