THE 62nd annual Ararat Eisteddfod has been dubbed “the best in 34 years”.
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Adjudicator Brian Nolan’s comments came as the competition concluded on Sunday following 10 days of dance performances from nearly 400 competitors at the Ararat Town Hall.
Mr Nolan travelled from Melbourne to adjudicate and heaped praise on the performances.
“(This was) by far the best standard I’ve adjudicated in my life,” he said.
“It’s been 34 years and this is classically and contemporary wise by far the best I’ve ever seen.
“I’m so impressed.”
The feature event was Troupe Day, where 73 troupes performed.
Organiser Chris Harris said the day was not just successful, but fun as well.
“The objective of the day is to have fun and give children a chance to perform in a team,” she said.
“The day finished with a high energy jazz routine from Ararat Dance Centre to Dancing Fool, which placed first.”
Ararat Dance Centre presented 25 troupes and won all the open age sections, as well as the under-17 and under-13 tap.
The open age senior and adult troupes placed equal first.
Mr Nolan made special mention of the choreography and tapping abilities of the two troupes.
St Arnaud’s Dance Capital entered three troupes and received three first placings in under-10, under-13 and under-17 jazz.
CV Studios of Bendigo entered 28 troupes from under six through to open and placed in all.
Local dancer, Stella Wheeler of the Ararat Dance Centre, won the under-12 encouragement award for a most deserving dancer when she caught the adjudicator’s eye in her neo solo.
Mr Nolan said he saw “something special” in her performance.
The choreography award went to Sharon Richardson from the Academy of Classical Ballet in Ballarat for a routine she choreographed for her daughter Imogen.
The entrants in the character solo, titled Jemima Puddleduck, received special mention from Mr Nolan for what he described as its very difficult choreography.
Ms Harris said one additional factor that made the show a success was Ararat’s reputation for friendliness.
“They just love coming here,” she said.
“We are a friendly eisteddfod and we’ve had lots of positive feedback about how we’ve been so welcoming and how we bend over backwards to help people.”