Monday, October 20, 2014

Salem wins a Pride Award


Salem giving his speech.


Great news, Salem won the Senior Creative Achievement and Innovation Award at the Pride Awards yesterday which were held at the Paramount Theatre yesterday in Wellington.

The Pride Awards recognise and celebrate the successes, achievements and contributions of young people in the Wellington region.


Before the awards.


Salem was absolutely thrilled especially as he wasn't expecting to win and to make it more special for him, his award was presented to him by Amanda Skoog who is the managing director of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.

Salem made a great speech, he was very confident and looked great in a suit and tie.


He really can't help himself :-)


Salem received a trophy, a framed certificate and a travel voucher from The InterIslander, which is fantastic as Salem has never been down to the South Island yet, and a gift card from Westfield.

It was a great event, plenty of entertainment and food afterwards.

All the award winners truly deserved their awards, all very inspirational young people.


You can do acrobatics in a suit.


A big thank you to the Pride Awards Trust!!!!!  http://prideawards.org.nz/.

Check out their facebook page too https://www.facebook.com/ThePrideAwardsTrust.

Well done Salem!!!!!!


Monday, October 13, 2014

Passion for dance pays off - News Paper Article


Top attitude: Kapiti dancer Salem Foxx is a finalist
in the artistic category of the Attitude Awards.

A teenage Kapiti dancer thriving despite the challenges of Asperger's Syndrome is among a small field of national finalists in the Attitude Awards.
The awards celebrate New Zealanders with a disability who are achieving excellence in their fields, and Salem Foxx, 14, has been named in the Artistic Achievement category.
"It's really exciting, and the recognition is good," he said.
Salem lives and breathes dance, especially ballet, and practices for two hours, six days a week, including weekly private classes with celebrated Royal New Zealand Ballet veterans Jon and Jacqui Trimmer.
"It is my life. I want people to know that boys dance too," he said.
Salem's mother Michelle Foxx said having Asperger's Syndrome meant Salem faced challenges communicating, and sometimes his enthusiasm had been misread for "naughtiness", so he was now home schooled.
As a toddler, he would communicate by hitting and screaming, but from an early age he made it clear he wanted to dance, she said.
"When I was really little my older brother did dance classes and I just wanted to get up and go into class and so as soon as I was old enough I did," Salem said.
"It was a mission to keep him off the dance floor," Michelle Foxx said.
"Often we would have to leave the studio, and it's been all go ever since."
"He loves it; it's his passion, it's what he loves doing, and why not have that as his profession, and if he can he'll be a good role model to others, to show that it's not a girly thing."
Earlier this year Salem was accepted into the New Zealand School of Dance junior associate programme in contemporary dance.
He was one of only three young dancers chosen for the development programme from throughout New Zealand.
He has also collected a haul of top prizes from dance competitions, and top exam results, and performed in four Royal New Zealand Ballet productions.



Salem had also become a role model for many others through social media, which connected him to other ballet enthusiasts worldwide, Michelle Foxx said.
His blog balletboynz had about 18,000 readers, he has about 3.5 million connections on Google Plus, and 47 YouTube dance videos loaded, she said.
"Lots of young boys see it, and they are inspired to keep on dancing, even if it's other types of dance, and kids actually try to copy his dances."
Salem's blog has also been included as resource material for dancers at the London Boys Ballet School.
This year Salem had also been named as a provisional finalist in the senior Creative Achievement and Innovation Award in the Pride Awards, and for the last three years had received a Variety Gold Heart Scholarship, which allowed him to fund his lessons and competitions.
He has also entered the AMP Do Your Own Thing People's Choice Scholarship, which is decided by public votes.
To vote for him, visit Support Salem Foxx on Facebook, by October 13.
Videos of all the Attitude Award finalists will be screened on TVOne at 8.30am on October 26, and the final category winners will be announced at a black-tie ceremony in Auckland, on December 3.
KAROLINE TUCKEY
- Kapiti Observer

Saturday, October 11, 2014

Star Search Finals 2014


You can spot his red boots from miles away


On Friday it was the finals of the Star Search talent competition at Coastlands Mall.
It was another opportunity for Salem to perform "Robin Hood" again.
Heaps of people were there and Salem had a blast.

He didn't get anywhere, but he never expected to, he just had fun entertaining people.
Well done to the winner and the second and third placed performers.

What was really nice is that a dance teacher came up to us after Salem had performed and said that he was really good and well done.

Later this month Salem has his last dance competition of the year.  There are actually two on at the same time, one ballet and the other modern, we decided on the modern one in Upper Hutt as he wants to debut his new tap dance and he will get to do his new jazz dance "White Trash" for the second time, plus get to do his "Cotton Eye Joe" acro dance again.

Today Salem was at the New Zealand School of Dance for the last Associate Weekend of the year.
He came home late tonight hungry and tired but all set for doing it again tomorrow.
He will sleep well tonight!!!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

It's that time of the year again - Star Search 2014


With his certificate for making it into the finals.


It was Star Search time up at Coastland's today.  It doesn't really seem like that long ago that he entered last years one.  This year's offering is "Robin Hood".
The stage was tiny so Salem had to make a few little changes to his dance which worked out very well.


Juniors and Seniors waiting for the results


He was up against singers, musicians and one other dancer.
One of the judges was an old ballet teacher of his.
She said some nice things about his performance.


Salem with Liam from Judith Fuge Dance School


Salem, along with two others, made it into the senior finals which are being held on Friday.  So he gets to perform again which he is looking forward to doing.  He doesn't care if he gets anywhere or not, he just loves performing.


Being presented his certificate