The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Friday, June 7, 1968 — Bulawayo dancing and school principals and parents of pupils are up in arms over the cancellation of the Matabeleland Ballroom Championships tomorrow.

The president of the Bulawayo Ballroom Dance Teachers’ Association, Mr DHM McKenzie, said the step had been taken on Monday because “people aren’t keen on competing anymore and couples are quarrelling among themselves”.

But Mr Ewen McColl, principal of the Bulawayo School of Dancing, maintained yesterday that the trouble was the insistance on rigid adherences to the new age grouping, which was not practicable in Bulawayo.

The idea is to encourage kids to dance, not make things more difficult for them”, said Mr McColl. “Until 18 months ago they could compete in any age group if they were good enough. Now I’ve had to split up dancers because they don’t fit in the same category.”

Under the new regulations, said Mr McColl, competitors had to fit into three age groupings, nine13, 14-16 and over 17, and there was no flexibility.

“I have a boy of 17 and his sister of 14 who have been dancing together for years whom I’ve had to split up — so neither of them can compete. It’s difficult enough, as it is, to get boys to dance in this country.

McColl said that if the championships had gone ahead he would have been able to enter only five couples instead of about 20 as in the previous years. Then most would have been able to compete in only one or two events, instead of half a dozen.

Overseas they can enter hundreds of competitions a year. Often parents have to travel to Salisbury, say and spend up to 50 pounds for a dress, just for one or two competitions. Parents aren’t willing to do it”.