Nanaimo Ballroom Dance Silver Society Slipper Volume 2 Issue 1 February 1997 cheering and yelling out the numbers of their Snowball Classic favourite teams which added much joy and his year’s Snowball was expanded to 2 excitement to the whole evening. T days. It was held at the Grand Ballroom Other than one children couple competing, we on Friday, January 24, 1997 and at the Hyatt also had two Newcomer couples and one Bronze Regency Hotel on Saturday, January 25, 1997. couple who all did very well. Our One of the reasons for the other children couple Zillion expansion was that Snowball was Wong and Michaela Konecny running more competition events had to withdraw from the this year. Not only was there a competition due to an illness new category for children, suffered by Michaela. Snowball also hosted the 1997 Canadian Open Amateur Senior The major competition events Standard competition as well as were all held on Saturday at the the 1997 Canadian Open Amateur Hyatt Regency Hotel. The 10 Dance competition. ballroom was bustling with both spectators and dancers in the early Friday was an evening event only morning hours. The day started at 8:00 a.m. with with competitions for children in the Juvenile the first competition event scheduled at 9:00 a.m. (under 12 years), Junior (12 to 15 years) and The preliminary rounds from Silver to Youth (16 to 18 years) categories and for adults in Championship levels were all danced in the the Newcomer (limited to couples who have never daytime with the finals to be danced in the competed or had only competed once before) and evening. The daytime rounds ended at around Bronze levels. 4:30 p.m. which gave the spectators and dancers a The evening was sold out with more than 200 break before the evening got under way. spectators in attendance filling the Grand The evening brought a capacity crowd with over a Ballroom to its brim. The children all looked thousand people in attendance. There were sharp and captivating with the boys dressed competitors from all corners of the globe smartly in their white shirts, bow ties and dark including Germany, Italy, Norway, England, pants and the girls in their feathered ballroom U.S.A., Hong Kong and Canada. The Canadian gowns and fancy Latin outfits. Although most of contenders consisted of competitors from British the children competitors had been dancing for just Columbia, Quebec, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, over a year and our Nanaimo children couple for Ontario and our neighbouring Province of only 4 months, they had no trouble maneuvering Alberta. The Championship competition was a their way around other couples on the dance floor show in itself. The competitors were and at the same time showing the grace and mesmerizing the crowd with their exquisite and confidence of experienced dancers. The long sensuous moves in the Latin dances and with their evening did not seem to exhaust the children, extraordinary smoothness in the Standard dances. when they were not on the floor, they would be 2 Silver Slipper Congratulations to the British Columbia Amateur Our children couples consisted of Darryl Wong Dancesport Association for presenting such a and Robyn-Lynn Ponferrada (Junior) and superb show. It was indeed a World Class event. Zillion Wong and Michaela Konency (Juvenile). The results of the Nanaimo couples who With over 10 couples in the Junior events, semi- competed at the Snowball were as follows: finals had to be run. Our Junior couple did very well but were unable to place. Our Juvenile Darryl Wong and Robyn-Lynn Ponferrada (4th couple, Zillion and Michaela, came home with 3 Place in Junior Standard; 5th Place in Junior medals placing 1st in Newcomer Juvenile Latin, Latin; Winners of the Most Sportsmanship 2nd in both Bronze Juvenile Standard and Latin. Award). Way to go, Darryl, Robyn, Zillion and Michaela! Rob Creese and Jane Garcia (3rd Place in Keep it up and who knows, you might be our Newcomer Standard; Semi-Finalists in Newcomer future Olympians. Latin). Dave Lorette and Keni Lorette (Semi-Finalists Executive Meeting in Newcomer Standard). he executives have had a meeting on T Sunday, February 23, 1997. The following Bruce Joiner and Marilyn Metcalf-Joiner is a summary of some of the issues discussed: (Semi-Finalists in Bronze Standard and Latin). - Roy Thomson, our elected director and bar David Duncan and Evelyn Matthews (Semi- coordinator has resigned due to other personal Finalists in Pre-Championship Standard). commitment. Chester Scott has agreed to step in Well done, couples! We are all very proud of to replace Roy Thomson as the bar coordinator. your accomplishment. Thank you Chester, you are a gem. - Ed Hong, our music coordinator, has purchased Bal de Prestige 12 new CD(s) for our Society and some of them he Bal de Prestige was presented by the were played at our last Friday night dance on T Canadian Dance Teachers Association February 21, 1997. (CDTA). It was held at Hotel Vancouver on - John Maher, our vice-president, has prepared Saturday, March 1, 1997. The difference between the first draft of a manual outlining the different this event and most of the other competition job description of the various committees in events was that all competitions were run in the connection with the operation of our Society’s daytime which leaves the evening for people to routine functions. You will be given a copy when relax and enjoy. There was a dinner, lots of it is finalized. general dancing and a fabulous and exciting show - There was a discussion regarding our current performed by the 4 times United States Rhythm inventory, like what do we have and where are Champions, Bob Powers and Julia Gorchakova. they kept? Since executives come and go and Originally, CDTA did not intend to run a different people take up different positions each children’s event. However, I am very happy that year, it would be best that inventory (like records, they had decided to add the children’s event after files, foodstuff, liquor, decorations, videos, books, the idea was suggested to the Co-Chairperson of supplies etc.) be passed to the new board of the Organizing Committee. I am also very executives each year by the retiring executives grateful to them for scheduling the children’s (e.g. all foodstuff to food committee, all financial events in the afternoon so as to enable our records to treasurer, all decorations to children couples and their families enough time to entertainment committee, membership list to travel to Vancouver on the morning of the phoning committee etc.). So, we need your help competition, and not have to incur extra expenses in compiling this list of inventory. If you have of staying overnight. anything stored at your house which belongs to 3 Silver Slipper the Society, please make a list of each item and Tickets may be obtained from Nelson Wong at their quantity as soon as possible and hand the 758-7007. Ticket prices are $45.00 for front row list in to Dave Lorette, our secretary. (already sold out) and $37.50 for second row. Arrangements will be made with you at a later date for the items to be transferred to the current executives for safekeeping until the next AGM. Did You Know hat taping of our Island Fantasy Ball was not - Demonstration/Formation Team - for those T only shown on Vancouver Island, it was also members, singles or couples, who are interested in shown on the community channels in Vancouver performing as a team and willing to make a and as far away as in Toronto. Hey, not bad for a commitment to regular practices, please sign up Nanaimo event! by March 21, 1997 with Jim Beaman, who will be our temporary demonstration coordinator until a replacement is found for Robert Creese who has Editor’s Notes also resigned. Auditions may be held to limit the wish to apologize for the delay in having the number, a registration fee may be charged and all I first issue of our newsletter published. When team members are responsible for the cost and the I took on the job last year, I did not intend to carry making of their own uniform. on the job for another year. However, as no one was willing to stand for the position at the AGM, I was asked to do it again. If there is anyone in Island Fantasy Ball our membership who wishes to take over this job, ickets are now on sale for our 5th Island please let me know. T Fantasy Ball which will be held on “Saturday, May 3, 1997” . This year we are Also, if anyone has anything interesting or dull bringing a Finnish Latin couple, Jukka you wish to share with our membership, please Haapalainen and Sirpa Suutari, to perform a Latin submit them to me. show at our ball. With the retirement of the current World Professional Latin Champions, UK Champions Donnie Burns and Gaynor Fairweather, the 2nd To bring you up to date on the World events, the ranked couple, Bryan Watson and Karen Hardy following is a list of the Champions at the most became the number one contender in the World. recent UK Open. However, at last month’s French Open Rising Star Professional Modern Competition our performing couple, Jukka and Sirpa defeated Bryan and Karen to take the 1. Massimo Giorgianni - Alessia Manfredini French Open title. Other titles which Jukka and (Italy) Sirpa hold are the Finnish Professional Latin 2. Tony Dokman - Amanda Owen (England) American Champions and all England, Star and Imperial Latin American Champions.