Conference 2025
NZAHND 74th ConferenceThis year, dancers, teachers and judges travelled to Tauranga for the 74th NZAHND Annual General Meeting, Conference and Dance Development Course. The event was held over the weekend of 19-21 September and was hosted by the Tauranga Teachers’ and Judges’ Club at the Trinity Wharf Conference Centre.
Friday evening started in the usual way with the Solo Seal examination which was this year held at the Bethlehem College Performing Arts Centre. The venue and stage were fantastic. There were two candidates: Siara Clark and Kate Millington. The audience warmly appreciated their hard work, preparation and polished performances. Once again, Neil Baxter’s piping allowed the candidates to give their best.
During the evening, the Highland Dance Company of New Zealand again performed items showcasing some favourites from the Heart of the Highlands show which has successfully toured the North Island in 2025 with one show in Auckland and another in Palmerston North.
It was wonderful to have our former Technical Director, Sherilyn Hall compere the evening with insights into the history of the dances. The President of the Academy, Jackie McBride gave a warm thank you to all those involved and formally opened the Academy conference. At the conclusion of Solo Seal, the President of the Piping and Dancing Association, Barbara Tait, acknowledged the close association between the Academy and the Piping and Dancing Association and introduced the Champions Trio. In its second year, the three champions from the P&D New Zealand Championships were brought together to perform as a group. This year they were 18 & Over Champion, Neryda Duncan, Under 18 Champion Chloe Kyle and Under 16 Champion Sarah McCarthy.
There was an early start for some on Saturday morning with the Youth Forum welcoming youth members ably led by the Academy’s Youth Representative, Imogen Grayson. They discussed topics such as barriers to judging and had guest speaker Neryda Duncan give insights into performing to the highest level into her late 20s. The examination organisers also met to discuss and refine the smooth organisation of exams throughout the country.
The Annual General Meeting kicked off at 9.30am. The attendance of life members Sherilyn Hall MNZM, Cushla Piesse MNZM, Beckie Rout and Barbara Tait were acknowledged along with Honorary Life Member, Bruce Cawood. There was also an acknowledgement of former Academy member Eleanor Sangster who sadly passed away during the year. She was the Academy’s first successful solo seal candidate. Several constitutional amendments were passed to both align our constitution with modern technology and future proof the organisation. June Wright was re-elected unopposed as a North Island representative while Leighton Terry was appointed for the first time as a South Island representative following the resignation of Lewis Gibson.
Following the AGM, a shortened forum session for this year provided valuable updates for members. The Academy’s new mentor programme was launched replacing the new teacher scholarship, continuing in the name of former Executive member Adrienne Haberfield. There was a short presentation showing examination data trends which demonstrated the effect of covid and the fact that the Academy’s is still recovering from the loss of candidates during that time. There was then time for some discussion and sharing of ideas on how to successfully mentor new judges. This was an excellent follow up to the discussion already had amongst the youth of the Academy at their forum. The dance development course began shortly before lunch with a very well received workshop by Renzie Hanham QSM. Renzie is an expert in the field of mental skills, particularly within elite sport. The presentation received excellent feedback giving members valuable information to take away for both dancing and life.
After lunch, members split into two groups with dancers going offsite for master classes. Non-dancers stayed at Trinity Wharf to enjoy two sessions. One of these, “Champion Eyes” with Julie Hawke, Jacqui Seque and Pamela Fleming, was the first of the hybrid sessions offered so that those that could not attend in person were able to upskill online. This session had everyone discussing the practice of weighing up and comparing dancers and assessing the overall performance when judging at the highest level. The second session of the afternoon with Kimberley Mavor and Elizabeth Smith involved some supportive discussion of “Dancing Dilemmas” – everything from judging conundrums to dealing with teenagers.
Preparations then began for the evening ahead. The evening began with the presentation of diplomas and service bars. A lovely moment for family and friends to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that is needed to both attain a diploma and then continue contributing throughout life. Ella Wilson became the first youth member to receive an Academy youth service award for her contribution towards the organisation of the Balmoral Club’s annual summer school. Everyone enjoyed a lovely dinner followed by dancing to the wonderful entertainment organised by the Tauranga Teachers and Judges.
On Sunday morning, members gathered for breakfast and there was a strong crowd present for a recorded interview with Jorja Miller. Jorja has become world famous due to her rugby career but is a full Academy member and talks about and promotes her highland dancing background in media interviews whenever she gets a chance. It was fun to hear some of the insights from Jorja’s early life journey from her childhood in Timaru to her teenage years in Christchurch and then her incredibly successful transition into international elite rugby.
Members then split into groups for the first two workshop sessions of the day. There was something for everyone. “Lengthen and Strengthen with Adele Swanson and Lynette Mitchell gave great tips for maximising extensions and enhancing musicality and strength. “Attacking the Sword Dance” with Pamela Fleming and Julie Hawke focussed on the basics of teaching the sword dance to beginners. These were both part of the series of hybrid sessions with 12 members joining on zoom. “Raising Tartan Tutors” with Elizabeth Smith and Jacqui Seque was a practical guide for teaching, with helpful tips covering everything needed to kick start successful classes. To round off the excellent upskilling on offer, “STRETCH your Teaching Skills – Working with Groups Small and Large” with Jacqueline Jones and Kimberley Mavor gave members ideas and knowledge for building confidence with tutoring groups and keeping students engaged, focused and on their toes. A huge thank you also to demonstrators Zara Glover and Olivia Mavor and the young Tauranga dancers who assisted with the teaching workshops.
Local Physiotherapist, Pilates and Dance instructor, Teresa Victory then presented her first workshop before lunch focussing on overuse injuries and load management which was also the last hybrid session of the weekend. After a lovely lunch, we were treated to a second session with Teresa on stretching and mobility for dancers. Teresa was highly engaging with motivating and knowledge rich presentations.
At the final session, members came together to thank all of those who had contributed so much to the success of conference 2025. Enormous thanks to the Tauranga Teachers’ and Judge’s Club as we now look forward to Dunedin 2026!
