Taupo¯ dancers prove their skills
Ever heard of PACANZ? No? You’re not the only one.
But PACANZ — which stands for Performing Arts Competition Association of New Zealand — is a big deal.
To be nominated for PACANZ is an even bigger one.
That’s the case for Taupo¯ Academy of Dance’s nine-member senior troupe, while at Dance Central, the Senior Performance Team was also nominated and has already gained a nomination for the 2019 PACANZ nationals, with solo dancer Alana Pointon also securing a 2019 Solo nomination.
Taupo¯ Academy of Dance principal and teacher Leanne Short says the way PACANZ works is that adjudicators at dance competitions nominate dancers for PACANZ but can choose only one group and one individual from the whole competition.
“A PACANZ nomination is huge,” Leanne explains.
“They can only get that nomination if they have got up a certain point in their exams so they’ve got to have got to that standard and then to achieve that.
“It’s the best of the best and just to get there is a feat in itself.”
The nominations were just part of a big year for Taupo¯ dance in general.
Local dancers achieved a large number of Distinction results in their recent dance exams.
Three dancers — Aimee Coleman, Alana Pointon and Courtney Constance of Dance Central — got in the top five in their Asia Pacific Dance Association contemporary grade, which covers Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
At the New Zealand Association of Modern Dance local dancers Paige Downard and Hannah Wade of Taupo¯ Academy of Dance made it into the finals and Case MastnyJensen was third overall out of hundreds of dancers who entered nationally.
Dancers selected for NZAMD are invited to spend a day in Lower Hutt at a workshop where they learn a dance that they have to go away and perfect. They are then judged on how they perform it.
Young Taupo¯ dancers Charlie Dickie, Sophie Hunter, Enya Abele, Taryn Drysdale, Holly Taplin and Luella Jensen were also selected to perform in the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s The Nutcracker and have been travelling to Napier each weekend for rehearsals. Their performances will be on in Napier this weekend.
Also performing before a big crowd this Saturday December 8 is Dance Central’s senior performance team who will be taking the stage to perform five routines at Auckland’s Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park event. Taupo¯ Academy of Dance’s end of year concert was held last weekend.
■ Dance Central’s concert