March 2009 Recipients
Seven Christchurch tap dancers are on their way to perform at the World Dance Championship in Long Beach, California in July with the help of their Mazda Foundation grant.
The $1,473.36 grant will be used to fund uniforms for the Steps Tap Dancing Club members who range in age from six to 22.
Molly Chapman, Steps Tap Dancing Club treasurer, said the club has been undertaking a variety of fundraising initiatives to give the dancers the opportunity to represent their country and attend master classes led by world class choreographers.
“At the World Dance Championships dancers will not only compete in solos and duos in their age groups but will also attend workshops. From these, they gain valuable choreography and styles which they are able to bring back and teach to other dancers and teachers,” said Chapman.
After qualifying at the regional competition in Christchurch for jazz and tap dancing the group then travelled to the prestigious Showcase National Dance Championship held on the Gold Coast, Australia where they officially qualified for the World Dance Championships.
“We are a small committee all with a passion for dance. We give up our free time to give back to the dance community in Christchurch. Sometimes it’s not easy with parents working full-time and any form of funding helps tremendously,” concluded Chapman.
