New Zealand Dancers attending the Asia Open Dance Tour 2024 - NZBDC Newsletter March 2024

From right to left: Amy, Enrique, Ayumi, Asher, Carey Ann, and Simon

In February and March this year, Enrique Johns & Amy Horner, Asher Robb & Ayumi Greene, Simon and Carey-Ann Barber, along with Evelyn Do attended the 2024 Asia Open Dance Tour Events in Japan, Taiwan, Korea and China. It was a wonderful adventure with many long lasting memories. Below is a lovely article from Amy & Enrique on some of their experiences. Thank you Enrique & Amy for giving New Zealanders the opportunity to experience this from your point of view.

"The lead-up to our Asian Open Dance Tour was a whirlwind of activity, filled with intense training sessions, teaching commitments, dress fittings, and fundraising efforts. Each task was a stepping stone towards turning our dreams into reality.

Our journey commenced in Tokyo, Japan, where we spent four exhilarating days immersing ourselves in the vibrant energy of the city. Navigating the bustling Tokyo trains with two large suitcases each was no easy feat, but once we arrived at our hotel, we wasted no time diving into sightseeing. Our first stop was the iconic Shibuya Scramble Crossing, followed by a practice session at a hidden gem of a dance studio, where we received a warm welcome from the locals. Competition day was a spectacle held in a beautiful hotel ballroom, where the atmosphere and talent level were unparalleled. Following the competition, we had the privilege of taking lessons with the esteemed Massimo Arcolin & Lara Z Arcolinova at another charming studio.

Asher & Ayumi

Next, we journeyed to Taipei, Taiwan, accompanied by our personal tour guides, Alex & Sandy, who made exploring the city a breeze. Despite a rocky bus ride, we checked into our hotel and registered for the upcoming competition before indulging in some mouthwatering local cuisine. The competition took place in a grand arena, offering a unique experience, especially with the addition of a Rising Star Category. Afterward, we visited a stunning hidden gem studio for a dream-come-true lesson for Eve & Enrique with the world's number one, Ina Jeliazkova.

Enrique, Evelyn, and Current World Champion Ina Jeliazkova

Our adventure continued in Seoul, South Korea, where we faced a short stay

but unforgettable experiences. Despite a delayed fight and battling food poisoning, we

checked into our hotel in the wee hours before gearing up for the competition. Held in a luxurious 7-star hotel ballroom, the event was on a whole new level, with the Professional Latin final leaving a lasting impression. The following day, we explored the competition hotel, they had an amusement park in the hotel - a true marvel!

Arriving in Shanghai, China, we anticipated three days of workshops and a cocktail event, which unfortunately got cancelled last minute. Nevertheless, we made the most of our time by training at the prestigious Cimen Lin Bing Academy, courtesy of our coach Karen Hardy and her student friend Lin Bing. The Academy left us in awe with its state-of-the-art facilities and friendly atmosphere.

Enrique Johns & Amy Horner

Competition day in Shanghai was an intimate affair in a cozy hotel ballroom, filled with talented dancers and an electrifying atmosphere. We were very privileged to dance as we were suffering from illnesses as were many other dancers. But the show must go on.

After the competitions concluded, we had a few extra days in Shanghai due to a flight delay, which we spent relaxing, indulging in delicious food, and reflecting on our incredible experiences.

Our Asian Open Dance Tour was truly mind-blowing, filled with invaluable lessons, unforgettable moments, and meaningful connections across the globe. We wholeheartedly recommend the tour to anyone seeking a transformative dance experience!"

Supporting our Dance Competitions - By Peter van der Veek (March 2024)

We sure have had a great summer! My sister and brother-in-law, from the Netherlands, have experienced the most brilliant 3 months here in Aotearoa, returning to Europe with fabulous memories of what New Zealand has to offer. We are very fortunate to have this every day and as the days get shorter again dancers are preparing for the dance year ahead of us. 

As NZBDC Chairman I would like to bring to your attention the great lengths organisers of our dance competitions go to making sure our sport/art form have enough moments in the year that competitors can dance against one another.  Due to the large distances within Aotearoa, it is not always possible for dancers to attend all events, therefore there are numerous local competitions being superbly organised.

The organisers of these competitions put in an enormous amount of time and money to make this happen:

1. A hall must be hired.

2. A dancefloor, if not present, needs to be laid

3. Judges need to be invited, scrutineering and marshalling needs to be organised.

4. Catering for all the above people.

5. Oh, and let’s not forget music and a sound system.

There is no doubt more we could add to this list, with a greater financial risk to the organisers, so you will understand that they are concerned when the entries for their competitions are not enough to cover the cost.  Why would you take that financial risk and put in all that time and effort?  Because of the love for dance!  And for you- the dancers.

To all competitors, please do not wait until the last moment to enter a competition.  It may result in it being cancelled, as we have seen on some occasions last year and at the start of this dancing year.

Without competitors there is no competition day but without those brave enough to run these competitions (our organisers) there will be no competitions for the dancers to attend.  Let us support one another … and …In a timely fashion!

The KIWI CLASSIC in Auckland, run under the NZBDC, is one of the first competitions that will start off the dance season this year. There will be a great number of participants across all grades and styles in the beautiful ballroom of the Grand Millennium hotel in Auckland city.  Therefore is also a great number of international Adjudicators.

Breaking News

For those attending the Outside Change and Freedom to Dance Ball in Melbourne in June, NZBDC is pleased to announce that the Organisers are offering to NZBDC Registered members, Half price entry to the workshops / master classes to be held on 9 June.  This is a great opportunity for you to learn from International Superstars.  Make sure you book your attendance by email to info@outsidechange.com.   

Wishing you a brilliant dance season ahead.

Peter van der Veek

Chairman

NZBDC

Reflections on 2023 and Suggestions for the future of our dance industry

By Peter van der Veek.

Investigations

The dancing year in Aotearoa New Zealand has nearly come to an end and <me for me to evaluate my first year as chairperson of the NZBDC.

As a novice in an administrative function my first task was to observe and investigate the market of the NZ dance industry. I did that by talking to studio owners, trainers, dancers and parents. I also judged several competitions to get an idea of how these are different to overseas events and visited some dance studios to get a perception of how newcomers to the dance industry are made to feel welcome.

Because Aotearoa has several professional organisations, I talked to each one to see what their game plan was and if they were different from, or indeed similar to, each other.

The thought behind this research was to find out how I can help the New Zealand dance business.

From my start as NZBDC Chairperson, it was clear for me that working together was the big issue to promote.

Being king of your own castle might feel good but can be very lonely. Talking to other ‘kings’ is the way to enlighten yourself and get out of the “same old same old” routine which is inoperative because of our changing global environment.

A sustainable future is built on working together, listening to each other and respecting the differences that may be present.

Although freely and genuinely tendered, nobody likes to hear how they could improve certain aspects of their teaching, business or personal interaction with customers. I knew I had to be careful in offering a helping hand because it could be seen as interfering in matters that were not my concern. The interesting thing however, is that we will pay a lot of money to people we don’t know well, and who are not aware of the ins and outs of our business, just because they are of no threat. This is considered an “independent view” which is more appreciated than a view from within organisations, and I find this quite remarkable.

What can we do?

I have formed a clear vision over these last few months, one that I am happy to discuss with a wider group of interested people. Some suggestions will be obvious while others might be more challenging. Certainly, without change there will be no progression. As in dance, to improve dancers you first must unbalance the state they are in to make the necessary progress.

At the time of writing this summary, we are blessed with at least 3 professional organisations and one amateur organisation in Aotearoa. They all provide a need, and each organisation has their own “king or government” they follow. Perfectly fine because in general people want to belong to an organisation that is close at hand, and they have an affinity with.

In 1965 the idea was raised that the different organisations NZFDT, NZFATD, SATD should work together and thus the NZBDC was formed as a governing body to service all those involved in our beautiful form of dance. This functioned extremely well until 2010 when the first cracks appeared in the concept. Trust is the cornerstone of any partnership, as is loyalty and allowing others to do well. Greed and egos are the worst enemies of that partnership.

At this moment there is little cooperation between the organisations particularly in and around Auckland. For the sake of dancing this must change, and leaders of our industry should lead by example in how we can work together.

My suggestions for the future:

The following diagram is how I see the unification of all societies in Aotearoa:

This governing board of trustees could, and should, venture into different categories, but all overseen by the governing body. Once such a subcategory is established it can report to the board on a regular basis to communicate progress thereafter the board can determine if action is needed. The examples I make below is a first step and in no way an end result.

As with the progress of a dancer there will be step by step progress, with a vision of where we want to go in the future. That future is the first step we need to discuss and I suggest we do this as follows:

What else can we improve?

If we look at a board of directors of most corporate businesses, we can see that their job is to create return for their stakeholders. The board of directors do not necessarily know a lot about the product, but they know what makes money and what does not.

I want to make a statement that our dance business is NOT a corporate business and should not be run like one. We are generally handling people on a one-to-one basis which makes our business fragile and exciting, what we do and how we present ourselves matters to our customers. Our clients will then create a bond with us as teachers and entrepreneurs and for that reason our volume in pupils will increase by word of mouth. We, the teachers are our business!!!!

What we see now is that many of the people that are on a board of a dance organisation are part time dance teachers. Their income is not reliant on their dance business alone it is merely extra pocket money. For that reason, they seem happy to just teach in a school hall with little atmosphere and pay a floor fee. Although this can work for competitors it is not an ideal situation for newcomers to our beautiful industry.

These administrative functions should predominately be occupied by people who make their main income out of dancing! I am pretty sure that there would be other choices made when the money you earn is created from beginners who want to be welcomed in a warm modern environment rather than a sports or school hall.

To conclude.

I do understand that my summary of the year is long and yet in some respects not detailed enough. It is also direct and outspoken which I believe to be a necessary evil.

I am pleased that the dialogue between organisations, dancers and professionals is opening again, and I see a way forward. Ultimately, it is about our common interest- promo<ng our fantastic and unique form of dance at all levels.

The ques<on remains, how can I help?

I implore you to pick up the phone and let me know where you believe our future lies. Wishing you are Merry Christmas and a wonderful New dancing Year.

Ngā mihi,

Peter van der Veek

Tel: 021 991579

Email: pveek60@gmail.com