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SOBHD 60 yr Anniversary Assemble and Leap Article

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IN THE BEGINNING…

ScotDance New Zealand began with a powerful conversation between future members, socialising at a conference in 1999. This would change the face of Highland Dancing in New Zealand forever.

OUR BACKGROUND

For decades, individuals throughout NZ, many of whom are SDNZ members today, had been trying to initiate changes to the structure of NZ dancing with one goal in mind; simply to dance to the same standard as the Worldwide Governing Body, the SOBHD. Qualifications gained within NZ were internal only and the dancing so vastly different in style and technique that it was unrecognisable to the rest of the highland world. Up until ten years ago, this was the only choice for parents who wanted their child to do Highland Dancing in NZ.

Despite this difference, the governing body of NZ, (who once held a membership with the Board), and the SOBHD, were in constant communication to try to bridge an ever widening gap. Inevitably communications would always break down with Scotland because NZ would not concede control of Highland Dancing to the international board resulting in the membership being withdrawn Crucial time passed with no progress. This became frustrating for many who knew that NZ dancing was stagnating with no outside stimulus. The world had opened up with travel, technology and communications yet NZ had chosen to remain in isolation.

We knew if change was to happen in our life time, and if true freedom of choice was to exist for NZ dancers, the only way forward was to form a breakaway organisation. This was the conversation at the conference in 1999, which proved to be a turning point.

It may be of interest to fellow SOBHD members to know that the same personal struggle had gone on many years before. New Zealand Author Ewen McCann relates his story.

www.highlanddancinghistory.org



THE WINDS OF CHANGE

With a new century fast approaching, the time was right for a fresh start and to formulate a growing exchange of ideas. Overseas travel had given us exposure to SOBHD in other countries, and an appreciation for the technique which to us was more aesthetically pleasing, musically superior and more anatomically correct than what we had experienced in the New Zealand system.

We knew if we were to join the rest of the world that we had to show our commitment. Board textbooks were purchased, opened and studied furiously and self training began. At this time there were very few qualified people within NZ, so re-training and up-skilling was done by phone calls, emails and supporting one another. Overseas friends were called upon for their expertise and knowledge.
Old habits had to be shed and replaced with new terminologies. Affiliations grew strong and determination never wavered. It was an extraordinary bonding time for everyone.

The United Kingdom Alliance offered us the breakthrough of an examiner to sit our highland and national exams so that memberships could become qualifications. With new credentials under our belts, it was time to take the next step…

In January 2001, we met and formed an organisation…ScotDance New Zealand was born. We began to pursue and cultivate contacts throughout the world for input to help shape our constitution to present to the SOBHD, including elections of officers, logos, incorporation of our organisation and mission statements.

Whilst creating this new organisation, teachers began to include board technique at competitions in NZ. This sent the country into turmoil. Nowhere in the existing rules did it state the type of technique to be performed on the NZ stage, yet former champions were overlooked and penalised by judges in favour of far inferior dancers. This placed a huge strain on all involved and we once again make reference to many years before in regards to William Sutherland and his tumultuous years. www.highlanddancinghistory.org The same prejudice had reared its ugly head decades later. During this period it became obvious that a split was inevitable and that our dancers needed to belong to an organisation that would accept their technique worldwide. It was now time to contact the board in Scotland. SDNZ issued an official invitation to the Board’s hierarchy to visit NZ. This invitation was accepted; the stage was set.

THAT MAGICAL MOMENT

At our first ever formal meeting with the SOBHD held in Auckland October 2002, SDNZ made a ground-setting presentation to our guests Miss Shendl Russell and Miss Marjory Rowan . Along with our constitution we formally applied to the board to become an Associate Member, to be recognised as the official body within our country.

For the integration to be a success, SDNZ also asked for dispensations to the existing SOBHD rules. We pleaded for support to take the necessary steps required to get “On Board” and proposed some internal policies be initiated. This included a two-year dispensation for dancers, teachers and adjudicators known within NZ as “The Dual Membership System”. This meant dancers and teachers could remain in the existing NZ system and still be SOBHD without incurring penalty, for a period of two years. To enable our country to begin its growth, NZ qualified judges were able to judge SOBHD competitions within NZ only. The importance of this time allocation was to give us a chance to strengthen internal structures. SOBHD competition organisers were able to be created and teachers and dancers gained confidence in the new technique. The National dances were completely new to NZ and the jigs and hornpipes vastly different. Uniforms and Outfits needed to be purchased. The lack of NZ SOBHD qualified judges meant that the international exam needed to be taken and time given to study. The Board, in its foresight, granted Associate membership and the dispensation and understood the reason for the timeframe. It was a magical moment for SDNZ members, years of thoughts and ideas had finally become a reality. We had perservered and were now truly a part of an international dancing arena.

MISSION STATEMENT

BUILDING BLOCKS
Working the dual system became a very busy and interesting time. Part of the dispensation meant that the Board controlled every thing within NZ and approved all administrative matters. All dancers had to be registered via Scotland. For dancers making the change-over, to the Board, a full description of their previous achievements had to be forwarded with their registration application. Scotland made all decisions regarding the necessary grade of all dancers based on information supplied. All programmes needed to be sent to Scotland and all monies paid direct to Scotland. It was an intense learning curve, the vast distance between the countries making communication often hard. For the two countries, Day was night, Winter was Summer, Holidays were different and the Sterling pound was triple!. However knowledge increased and by the time the dual system ended, SDNZ had learnt vast amounts.
Our first NZ registered Board competition went ahead on 2nd January 2003, at one of the oldest NZ Highland Games, the Waipu Highland Games. Just as a High A across on the piping board, was the same as a High A in Scotland, here were our dancers competing on the board performing the same technique as Scotland. Following this, SOBHD competition organisers appeared throughout NZ. The formation of new societies to run competitions became another learning curve for us. Committees needed to be formed and constitutionalised. Funds to establish cups and costs needed to be built. SDNZ members made every effort to support all competition areas to help organisers to make a success of their day. All competition organisers had to be approved through the Board and a term of three years holding competitions had to be completed before organisations could request Championships.

PIC: WAIPU GAMES MASS HIGHLAND FLING

In Easter 2006, the first registered Championship was held in New Plymouth and in 2007 the first SOBHD NZ Championship title was competed for. The standard of NZ dancers has always been commented on by overseas teachers and examiners and NZ prides itself on this knowledge. From the onset it has been our practise to invite and to learn from those International Teachers, Judges and Examiners who have visited our shores. We have always been eager to learn and to listen as they have imparted their wealth of knowledge over the years and to those individuals we thank you sincerely for your assistance and friendship.

HOMEGROWN WORLD CHAMPIONS

For many years before, NZ dancers had trickled into Scotland to face the challenge of converting their style to compete internationally. In 1966, Sandra Wright, a New Zealander, became the first NZ dancer to win a World Championship. This set NZ on the map as a country of Highland Dancers. Years later, Morgan Bamford was to follow becoming one of the youngest dancers ever to win a World Championship title and her achievement has continued on to date, winning 4 Juevenile World Championships and 2 times Junior World Championship.