Summer Fling 2025 Report
The 2025 Summer Fling was held from the evening of Wednesday 15th January to Sunday 19th January at St Margarets College, Christchurch.
There were 180 dancers with many first time entries and lots of families travelling from outside Christchurch to attend.
The tutors were: Lynette Mitchell, Kate Deane, Shelley Easton, Jacqui Seque and Kirsty Allpress (Stretch and choreography.
There were 3 evening workshops including Practcial pilates focusing on building strength for dancers, a practical workshop on the power of stagecraft and presentation, and a General judging workshop.
The Balmoral club awarded scholarships for next year to the following dancers:
Initial - Ella Nortje
Preparatory - Ariana Stevens
Grade One - Ashton Foster
Grade Two - Agnes Buist
Grade Three - Harper McKenzie
Grade Four - Isabelle Aubrey
Grade Five - Sophia Nixon
Elementary - Emily Aubrey
Intermediate - Allie Ward
Advanced - Ruby Tanner
Once again Gail Dodson kindly donated a full scholarship to Summer Fling to the Performers class, this went to Ariana Watkins.
The Katie McDonald Memorial Scholarship donated by Jeanie Borsboom and Cushla Piesse was awarded to Scarlett Watson and the Emily Branje Memoral Scholarship donated by Janine Branje was awarded to Quinn Horrell.
Tauranga Summer School 2025 Report
The Tauranga Highland Dance Summer School was a fantastic success this year. With 43 dancers participating and tutors Mrs Julie Hawke & Miss Brooke Smith, the event showcased great enthusiasm and talent. The programme was divided into 4 dancing groups, 1 performer's dance group, and a large Stretch and Conditioning group. Exam classes covered nearly all Highland exam grades.
The great weather added to the positive atmosphere, and we made full use of the up-to-spec, air conditioned dance studios, ensuring a comfortable and professional learning enivronment. During the dancer's down time, outdoor gazebos provided a perfect shaded retreat, allowing everyone to relax and recharge. The energy and dedication from both our tutors made for a memorable week of dance and learning.
A huge thank you goes out to our wonderful tutors - Julie Hawke and Brooke Smith, for their expertise and dedication, which brough immense value to the four days. Their unwavering work ethic and ability to nurture our youngest dancers whil expertly guiding the older ones made the Summer School run perfectly. Julie, of course, earned the record for the most utterances of the line every dancer dreads: ..... "Just one more time".
By the end of the Summer School, everyone had a 'sore something', a true Summer School measure of success.
Jacinda Hills
BOP Summer School Director
Academy Training Course on Technique (ATTC)
The ATTC is an in depth study of the NZAHND (Inc) Highland and Step Dance syllabuses, conducted in two parts, over two weekends.
Each part of the course will be facilitated by two members of the Technical Committee.
The aim of the course is to give participants greater understanding and knowledge of syllabus requirements by looking at the finer points of exercises, foundation movements, steps and dances as well as musical requirements.
Participants are encouraged to be physically fit, though they do not necessarily have to dance.
After trialling parts of the ATTC for the last two years at conference, we have decided to hold the course over a weekend again.
Date for 2025 - 22nd & 23rd February - Highland syllabus
Venue: Christchurch
Cost $250 for the weekend.
Applications for the February course close on 30 December 2024 to the Secretary:
admin@nzahnd.org.nz with a non refundable deposit of $125. The balance is payable by 30 January 2025.
Executive encourage you to contact the Secretary if you would like to pay by
instalments.
2025 Summer Fling
Summer Fling 2025 - 16th - 19th January
Tutors: Jacqueline Seque, Shelley Easton, Lynette Mitchell, Kate Deane
See resources, downloads for the schedule, entry details and merchandise order form
2024 Conference photos
Photos from 2024 conference now available for viewing and downloading from the Gallery
Highland Dance Company of New Zealand - Port Arlington - Day 8
Today sees our Company disperse as most of us head for home and a few stay on for a little longer in Oz.
A huge thank you to our dancers who have represented our Academy, NZ highland dance, their teachers, parents and themselves with professionalism and outstanding performances. Over the 3 days of the National Celtic Festival Australia Official at Portarlington our girls each performed around 50 dances with Annabel taking the prize with an astonishing 62 dances! (That didn’t include the rehearsals on Thursday and Friday morning) Amazing mahi by our dancers…girls, you were awesome!
Thanks also to our guest performers, Sara and little Annabelle. You were both stars and added an extra dimension weaving our show together.
Grateful thanks to the parents and family who travelled to support us, we loved having you there to cheer us on and a special thanks to Jenna for all the help behind the scenes.
Thank you to our Academy Exec, Dance Co management team and Raewyn for your assistance, organization and support in making these opportunities available to our dancers.
And finally, sincere thanks to Una, Amanda and the crew at National Celtic Festival Australia for your invitation and hospitality…we had a blast!
Stay tuned for videos of performances still to come!
Robyn and Julie
Highland Dance Company of New Zealand - Port Arlington Festival - Day 7
Yesterday we enjoyed a well earned sleep in before we meet in the hotel lobby to sing Siara Happy Birthday. Happy 18th Birthday Siara!
We then headed to the Victoria markets for breakfast where we enjoyed fresh croissants and coffee.
After breakfast we all did some shopping at the markets before heading off for some more shopping around the city.
We meet in the hotel lobby later in the afternoon for show and tell of all our shopping before going to the Princess Theatre to see the musical Sunset Boulevard, it was a wonderful way to end our Melbourne trip.
Jenna & Annabelle
Highland Dance Company of New Zealand - Port Arlington Festival - Day 6
Today we took the ferry from Portarlington back to Melbourne, where we dropped our bags off and went our different ways - some to Luna Park and others to Chadstone shopping mall.
At Luna Park we rode a wild range of rides that brought out all the emotions, and at Chadstone we shopped till we dropped.
Dinner was a special treat at Ginza Teppanyaki, where we played some fun games with our food.
After that we went to an escape room where the Cabin Crew + Little Annabelle innihilated the Young House Hooligans.
Our day ended with a sweet treat from a local ice cream shop then we headed off to bed
Ella & Rachel
