200 get their dancing shoes on for festival
Nearly 200 Southlanders are putting on their dancing shoes to compete in the annual Southland Festival of Dance this weekend.
The festival is a celebration of ballroom, Latin and new vogue dancing.
The event is run by Rachel’s Studio of Dance owner Rachel Ferguson, who has been holding the festival for the past nine years.
Ferguson has been teaching school-aged children to dance for free for the last term to give them a new opportunity.
The influx of school children means the festival is the biggest it has ever been with 140 competitors in the schools sections.
‘‘Ballroom dancing had taken a bit of a decline, but here I’ve gone out into the schools and promoted it because that’s the up and coming,’’ Ferguson said.
‘‘That’s where my pupils will come from.’’
As well as the schools event, there are also 50 couples in the competitive section of the competition.
The youngest dancer taking to the stage is aged 2.
Holding the Southland Festival of Dance was a good opportunity for local dancers to dance in their own environment, Ferguson said.
‘‘For my dancers, not to have to travel is a big thing for us. We have to travel to competitions throughout New Zealand and I’ve got two dancers going to Australia.
‘‘It’s a huge expense for them, so to have a big competition like this in our own region is great.’’ Trophies and prizes had been donated by businesses in the community.
The festival was the only dance competition in New Zealand where the competitors could dance for free, and every event got a prize, Ferguson said.
Dancer Vin McIvor said ballroom dancing was something different that not a lot of people got to do.
‘‘I’ve been dancing for 10 years and I look forward to the festival. I practised at 6am this morning to have some last-minute preparations.’’
The Southland Festival of Dance starts at 10am on Saturday at the Gore Town and Country Club Stadium. Tickets are available at the door.