Northside Showcase
Sunday 17 November 2019
A Showcase is a one-day non-competitive event where the only person you're judged against, is yourself!
It gives students of all levels the opportunity to dance outside the Studio, in a social environment and in front of a crowd but without the stress of performing at a professional competition.
When & where
• Sunday 17 November, 2019
• Day session 8.30am to 5pm
• Gala Ball 7.30pm to 11pm
• The Epping Club, 45 - 47 Rawson Street, Epping
Participating Studios
How does a showcase work?
You're placed in heats according to your standard (eg. Bronze 2), you can wear your ballroom and latin costumes and then you dance on the floor in front of two to three judges.
The judges are there to critique you on an individual level; to aid you in your dancing, giving you constructive feedback that will help you and your teacher make any necessary improvements. You're not being judged against anyone on the floor - except yourself!
The evening then turns into a formal ball and students can perform any solo routines they've been working on during the last few months. After that, it's time to relax, drink, eat and dance the night away!
Showcase vs dor... the difference?
Showcase gives you the experience of a Dance-O-Rama (DOR), without the need to compete and all for a fraction of the cost. It's a 1-day, less formal event, usually held at a function centre. It's non-competitive - students receive critique from the judges, all designed to prepare you for the competitive nature of a DOR.
A Dance-O-Rama is a 2 to 3-day event at a luxurious hotel, with multiple categories, renowned judges, floor shows and involves studios from around Australia and even the world. It's designed to be the ultimate experience for every dancer, to take their dancing to the furthest level and partake in an experience that will last a lifetime.
Thinking about your first routine?
Making the decision to perform your first routine can be a little scary! Choose a dance you feel you dance the best - you'll have nerves on the day of the performance and having a dance you're confident in, makes it all the more easier to have fun and enjoy yourself.
Give yourself around 3 to 4 months to learn the routine (don't cram it in at the end) and allow yourself plenty of time to practice in the Studio. You can even book a styling lesson with the same sex teacher to help you add some finishing touches.
Most importantly, remember to have fun, smile, push yourself and just laugh if it gets a bit too overwhelming at times!
Meet the judges
Tara Johnston & Thomas Coghlan are franchisees of the Arthur Murray Adelaide Studio. Not only do they love judging competitions, they love dancing in them as well - they're Hawaiian Open Professional Smooth finalists and Italian Rising Star & Open Professional Smooth finalists! Back home, Tara & Thomas are three times undefeated Australian Open Professional Smooth champions.
Tara Johnston has been a franchisee of Arthur Murray Adelaide for over 10 years. At the wee age of two, Tara started on her journey of dance. Growing up she tried her feet at ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary and even sang in musicals.
This was of course, all before falling in love with ballroom dancing and Tara has since been an active & passionate member of the ballroom community for over 20 years!
Tara has studied at length in Melbourne, Adelaide & Sydney and attended coaching sessions and workshops in the United States. Tara's training includes tuition from some of the world's leading dance coaches, including Nick Kosovich (America's Dancing with the Stars) and Augusto Schiavo (2000 WDC World Ballroom Champion) to name a few.
Thomas Coghlan currently acts as the Dance Director for Arthur Murray Adelaide and it's his job to make sure students are always getting the very best dance instruction from their teachers.
He started taking dance lessons as an awkward teenager in the mid 90’s and after receiving a scholarship with Arthur Murray Victoria in 1999, he quickly worked his way up the ranks as Dance Director of three studios in Victoria before relocating to Adelaide in 2011.
Thomas has been mentored by some of the best in the business, including Michael Madden, Kerry Shrimpton, Chris Michaels, Beverly Kimmins, Gabriella Young, Bill Jacobson, Nick Kosovich, Christy Melgoza, Mark Perkovich, Robin Sewell, Andy Phillips, Tony Gauci, Glen Tierney and the one and only Robert Long II.
The venue
Located in Sydney's North West, The Epping Club is renowned for offering the best in event services including weddings, corporate events, school formals, cultural events, Christmas celebrations and much, much more. Most importantly for us, the floor is fantastic!