PNDA Comps Results

Palmerston North Dance Association

Competition Results

28^th - 30^th March 2014

Salem won the Lauren McMillian Cup for the Highest mark in Restricted National Character Dance 12 years and over.

And the Palmerston North Dance Association Throphy for the Most Promising

Senior Dancer.

Krakowiak

Salem did extremely well at the PNDA Restricted and Impromptu Competitions over the weekend. It was his first lot of competitions this year so it was a nice way to get back into it.

It was a long weekend and Salem was very tired by the end as he had seven dances on Sunday, the final day.

Robin Hood

He had entered the impromptu dances along with many of his own dances, all of which he had choreographed himself.

He also debuted his new demi-character dance “Robin Hood” which was well received and got a first placing.

This dance is absolutely hilarious and I think it took everyone by surprise.

Ballet Impromptu

Salem also was awarded first place for his Krakowiak national character dance and the trophy also for highest marks for national character.

He was thrilled as he had spent a lot of time researching and then choreographing this dance.

Getting ready for the Jazz Impromptu.

The results from the weekend are:

1st Place – National Character

                 Demi-character

2nd Place – Barefoot

                  Modern Jazz

3rd Place – Variation

                  Lyrical

                  Impromptu Modern Jazz

                  Impromptu Ballet

VHC – Impromptu Barefoot

HC – Impromptu Contemporary

C – Impromptu Lyrical

Salem and Della - Waikanae Dance School

Salem really enjoyed having other dancers from his dance school there and being able to watch them perform, some for the first time on a big stage.

He has more competitions coming up, Rosewood next weekend and then DanceArt the weekend after that. Then he has a short break with lots more planned.

It's busy, busy, busy!!!!!!!!!!

Fun Practicing In A Kilt

Well it's off to Palmerston North tomorrow for the Palmerston North Dance Associations competitions tomorrow.
Salem had his last practice today going over all his dances that he will be doing and had some impromptu practice which is always lots of fun.

Over the last few weeks Salem has been practicing his James variation from La Sylphide Act II wearing a kilt.  It is a very heavy man's kilt, all wool tartan, very hot to dance in.

So Salem has gotten used to dancing in it and for the last couple of practices, he has been wearing the heavy woolen jacket as well.  Poor boy is covered in sweat after doing this short dance.

He will be performing this variation up at Palmerston North this weekend.
He has had a lot of fun dancing in the kilt, loves doing pirouettes and chaines in it!!!!!

Should be a great weekend competing against new people and making new friends.
Wish us luck!!!!

Robin Hood and Palmerston North Comps

Robin Hood

Yep, it's that time of the year when competitions start up again.
Salem has been busy choreographing more dances which brings his total up to 11 dances which are choreographed by himself.

He will be debuting his new demi-character dance "Robin Hood" this weekend at at Palmerston North Dance Association Competitions at the Regent Theatre, Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North.  He will be up there with other dancers from Waikanae Dance School.
Salem will be performing on all three days so if you are up that way, check him out.

Robin Hood riding through the glen......

I have made him a Robin Hood costume including green tights and his horse which we call "Truffles" ;-)
Actually he had grown out of all his costumes except for his Krakowiak costume so all costumes are new and look fantastic!!!!!!!!
I still have to sew up some more tights/leggings for him though.

It will be interesting to see what people think of this new dance, Jonty keeps laughing every time Salem practices it in front of him.  It is a very funny dance.

We will put it up on You Tube when we get back from Palmerston as we want it to be a surprise up there.

A Quick Catch-up No.3 - The last one....Choreography and today's lessons.

On our way home tonight after classes.

Yay, Salem's tap shoes arrived this afternoon but of course after he had already left for today's lessons.  So I made sure that I got them to him before his tap class.  He was thrilled and they were a perfect fit.  Sorry I forgot to take a photo of him wearing them.

Today he had his Intermediate lesson, and then instead of going to the performance troupe's practice, he stayed at the studio and worked on his twelve competition dances.  Only one of the dances isn't his own choreography.  He has been a busy boy creating more of his own dances.

So far this term he has choreographed a contemporary dance - "In the Shadows", a demi-character - "Robin Hood" and a neo-classical - "Cold".  He has been doing Siegfried's variation from Swan Lake Act III for a while but felt it was too rigid so has done his own choreography for it which is really great.  It is part of his BTDA dance journal work to look at a ballet, he chose Swan Lake, study it, it's history, the story and look at the choreography and suggest changes.  Well, he wrote down the whole choreography of the variation which was taught to him by Shannon Dawson at one of the Boy's Ballet Classes with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.  Created his own version and wrote the whole choreography for that.  It was very impressive.

This is his new contemporary dance "In the Shadows", it is very different to his old contemporary dance "Du Hast" when he was with KDC.  He has worked on it a lot since this was filmed.

He didn't go to troupe practice as the others were working on their older dances as they are off to comps in two weeks time.
Yes, it's comp time again.  Salem will be doing six of of his solos and five impromptus.
And it will be his first time at comps out of the Wellington region.
We are off to the Palmerston North Dance Association's Restricted and Open Impromptu Competition which will be held at the Regent Theatre in Broadway Avenue, Palmerston North on Friday 28th - Sunday 30th March 2014.
He is dancing on all three days so we will be staying up there in a hotel and making it a bit of a holiday. Salem has never been to Palmerston North.
Looking forward to it!!!!!!!