Dancing revival
By Chrys Ayley
As the dust settles and the nation settles down to life without the glitter and glamour surrounding the popular TV programme Dancing with the Stars, dance schools are noticing an increase in business. Love it or hate it the popular dancing programme attracted record numbers of viewers for the final a couple of weeks ago and the glamour seems to have had a knock on effect with the public. Principal of Supreme Dance, Mike Harris says he cannot think of any other event that reaches so many people and he believes dancing is the most popular sport in New Zealand. He has no doubt that Dancing with the Stars has been good for business. ?Every time it?s on there?s a flood of calls,? he said. ?It?s the best thing to hit dancing in New Zealand ever.? Mr Harris teaches dance in Wellington city and the Northern suburbs and offers Latin American, ballroom and new-vogue plus an Australasian style of sequence dancing. While dancing is mostly about having fun in a traditional way people have to love learning, he said. The inner craving to entertain is still strong although many people suppress it but with dancing ?you can be a star.? As dancers progress they take medal tests and get to perform in public, dress up and feel like they are a star. Linda Reed of Ceroc Dance Kapi-Hutt runs courses in Petone and Pukerua Bay said there is definitely an upsurge of interest after the programme as people get inspired. ?People who have never danced before have the courage to give it a go,? she said. Ceroc is a form of modern jive that is easy to learn and can be done to any type of music and people can go away after the first night knowing four moves. It is a freestyle type of dancing that is achievable and is ?exercise in disguise?. It is fun, the music is neat and it is friendly and you do not need a partner because partners are rotated allowing more experienced dancers to work with less experienced, Ms Reed says. Photo 1: Leonie Henderson of Tawa with Michael Harris during her Bronze New Vogue and Silver Bar Ballroom medal test. Photo supplied by Supreme dance. Photo 2: Rajneil Prasad and Sarah McInally regularly dance ceroc. Photo supplied by Ceroc Dance Kapi-Hutt.
