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Three Community Groups Share $15,000 In Prize Grants
Three fantastic community clubs are dancing for joy after sharing $15,000 in grants in Ryman Healthcare’s Love to Dance competition.
Wellington’s Shut Up & Dance, Christchurch’s Bosman Ballet Flow and The New Zealand Spring Arts Association Hamilton won the public vote in the finals and will be able to use the cash to further develop their programmes.
The lucky three made it into the finals from an astonishing 99 entries from all around the country.
Cheyne Chalmers, CEO of Ryman Healthcare New Zealand, said the number of entries reflected what dance means to so many communities.
“The competition was intense and they’re all deserving winners, and the money will be put to good use, I’m sure.
“The competition was an experiment to see what we could do to support grass roots dance in New Zealand. The aim was to support the places where a love of dance begins.
“Love to Dance has proven there’s a wealth of dance talent out there across every genre you can imagine. We’re planning to do it again next year.’’
Bosman Ballet Flow provides adult dance classes in Christchurch, while Shut Up & Dance provides classes across the Wellington region across a range of genres. The NZ Spring Arts Association Hamilton is a Chinese traditional and folk dancing company providing classes and performances.
Ryman’s Love to Dance grants scheme was launched on the back of Ryman’s long association with the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
The aim was to support grass-roots community dance groups, with entries open for organisations across every genre.
Entries ranged from pre-schoolers to seniors and from Scottish dancing to kapa haka and modern ballet.
The top three community dance groups with the most votes set to share $15,000.
The finalists were: Bosman Ballet Flow, Christchurch; Dance Collective Mohua, Takaka; Inclusive Performance Academy, Christchurch; Mafia Dance Company, Hastings; Move It Danceworks, Wellington; New Zealand Competitive Aerobics Federation, Wellington; NZ Spring Arts Association, Hamilton; Shut Up & Dance, Porirua; and Tip Tap Toe Dance/Buzzy Bee Trust, Auckland.
The finalists were decided by a panel of judges, including Ballet Mistress Clytie Campbell of the Royal New Zealand Ballet.
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