New venue, teacher for Wanganui dance school

Petera and Marie-Louise Hudson are revving up their dance business, with a new teacher starting next term in their new venue.
The two have a Latino dance school in Wanganui, and also organise national tours by visiting teachers, salsa holidays for dancers and an annual Cuban dance festival in Wanganui.
Their dance school is Salsa on the Awa. It comes under the umbrella of their tour company, World Salsa Tours.
The school began in a Taupo Quay building, but had to move when that was bought by DML Builders to convert for use by the Conservation Department.
One of the pupils was dental practice owner Hadleigh Reid, and he offered the school a space in the old Cosmopolitan Club building he owns in Drews Ave. It is now based in a downstairs room, but will move to a larger space upstairs when that is renovated.
The school's two instructors teach 15 to 20 pupils Cuban-style salsa in nine classes a week. Types include bachata from the Dominican Republic, Brazilian, Zumba and linear.
The Hudsons are about to add a new teacher, Loraine (Raine) Trinidad, who also teaches in Palmerston North and Wellington.
She is from the Philippines and will be doing classes on a Thursday. Mrs Hudson said she had experience right across the dance spectrum, from ballet to breakdance.
In about a week Mr Hudson leads a salsa cruise of 25 people aboard a P&O cruise ship. It is booked through Wanganui's United Travel and goes from Sydney to New Caledonia and Vanuatu, taking in the sights and dancing on the way.
"It's a holiday for dancers," Mr Hudson said.
When he returns it will be with three United States dance teachers who will tour six New Zealand cities and give workshops - stopping for a night in Wanganui on August 30.
The three are Edwin Rivera, who starred with Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony in El Cantante and brother and sister Junior and Emily Alabi - eight times world champions.
It is World Salsa Tours' major tour of international instructors for 2011.
Then, in early December, the Hudsons plan to hold their third annual New Zealand Rueda Festival. It is usually at Wanganui's racecourse and attracts 150 to 200 people from New Zealand and Australia.
The couple are both passionate about salsa.
Their son was one of hundreds of Wanganui young people swept up in the Latino dance craze with Stayz Raukawa.
When Mr Raukawa left Wanganui for Marlborough in 2006, they vowed to carry on his work, and started Salsa on the Awa.