Dance competitors and their families will converge on Ararat from across the state for the 63rd Annual Ararat Eisteddfod which will be held at the Ararat Performing Arts Centre from Friday, September 20 until Sunday, September 29.
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The competition provides an opportunity for those who love dance to perform to an audience, to make new friends and to share their experiences with others.
They also receive critiques of their performance from experienced adjudicators, which enables them to continue to strive for self-improvement and develop as an artist.
The adjudicators this year are Jason Duff and Claire Heywood from Melbourne.
The eisteddfod has again achieved record entries continuing the growth trend of recent years.
Competitors will compete in a variety of dance genres from jazz and tap to contemporary and classical ballet in solo, duo and trio items.
Performances can be viewed from 9am every morning until around 9.30pm. On Friday, September 27, the Ararat Town Hall will be filled to capacity with 110 troupes from 18 different dance schools showing their spectacular performances.
Troupe day is a highlight of the Eisteddfod and we encourage the community to come along. Sessions begin at 9am, 1.30pm and 6pm with entry being $10.
The Senior Championship sections have attracted excellent entries. On Saturday the 21st, during the evening session, 13 students will compete in the senior tap and senior jazz championship, while on Tuesday 24th the Modern Championship will have 15 competitors and the Senior Ballet Championship will see 23 competitors.
The standard presented in this championship will be very high with a number of the entrants having recently competed at the Sydney Eisteddfod in August.
The junior Championship sections will be held on the final day (Sunday, September 29). There will be plenty of entertainment for all throughout the week.
The Ararat Eisteddfod receives generous support from the Ararat Rural City Council and Creative Victoria, via grants which contribute to the hire of the facility and adjudicator expenses. Many local businesses and individuals also contribute by sponsoring sections or contributing to the prize fund. The Ararat Eisteddfod committee is grateful for the generous support of all donors.
Many volunteers are needed throughout the week of competition to ensure that the event runs smoothly. The Ararat eisteddfod committee consists of 11 hardworking volunteers who provide a wonderful competition which is known throughout the dance community as a well organised and efficiently run competition, which is friendly and lots of fun. The committee are supported by parents of dancers and personal friends who volunteer for shifts throughout the week.