NZ Amateur & Professional Ballroom & Latin American Dance Championships

Saturday 30 July 2005

Welcome everyone to the NZ Amateur and Professional Ballroom and Latin American Dance Championships. A special welcome to those who have travelled from overseas.

Thanks to "Dancing with the Stars" on TV this year, Ballroom and Latin American dance has never had such high profile in New Zealand. It was an amazing year when we found an ex All Black was not just a twinkle toes on the rugby field but also on the dance floor.

It’s 9 years since the last time Christchurch hosted a New Zealand National championships. It is gratifying to see a big increase in numbers from just 97 entries last year to 161 this year.

Dancers are to be admired for their skill and for the immense amount time, effort and dedication and training into putting on a top performance, and as the father of daughters who have studied Irish dancing I also have lots of empathy for the amount of time and energy put in by supporters and adjudicators.

This is the first time that juvenile and junior competitors have been included as supporting events. Given they are very much the future, it is great to see them included as both dancers and spectators and I am sure they will be motivated to higher things because of what they see and learn at these championships.

Everyone will be inspired by the top demonstration couple, Jonathon and Katusha. They are outstanding performers and who ranked third in the world and are the reigning show dance champions.

I take great pleasure in declaring the New Zealand Amateur and Professional Ballroom and Latin Dance Sports Championships open.