In the Newspaper Again for the Attitude Awards

It's not long now until we fly up to Auckland for the Attitude Awards.

We fly up on Wednesday morning and the awards are on that night.  Salem is really looking forward to the whole experience.  His first "black tie" event.

Attitude Awards finalists: Recognising extraordinary talent

LIAM HYSLOP

November 26 2014

The Attitude Awards acknowledge the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who live with disabilities.

There are seven categories featuring people whose extraordinary talents have often failed to be recognised by the rest of New Zealand.

Sportsmen and women such as Mary Fisher and Sophie Pascoe are nominated, as well as a host of others who do remarkable things while living with intellectual disabilities, physical disabilities or mental health issues.

This year's awards will be held at the Auckland Viaduct Events Centre next Wednesday.

The Attitude Awards, which were first held in 2008, are the only national awards that celebrate achievement in the disability sector across all disabilities. 

To view all of the finalists and vote for them in the People's Choice award, go here.

Salem Foxx - Artistic Achievement Award finalist

As a toddler Salem couldn't communicate with anyone other than by screaming and hitting. But after joining his older brother's dance classes, Salem found his passion and a way to work through the frustrations of living with Asperger's syndrome.

The Kapiti Coast-based 14-year-old has his sights set on an international dance career and combines his love of ballet with contemporary dance, jazz, lyrical, tap and even acrobatic dance.

And he's very good.

The Royal New Zealand Ballet has chosen him four times for their productions and this year the New Zealand School of Dance selected him from a list of hundreds to be one of only three junior associates in contemporary dance.

He also receives private tuition and feedback from New Zealand Ballet royalty Sir Jon and Lady Jacqui Trimmer.

He also writes a blog called Balletboynz, which is read around the world and has been included as resource material by the London Boys Ballet School.He Salem said the blog enabled people to get an insight into how he thought.thinks,.

"It helps people understand how I think and how other people with Asperger's think and how they can understand me a bit more," Salem said..

He got a huge thrill out of performing on stage.

"I really love performing on stage with lots of people watching," he said.

"It's just amazing, it really is."

THE 2014 ATTITUDE AWARD FINALISTS:

Attitude Courage In Sport Award

Tupou Neiufi

Neelam O'Neill

Matthew Weir

Attitude Sport Performer Award

Mary Fisher

Sophie Pascoe

Corey Peters

Attitude Spirit of Attitude Award

Craig Jessop

Pam MacNeill

Julie Woods

Attitude Making a Difference Award

Lyn Cotton

Petronella Spicer

Brendan Tourelle

Attitude Youth Award

Mary Fisher

Jessica Quinn

Jazz Thornton

Attitude ACC Employer Award

Fairfax Media NZ Ltd

Pacific Helmets (NZ) Ltd

Selwyn Cook, SSC Service Stations (licensed retailer for Z Energy, Waikato)

Artistic Achievement Award

Paul Barrett

Salem Foxx

Yaniv Janson

Attitude Junior Award

Nicholas Brockelbank

Muskan Devta

Oceana Olsen

 - Stuff

The BTDA Festival, Auckland 2014 - Salem's Report

This is Salem's report on the British Theatre Dance Association Dance Festival 2014, which he attended as part of the Waikanae Dance School's performance team.
He did this report to the Kapiti Coast Youth Council as he received a $200 Youth Dollars grant from them to help cover his costs to take part in this festival.

Salem’s Trip to the BTDA Festival in Auckland

5^th – 8^th June 2014

At the Youth2U Dollars ceremony

A very big “thank you” to the Kapiti Youth Council for granting me $200 Youth2U Dollars.  This helped me cover the rest of my costs for me to participate as part of the Performance Team for Waikanae Dance School at the British Theatre Dance Association’s dance festival for 2014.

As part of the performance team, I had helped in some of the fundraising activities such as performing at the Waikanae Easter Market, and even performed for the Paraparaumu/Raumati Community Board to get some funding for the team’s trip up to Auckland.  It was a lot of fun.

After all our hard work, I was so excited to go on my first plane flight ever, to Auckland.  I had never been to Auckland before either so it was a weekend full of new experiences.  We stayed at a holiday motel/park was had loads of palm trees which I was very impressed with as we don’t have any, or as many, down this part of the North Island.

I really enjoyed being part of the BTDA dance festival, I met a lot of new people and made plenty of new friends.  It was great to be able to compete against a lot of new people.

The Attitude film crew

I also had a film crew from Attitude Pictures with me.  They had been filming me before this trip, at home in Kapiti, having lessons and me teaching as well.  I got very used to having them around.  It was weird saying good bye to them at the end.  

You can watch my documentary at  http://attitudelive.com/blog/dan-buckingham/documentary-salems-ballet.  Here is the add for the programme on You Tube :

These were the first competitions I had ever danced as part of a duo, a trio, and an acrobatic troupe.

It was also the first time I had competed doing an acrobatic dance solo as I had only started learning acro in term 4 of last year.  I had choreographed my acro solo over the summer holidays and this was my debut performance.

I was up against very experienced and amazing girls, they were all very nice to me too.  I was a bit nervous as to how I would do. 

I received 2^nd Place.  I was very happy with that result.

Practicing for modern trio

My results for the festival were:

   

    1^st Place – Acro Duo

    2^nd Place – Acro Solo

    2^nd Place – Acro Troupe

    Highly Commended – Classical Duo

    Commended – Lyrical Solo

    Commended – Modern Trio

1st Place for Acro Duo

You can see some of my dances from the festival on my You Tube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWosTjBuKQhhucPJMxSK7Xg and I put together a video about my trip to the festival which you can watch at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PhZETQwTcE.

So “Thank You” again to the Kapiti Youth Council and the Youth4U Dollars grant for helping to make this great experience happen for me.  It has been really appreciated.

Salem Foxx

Attitude Awards - People's Choice Award

Hi everyone
I am a finalist in the Attitude Awards for Artistic Achievement for my dancing and choreography. 
I am also in the running for the People's Choice Award.
Please help by voting for me for the Attitude People's Choice Award.
Just go to this link  http://attitudelive.com/votable/salem-foxx and you can vote once every day until the 3rd of December.
It is open to everyone, not just New Zealanders,
Please pass this on.
Thank you

Salem