It was lovely to get the results so quickly from BLACKPOOL. Thanks Jay. Two of our professionals, Doug Clark and Sharon Robinson were there for this great occasion. They make a point of going every year and having been going since the 80`s. we are looking forward to their return at the end of the month to get all the details.

Cheers for now

CHERIE
Zimbabwe.

Ed
I too am very disappointed that Avril Bennett hasn't yet made it her priority to reply to those scathing attacks on her re the dress code at the Carousel. I'm quite surprised she hasn't, because soon after Savra's letter was published Avril phoned me to explain her side of what happened. We spoke for close to an hour, and the things she said should definitely have been published, not only for the sake and good of the sport but also in defence of the officials. What puzzles me the most is that she promised implicitly to reply, and I expressly told Avril not to delay her answer - it's URGENT.

Since Avril does not enjoy the luxury of email, I emailed her your reply to Savra's letter via Alan Sasnovski on 25 May 2000. Alan answered promptly, saying he'll deliver. Let's be patient (or we'll become patients). I'm sure she will still write. I have also contacted Vivier Nel in Cape Town (secretary of FEDANSA) who promised to send me the amended rules soon, and I'll be on him, and all concerned, until we get the rules. These I feel should appear on the net with every amendment - our dancers haven't a clue of what the constitution states. The rules need to be published. Every dancer should have a copy, or access to a copy, it's imperative, it's their constitutional right.

Cherie, as an official, you know how hard these people work, and they do it voluntarily, and despite what many think, they try to do their best in the fairest possible way. But that's not always how the dancer and the spectator see it. I said to Avril, if ever I had to take sides between the dancer/spectator and the official, I'd incline more towards the official. The official has been there many time, has more mileage, more experience, more expertise. In every sport you'll get the odd unscrupulous official, but mostly all officials are appointed for their knowledge, honesty, reliability and hard-working capacity.

Every unanswered letter by an official is tantamount to Hansie Cronje's match fixing - it's a BLATANT BLUNDER and a shame to the sport and their country. If dancers don't write when they are incensed, and I know hundreds of them, then that's their problem, but when an official remains mute to a public rebuke, then that's like making a spade and digging your own grave with it. At present, we have too many unattended graves in our dance yard. Thanks to the likes of Cherie, we at least sweep the graveyard clean on the odd occasion.

Cherie, here's an example of grave-sweeping. It appeared in Boet Joubert's recent letter, and it's well worth repeating, "As a social dancer, I personally enjoy the talk and discussion side most. Some might not like it, but I do, and most of my dancing friends think it's the best thing on your site. Here I must compliment Cherie from Zim. She not only says what she feels, but also takes a lot of trouble in answering questions. Thank-you Cherie, we appreciate what you are doing."  See Cherie! we've got more friends than foe, at least one more.

Another "No Reply". In May 2000 Mareli Schröter of Tanz Café published this letter "Accusation of Pupil Pirating; Tanz Café, Not Guilty" Her complaint was that the Arthur Murray School of Dancing in Rivonia accused her of pupil pirating. Before publishing her letter, I thought, "Jay, be a nice guy, I know it's difficult, but be a nice guy" So, I emailed Mareli's letter to Jimmy Sullivan the head of AM, merely as a graceful gesture for his defence. I received a blank mail return from him without an attachment, so I assumed that's what he thinks of the whole episode. Officials never have the time to reply to accusations until it gets real messy, then they have lots of time to write pages and pages.

The grapevine tells me that the numbers at the comps are dwindling, so there could be some truth in your, "It appears that what was becoming an up and coming sport in Africa is now fading fast. The interest is no longer there, WHY!!!" Maybe a few knowledgeable spectators or dancers will supply a couple of answers to this one. I say that the sponsors don't find dancing as lucrative or as popular as everyone claims it to be. My poignant and wonderful suggestions earlier this year, regarding the need for steroids and a few lethal thunder crackers being placed under the you-know-where-the-sun-don't-shine of those in control of our sport was summarily dismissed as drivel. A pity, it could have revolutionised dancing in this country.

Presently, DISA receives more letters and interaction from dancers than ever before, and paradoxically, many more read the info now than previously, and the numbers are increasing daily. For the old schoolers, the hard copy of DISA was a convenient way of reading a little, putting it down and picking it up later to finish. It could also be easily distributed and shared by the poorer sector of the dance community.

The reason why DISA on the web has become so popular, is that I keep it freshly updated all the time, and constantly change it to make it quicker and easier for visitors to find what they are looking for. At the moment a few  pages are still a bit cluttered with a mixture of items, but as the site develops, these will become classified, i.e. shoes with shoes, dresses with dresses, social schools with social schools, etc.

Thanks for your input, and don't worry, we'll get what we need and want published. My site will soon outgrow those who shy away from answering important questions or furnishing valuable info.

Take Care

regards

CHARLOTTE

Ed
Thanks for the info. I have written to Ellen asking for the results, hope she responds. This is what I said; "Hi Ellen, Charlotte Blignaut of 'Jewels of the Nile' gave me your email address. She said the SA's were held recently and that you could give me the results for my website DanceInfo SA. I try to, in the interest of dance, cover as many dance forms as possible.

Your help will be greatly appreciated

Thanks, Jay

Charlotte, I don't know whether you have noticed, but I have disabled your page, and have given your free space to another Belly dancer who is apparently benefiting because only two Belly dance studios can be accessed, so they are the ones who get the full coverage. "Jewels of the Nile" is now an inactive name on my site, which is bad news - it is time for you to register, don't you think? My site gives its visitors a choice of studios and businesses to select from. If they can't get into your page, they can't compare or see where your jewels lie.

Incidentally, if any of your readers are interested in appearing in our show - 9/12 August they are welcome to e-mail me or fax.

A bit of history from the past. Back in the past when we ran comps on Noah's Ark, our top professional couple was Joan Turner and Aubrey Noble. Joan actually passed away about a year ago. A fantastic teacher and she trained me to become undefeated junior champion.

Our top Old-time couple was Freda and Denis Johnson, When Freda took the floor all eyes were on
her. She is still teaching. In later years top spot in Old-time belongs to Danie and Sandie Roux. Top amateurs in the past included Chooks and Edie Cambell, Pat and Aubrey Burgess, Ken Lightley and Emily Jones, Paddy and Iris McNamara, Bill and Daphne Logan, the Morgans, Tommy and Alice Watson, and many others.

In those days they also had a mixed section - Amateur dancing with a Professional. My teacher at that time - Isabelita - suggested that we enter. We actually won, beating the likes of Joan Turner and Ray Stobbs.

Top teachers in the old days were Joan Turner, Billie Dean, Isabelita, Dorothy Warren, Ewen McColl, Doug McKenzie. Competitions in those days were organised by the Rhodesian branches of S.A.D.T.A and R.D.T.A. and the Bulawayo Ballroom Dancers Assn.

On turning adult, I teamed up with Cherie and we won the Novice, then Pre-champ and were finalists in the top amateur section. Turned Professional and were runners up. We then gave up.

In later years our eldest daughter Sherryl became Junior champion and then our son Rodney became a Junior champion. Later on Sherryl's daughter Taryn became a talented dancer but has now started aerobics and after only 3 months won a silver medal in the National championships.

So much for the past - the good old days and we had some wonderful demonstrations by couples from overseas due in the main to our links with S.A.D.T.A. who used to include us in their tours when they brought couples out from over the ocean,

Keep well.

Ken Scott (CHAIRMAN)

Ed
The incorrigible Bushman is on, and your page brands a spanking new colourful look, logo and all. By the way Ken, I couldn't find a Bushman anywhere in Africa, it had to be imported from over the Atlantic.

I hope SA dancers will take up your offer to join you August 9-12 in your show. It might be a problem, since many in the RSA are a little concerned about happenings up yonder in your region of Africa.

Thanks for the Bulawayo history. I know many readers will find it interesting. When I read stories of the past, two things happen, I'm filled with a feeling of nostalgia, and it reminds me of how quickly time flies by. I've added the history part to your page as a profile reference.

Thanks for writing and here's your webpage address for ref. :

http://www.oocities.org/danceinfosa/disastukenscott.html

While I enjoy your website I have to admit that I do not have the time to go into it and as such I never go into it. The hard copy of Dance Info, I regret having to tell you, was a magazine that one could sit back at leisure and enjoy at any time. If I couldn't read it in one go I could pick it up at any time.

I hear that the main reason for discontinuing the hard copy was because of another dance magazine coming onto the market. To date I haven't seen a copy even though I have searched for it.

I feel that there is a need for your mag in that:

1. Studios would advertise in it as I am sure that the price of adverts in a glossy mag would be out of their range.
2. Members of the dance fraternity would buy your mag as the price of a glossy would be too expensive.

I feel that competition is important and that maybe, if I may respectfully suggest, that you put out your old Dance Info on a better type of paper.

I have discussed this with many people and they tell me the same thing mentioned above.

Please consider.

Regards

Ron

Ed
Ron, I appreciate your sentiments of the hard copy of DI, but the truth is, when I really needed support, particularly from those who could do so much, I got nothing. I was the only one who griped about the drab quality of the paper, no-one else stressed. It was the contentious content of DI that our dancers devoured. That's what they wanted to read - the TRUTH. Telling the truth made DI special, but the people at the top growl at the truth, they only want lily white love stories - Readers Digest stuff. Unfortunately, I'm not into that. My mother always said, "son, you must never become a politician, you will definitely not make it".

My argument was, if DanceSport is supposedly the 3rd most popular sport in South Africa, then it deserved much more than toilet paper as its showpiece. Croquette has its own glossy mag and only two people in South Africa play it, and believe me Ron, not a single influential soul in our sport seems to understand that. I oversold them on the idea, and already they're choking. Yes, where is the illusive new glossy DanceSport magazine?  That's a mystery to me too, and I usually get news quite fast. If they were serious about action, they should have roped Jay in to do the job. My guess is, they have bitten off more than they can chew.

Having spent almost six hectic years publishing and editing DI, and practically giving it away every month, I can emphatically state that there is little need for a Dancer's magazine. DanceInfo SA created an INTEREST, that's all. When it came to the crunch of getting sponsors or support, then DI was the Black Plague that nobody wanted to be infected by. The new mag will soon find that out, that's if it's ever launched.

Having a computer and access to the internet puts you in the privileged class. You should take full advantage of the net, since few enjoy that luxury at present. Give the South Africans a year or two, and the net will be their main medium of communication. But Ron, even now, many, many more read DI than ever before, and studios and businesses are sponsoring me willingly these days. You are going to have to change your old habits by copying and printing the updates or the things you want to read and then, at your leisurely pace, enjoy these as you did before. We all hate change, but the computer is the way to go.

We were so pleased, slowly getting there. We are still in London now, busy having lessons with Dennis Weavers and Barbara Mcoll.

How are u doing there in sunny SA???

Ryno and Sonja (London)

Ed
Excellent rise. Talking about rise, the interest in Blackpool was very high. Many South African dancers wanted to know how our couples were faring. So high was the interest, that I opened a special direct link to the minute-by-minute results of the British. For those who missed the outcome, here is the link  Blackpool

The first time I looked at the placings, you and Sonja were listed 259. Glad to see you knock off two naughts and 11 places. Your next step is to qualify for the Olympics and then return home with a gold medal.

Zelda Ridgway

Ed
Zelda, null and void is a gross understatement. I thought the Cape went south for the winter PERMANENTLY. Boet from Benoni (the letter below yours) states, "A thing that bothers me about your website is that there is no news coming from the Cape or Kwazulu-Natal. We get news from Zimbabwe, the UK, Canada, Gauteng, the Free State, New York, Ogies, but nothing, and I mean NOTHING from the Cape or Kwazulu-Natal. It is quite sad, because some of the best dancers are trained in these regions. Why don't they take full advantage of your earnest drive to promote dancing, by joining in and spreading the joys of our wonderful sport with news and events for all South African?"

That's the voice of someone from Gauteng, but I've heard this same lamentable waffle from many prominent dancers of the mother city but alas! who have for years done sweet fanny Annie about it.

If you read the letters' section, my most visited page, you will realise that anything to do with dancing is of interest to the average dancer; be it talking social dancing, competitive dancing, Spanish dancing, modern dancing, arguing, moaning about the adjudicators, the system; praising their fellow-competitors, asking stupid questions, maligning the editor… the dancer will find it interesting. And when it comes from someone of another city, then that's even more special.

Zelda, this is what I said to the promised-land people, "Don't tell us, SHOW us" we have lost our confidence in the follow-up, delivery system of the Cape.

Jay and all his dancing happy-chappies are really, really, very really looking forward to hearing from your part of our land. You have made a grand start by offering your willing- ness to help, now we anticipate manigi action, let's GO! GO! GO! and make the south winds blow.

As a social dancer, I personally enjoy the talk and discussion side most. Some might not like it, but I do, and most of my dancing friends think it's the best thing on your site. Here I must compliment Cherie from Zim. She not only says what she feels, but also takes a lot of trouble in answering questions. Thank-you Cherie, we appreciate what you are doing.

But my main reason for writing is to say something about social etiquette. Where I dance it is socially ruthless. Male dancers shoot their left arm out as though at war with the community around them. Similar to those Robotic war machines shown on TV recently with their spikes and gadgets sticking out ready to kill or protect themselves from being annihilated. These couples race down the straight of the hall as if they're the only ones on the floor, and when they do give you a viscous clip, mostly don't even know they have.

There are unwritten rules for social dancing, and the first rule is, always be very aware of those dancing around you. The second is, move anti-clockwise around the room. The third is, gentlemen, take a few dancing lessons to learn how to drive and steer your partner around the floor so that you are not an obstacle to the others, and do that before you invite a partner out for a dance.

Thank goodness for those who do respect the basic rules. Who adjust the size of their steps and their hold to suit the crowded conditions. Who move along the line of dance. Who are courteous towards their partner. Who do everything to avoid barging in to others and who realise that the other people at the dance also want to enjoy themselves.

Ed
Boet, ditto, you've got the boot on the right foot.

Dear Jay & Everybody in South Africa,
I arrived in Canada on November 13th, 1999 and started my studio on January 10th, 2000.  I am also a Canadian citizen (I was born in Canada) and have wonderful support from my family in Canada and United States.

THE DANCE TEACHER
I am the only Ballroom, Spanish, Tap and Electro Hi-tec Disco-Jazz teacher in Canmore. (population about nine or ten thousand) There is a Modern (Contemporary) Jazz and Tap teacher who comes in from Calgary (100 km. away), and a ballet teacher.  There is also a Scottish Highland teacher and a gymnastics teacher at the Recreation Centre.  Calgary has 66 dance teachers listed in the yellow pages - it has a dance population about twice the size of Pretoria.

SCHOOL SEMESTERS (TERMS)
School terms in Canada are from September to June with Christmas break for two weeks and Spring break for two weeks (end March into April).  Summer camps are held in July and August.  If held in Canmore, a dance camp is a few hours a day, you do not sleep over.   There are three sets of schools - primary:  grade 1- 4:  Middle school: grade 5 - 8: and High School or Collegiate: grade 9 - 12. Students go to school from 8.30 a.m. to 3.30 p.m. with a 15 mins break (10.46 - 11.00 a.m.) and 50 mins for lunch (12,09 - 1.00 p.m.)

All activities after school are done by private teachers or if by teachers, they are paid separately to school - the students pay for swimming and all sport clubs.  But... every child, who has enrolled, has to take part in the swimming meets and these can last all day.
Canmore has one primary, one middle and one high school.

ADVERTISING
To start a studio here I had pamphlets (flyers) printed - you Register, not enrol - you call, not telephone.  There is also a registration date and most of the people register on that date. I placed ads, about double business-card size, in "The Leader" which comes out each week.   The ads cost $46.00 per ad.  I had placed 7 consecutive ads in this newspaper and four (at another $46.00 per ad) in the Banff newspaper. (20 mins. drive away).

COST OF HALLS
The halls here cost $25.00 per hour.  On Mondays I teach in the small gym at the Lawrence Grassi Middle School, on Wednesdays I teach at the Seniors drop-in Centre.

FIRST SHOW
I put on one number, danced twice, with my Disco Jazz group at the Trade Show on
May 7th.  The girls wore shorts and capped shirt with the studio logo and either DANSNEAKERS, which are very special running shoes (tackies) which have a break in the middle and can point.  We get these at the Masque in Calgary - the clothes we got from Frozen Ocean - the one and only teen shop in Canmore. We had a great time and the show was on T.V.

Reading the Dance Info pages on Internet with great interest

Best Wishes,

Lynne Haldeman

The TWO-STEP here is done round the room, like sokkie.  It is also slow, slow, quick, quick, but in a straight line - walking.  It is done to line dancing or cowboy music. Here they call the South African two step  - a foxtrot.  The variations for the TWO-STEP also include some of those done in South Africa, but they are done in a straight line - no zig-zag. It also has side by side promenades, with changing from side to side, and many underarm turns. The TWO-STEP takes the place of the sokkie in South Africa. Where I stay is cowboy and native (red Indian) country.

The POLKA is the same as in South Africa, danced to "Cotton-eyed Joe" etc., but with greater freedom of variations, because it is danced so much.  Here, Two-step and Polka are often danced at weddings and also special cowboy evening.   My brother, the businessman, even has cowboy boots!  Everybody here has at least one cowboy outfit.

Best Wishes,

Lynne Haldeman

Ed
Lynne, nice to hear from you and thanks for all the exciting news.

Here in the Free State we are still very "green" as far as Ballroom and Latin American dancing is concerned, but we are learning fast and it is growing by the day.  My wife, Annaline and I started teaching competitive dancing about 4 years ago in Welkom and are currently teaching in Bloemfontein as well and  it has reached the point that we had to get another professional dancer from Cape Town, Gavin van Rooyen, to help us cope.  At the moment we are targeting the areas in Bloemfontein which has not been so fortunate to have the sport of competitive dancing brought to them.  The interest seems very high and hopefully we can get a couple of SA champs out of this areas.

Our dancers have done very well lately, and at the Carousel Festival held in Springs, they brought back 4 first places.  At the Midlands North competition held in Pietermaritzburg on 20/05/2000, our dancers took 6 first places.

Congratulations to those couples.  They really make us proud.

Congratulations also to the following couples who were promoted recently:

Walter & Jenny Johnson to Silver Ballroom and Silver Latin in the Masters section.
Andries & Suzette Geringer to Silver Latin in the Senior section.
Werner Lewies & Anika Muller to Silver Ballroom in the Junior section.
Piet-Theron Jansen & Benita Pietersen to Silver Ballroom in the Juvenile section.

Now I also want to complain and criticize a bit.

At the Midlands North competition in Pietermaritzburg, one of the seven couples in the Senior Bronze section danced the entire Waltz out of time, yet two of the adjudicators, Jaya Chengleroyan and Fred Mnagdi, placed them ahead of some of the other couples.  It really puzzles me, as I was taught, that if a couple danced out of time with the music, they are then automatically placed last.

Is this a case where the adjudicators do not know the Waltz timing or is it perhaps because they know this couple?  I only noticed this irregularity because our couples danced in this section.  The same thing could have happened in other sections danced during the day. This sort of adjudicating unfairly denies dancers a better position as far as their points are concerned.

Maybe it's wrong to criticise my fellow professionals, but I think it is time that, when a person is asked to adjudicate, he or she must be totally unbiased and I also think that the top structure of SANCBD and FEDANSA must start thinking of appointing responsible people to look at these kinds of irregularities at competitions.  This can only be to the benefit of dancing in the country.

I don't really want to talk about the dress code, because it is a real controversial subject at the moment.  Every province has its own idea about this.  My suggestion is that there must be proper sketches drawn up of what is expected and this must be distributed to all the PAB's for distribution to the clubs in their areas.  A description of what is expected is not good enough and everybody interprets it differently.

Keep up the good work at DISA.

Johan Bakker
Studio 1 (Welkom)

Ed
Glad you like your webpage - your logo looks stunning, it simply radiates colour and cheerfulness. I don't think many dancers truly understand what an incredible tool or luxury it is to have their own free webpage parked on the net in cyberspace for a mere R50. Just think, anyone from anywhere around the globe, at anytime, minute or hour, day or night, all-year-round, can stumble across it and ogle at what their page has to offer. That we need to actually convince studio heads to take a free webpage is beyond me.

My Free-page service saves them:
 

The maintenance fee of R50 per annum is pittance when compared with the sum of R200 for one very small ad in any local newspaper. Granted, South Africans aren't "into" the cyberspace scene yet, but they are rapidly beginning to log on, because most know that if they don't, they will  soon be left far behind. By the way, thanks for the email addresses. Now they too will receive regular updates from me, and how about the names of all your winners, let's put them on your page and into orbit.

My DanceInfo SA site is listed high on all the major dance sites and search machines in the world, and those main ones are listed on mine; we have an excellent working relationship. When studios and businesses subscribe to my site, they not only benefit from the huge coverage, but also help promote dancing as a sport, and the more we promote dancing together, the more everyone in the business profits.

Even if businesses that are associated with dance, have their own website, their site must first be found to be looked at. Tanz Café (a very popular haven for dance-lovers in Gauteng) have their own beautiful, professional looking site, and their site has received more visits than ever since subscribing to DISA. Arthur Murray, the big name of social dancing (not necessary the biggest) is a non-entity in cyberspace. Nobody can find them, unless Arthur Murray don't want others, other than their own clientele to see them. My stats show that their page has been accessed many time, but I'll soon be disabling them from my list, since Arthur Murray do not support my free-for-all ambitions to promote dancing.

You say, "Maybe it's wrong to criticise my fellow professionals". Johan, you are not critising them, you are critising what they are doing. You are pointing out a fact, and the fact is, anyone assigned to adjudicate must be qualified in much more than just the mere rudiments of dancing. The average mother, who hasn't danced a step in her life can easily distinguish between dancing in or out of time - our spectators aren't fools. You are doing these adjudicators a favour, because they are blatantly making fools of themselves, otherwise we may as well drag anyone off the street to do the job of judging. The crucial criterion or rudiment of judging any dance contest is Rhythm and Timing - out of time, out of contest, it's as simple as that, and if judges can't distinguish between out and in then that's bad news. They should be able to see that with their eyes closed.

As for Dress Code, Cherie Scott of Zim has some interesting thoughts check these out. I say, rugby players don't play rugby in tutus and highheeled shoes. Monks and nuns don't go to church in G-strings and bikinis and Penny Heyns won't attempt to break a world record in a space suit - there should be some semblance of order on what is commonly known as appropriate dress for the sport.

Desperate.

Ed

IN THE FIRST WEEK

MONDAY
BREAKFAST.........    Half a cup or weak tea
LUNCH...................    Half a prune pip - sucked for 10 seconds
DINNER..................    1 Sparrow thigh grilled - 30 ml prune juice - gargle only

TUESDAY
BREAKFAST........    Scraped crumbs from a burnt piece of toast
LUNCH..................    1 doughnut hole, without any sugar
DINNER.................    Read a recipe for roast turkey - that's all - just read it

WEDNESDAY
BREAKFAST........    1 pigeon egg, boiled
LUNCH...................    6 poppy seeds - de-pipped
DINNER..................    Bees knees and mosquito knuckles marinated in vinegar

THURSDAY
BREAKFAST........    10 tomato pips
LUNCH...................    Belly button from a naval orange
DINNER..................    3 eyes from a potato - diced

FRIDAY
BREAKFAST.........    2 lobster antennae - suck them only
LUNCH....................    1 goldfish fin - lightly grilled
DINNER...................    Soup from the stock of a jellyfish bone

SATURDAY
BREAKFAST.........    4 chopped banana seeds
LUNCH....................    1 boiled butterfly liver
DINNER...................    Roast leg of gnat - half a portion

SUNDAY
BREAKFAST.........    1 pickled hummingbird tongue
LUNCH....................    Prime rib of tadpole
DINNER...................    Roast leg of grasshopper

Desperate, if that doesn't work, try this dance fitness  and study the Ed's note in particular. This advice, applied with the ultimate diet is a sure-fire quick-fix for any kilos' problem.

Friday 16th June kicks off with a whole day of fun and entertainment. Arrive at 6 (yes, AM) to watch the race on TV and partake of a delicious hot “Comrades Breakfast”.

Work the extra kilos off by joining in one of the exciting workshops to follow,  Hip Hop, Funk Jazz or Lindy Hop & Shim Sham. On second thoughts, join in all! These are fun, interactive workshops for old & young, - no experience (dance or otherwise!) needed. They recommend only that you bring your sense of humour along!

After all this exercise the chef will serve a delicious Hot Pot Luncheon, while you will be entertained by a cabaret show.  What a fun way to spend a day!

Another ‘ DO NOT MISS’ is the   “Latin Fever” Cabaret with José Montoya and his Flamenco dancers as Spain goes Latin on Saturday 16th June at 20h30.

José Montoya Spanish Dance company has taught many South African audiences the colour, verve and fiery energy associated with real Spanish Dancing. José is acclaimed here and in Spain for his authentic and professional performances.

A special menu to match the Spanish mood will be served.

Then on Saturday 24th June at 10h00 another of the famous Tango Breakfasts. Watch Ralph Kahn & Mareli Schrðter with the Tanz Café Dance Company perform the Tango as they do in cafés in Buenos Aires while you enjoy the delectable breakfast buffet.

Bookings can all be made at the Tanz Café – see their DISA web page for information on couvert charges.

The regular “Tango Salon” every Wednesday at 20h30 has gained tremendously in popularity and is usually well attended by the Argentinean community  who brave the cold to revel in this ‘home away from home’.

By popular demand for more and more cabaret, Friday evenings will now feature regular entertainment, which means a R25 couvert charge will apply. Well worth it -  in case you didn’t know! Of course there is also still plenty of time and more than plenty great music to dance to.

The last tidbit of good news is that Mareli’s dance partner, Ralph, is now teaching full time at the Tanz!

A big bouquet to Mareli who has worked so hard to make this dream come true of a dancing place for the people. The result is a friendly, fun, warm meeting place for dance lovers with an ambiance that makes you want to go back again and again...

Jay, you and Mareli have something in common – YOU DO IT FOR THE DANCER.

Elsa

I would like to share some of the comments made by them. One Lady (aged about 71) “Hartjie, ander mense wat ons kom entertain wil net vir ons Hallelujah liedjies sing en hier kom julle met die lekker jollie danse” Oom Eddie Schaeffer (aged 74) “My voete wil net dans maar my ou hart en lyf sé - Eddie sit stil”

It will be a pleasure to entertain them again in the future.

Ed
A very cute tale and a good deed well done.

Hey Jay & SA DANCERS
Dancing and living in the USA is great. As you can see we live and work in New York. The hubbub of the world.  The standard is living is outstanding and there is so much dancing. There are at least 3 times the amount of dancers in New York's 50 states than in the whole of South Africa. We live and work in Westchester country. The third richest in the States.

The average yearly income per household is $100 000 pa (R600 000 – R700 000). Desiree and I will earn ± $80 000 - $120 000 this year. We live ± ½ hour from work in a 1 bedroom apartment.  (The 2nd floor of one of many 3-storey houses). We are surrounded by woods (forests) and lakes. We are ± 45 minutes from the heart of Manhattan, NY -  the greatest city in the world. No movie, picture or explanation can justify it. What a fabulous place, Cosmopolitan, Vibrant, Colourful, alive and very, very huge. The people are great and so are the places. Our studio is one of 18 others FADS in the state and is currently No. 1 in NY and No. 2 in USA. Of that, both Des and I  are in the top 10 teachers (±200 teachers in all) in NY. Our studio will make more than $1 000 000 this year. The other staff Eric and Amy Ammon (the bosses) are going great - good dancers and incredibly brilliant business persons.

Gunner Soerison (ex Ireland 10 dance champion) and Darryl Craven (his partner) they compete in Am Rhythm and are semi finalists in America, Will Deo Vries and Mara Burrey very young (21 & 19) both from USA and sometimes semi-finalists - Milly, front desk manager Puerto Rican – Waldemeyer. Trivinsky and Willy – Dolish/German (Pro Std) European semi-finalist and sometime finalist Chris trainee – Puerto incom, Jose Diaz – trainee – Mexican, Kevin – trainee- USA (Italian)... and little of us.

What a great place to work. We have outside coaches about every 2nd week. Martin Laruls (World 10 Dance Champ) Michelle Officer (AM-American) USA Am Smooth Champ and Canadian rep to worlds Int STD). Zinda Deon, Marian Nicole and Now Matthew and Nicole Cutler. By the time you publish this – Chris Bullpitt will have joined us and be the #1 teacher in Enic's other studio.

We have 3 regular couches – Martin Laruls (personal coach) Michelle Officer (Technician) and Paul Homes (Choreographer) – ex British Champ. What a fabulous combo – and at our doorstep. The studio where we have our training with Paul (we do in total ±12 hours per month with the 3 of them) is “Dance New York” – 56th and Broadway has ±50 teachers to choose from – the likes of all 3 already mentioned, Steven and Lindsey Hillier (sometimes), Louis van Amstel, Dennis Tromhlay etc., etc., etc.

Even Andrew Sukensa and Marcus and Karen Hilton / Michael Wentink, etc. The Dance standard is extremely high and every thing is very business like. I have to say this but RSA is so caught up in petty politics that it will take 20 years to catch up to the USA or UK. Sure we (RSA) have many champions – but they had to go to UK or USA or something to achieve it. We also continue our Alexander Technique once a week with a fabulous teacher Jamie Skenky and do body movement / ballet with one of Broadway’s … Carol Rioux - she is great.

We do miss our friends and pupils greatly but in all honesty we won’t be back for a while. We're really enjoying it here and see a much brighter future for ourselves.

American Smooth is wonderful (really just an expansion of Int Std) American Rhythm is OK – the really great part is all the “minor’ dances – Bolero, Mambo, Merengue, W-C Swing, Salsa, Hustle (Boogie) etc.

Very lucky that I am qualified in both International and American – it has stood me in great stead here. We are going to Bahamas in October for the FADS nationals and will be doing our third comp (USA Star Ball) on 20/21 May. Comps here are at least 3 days long and quite costly but the competition is very strong. Most of the top Russians and European dancers compete here and the power on the floor is galactic, but I am pleased to say we have held our own.

Most comps are run by individuals and there is an extreme amount of money that passes hands
(both ways). There are many associations that make up the NDCA (SACBD EQUIV) but the 3 main conglomerates are FADS, Arthur Murray's and Independent. Most (but not all) of the dancing is PRO/AM. At the next comp I will dance ±250 dances – I did 120 at my first.

For those that wish to know about the USA – watch the movies – it’s just the same. Whoever wishes to write, phone, fax or email – please do, we would love to hear from you.

TELEPHONE: (H) 091-914-526-9270 (W) 091-914-242-9240
FAX: 091-914-242-9238
E-MAIL: Ericammon@msn.com
ADDRESS: 2 Young Street,  Cortlandt Manor,  NEW YORK,  10567,  USA
WORK ADDRESS: C/O Fred Astairs Dance Studios, 153 MT Kisco, NEW YORK, 10569, USA

Our very best for South Africa

MARTIN AND DESIREE (We’ll write again soon)

Jay, please put me on your subscription list. It is difficult however to transfer money, and I don’t have a cc yet. So if you trust me I will pay you all when I next see you.

Kind regards.

Ed
Martin, I do trust you but, "when I next see you" that sounds like the never-never-land system. I think you will have to send your 50 bucks via canoe post, the same way you did with this letter. I thought Ken Scott of Zim assured me that the Bushman was reeely, reeely dead. By the time your fee hits our sunny shores my kids will be anorexic. What happened to this new address you show above, called email?  'cause you long-armed your letter to me and then dispatched it over the sea prehistoric style. As long as it took to get here, so too did it take Jay and all his guru decipherers to unscramble your scrabble eggs, and we're still not sure of the spelling of many of the names, but never mind, they all sound like good dancers.

Great to hear from you, and to know that you and Desiree are enjoying your dancing and the States. WOW! $120,000 earnings this year is a lot of ping-ping. I'm sure all your SA teachers and Pupils will be happy to read this letter and be enviously green.

Since your departure, I've had no news from KZN. Beryl Cilliers emailed to say it's a shame that Natal is now one of the black holes of my site. I also think it is a shame and so does Gauteng.

Glad you mentioned; "I have to say this, but RSA is so caught up in petty politics that it will take 20 years to catch up to the USA or UK." 20 years? Forget it Martin, even with my help, it will take longer than a lifetime. Too many officials and dancers here have resigned themselves to our sour state of politics; nestled nicely and comfortably into it. Dancers with potential, like yourself and Desiree, get fed up and leave their mother land  to support a foreign country, because the petty politics over-rides their pleasure. Here we keep saying, "every sport has its politics" and accept that mind-set. I agree, every sport has its politics, but in South African DanceSport it's a disease with a vindictive, selfish slant to it. You must first leave the country to find out or believe how bad it is. As Cherie Scott of Zim said, "the authorities bury their heads in the sand and think nobody can see them." What the authorities don't seem to realise is, when your head is buried in the sand, then the worst part of the anatomy is highly and rudely exposed.

You were always a very staunch supporter of my printed mag which I really appreciated. As you know, or do you? DI is defunct and a new glossy one called SADance is supposed to be in circulation. They promised to have it out by the middle of April, it's now the end of May and no-one knows a thing or has seen a thing.

Back at the ranch, DISA, my e-mag, is going great guns. It's IMMEDIATE, no more waiting a month for info - we don't talk, we do. It's what the Americans call ACTION and I must say, I'm proud of how well dancers are supporting my site by visiting it, and the way they respond to the info - amazed at how many dancers have email.

In the meantime thought that you might want the names of our committee members.

Chairman - Ken Scott
Secretary/Treasurer - Sherryl Scott
Public Relations - Sharon Ainscough
Administrative Officer - Cherie Scott
Members - Maureen Barrett
                 Doug Clarke
                 Basil Franklin
                 Avril Jardine
                Pat Moyo - Botswana rep
                 Lizwe Ndhlovu - S. African rep
                 Sharon Robinson

Associations affiliated to us
Harare Grand Prix Dance Club
Midlands Ballroom Dancing Assn.

Cheers for now.

Keep well.

Ken

Ed
Ken, we've now moved far beyond bushmen, we're super sonic, but there are still a lot of bushmen around stagnating in the nebulae of the Namib.

I don't know whether you have noticed, you're in the recommended studios section, check it out, and I added a border to your logo: http://www.oocities.org/danceinfosa/disadanclessons.html

Thanks for the info. You can also send me a list of your top trainers or champs of the past, or whatever you have to add that will enhance dance from Zim.

Tell Cherie, Milton & Yvonne really appreciated her reply to them. They are thinking of competing in Zim.

Cheers, Jay