LIGHT OF FOOT: Daniel Augusston and Georgia Ingham, both 17, were a winning combination at Wanganui s annual ballroom dancing championships. Photo/Bevan Conley
LIGHT OF FOOT: Daniel Augusston and Georgia Ingham, both 17, were a winning combination at Wanganui s annual ballroom dancing championships. Photo/Bevan Conley
Visiting Icelandic student Daniel Augusston took home a lot of silver from Wanganui's annual ballroom dancing championships on Saturday.
The 17-year-old is an AFS exchange student at Wanganui High School. He arrived in January and is spending a year with the Meade family.
He has won a dance championship inIceland and, with Wellington-based partner Georgia Ingham, intends to compete in the New Zealand and Australian nationals while he's Downunder.
Daniel went home from the RiverCity ballroom, Latin and New Vogue dance competition with a lot of trophies. He even got the top male trophy, for "Gentleman of Distinction".
His host father said Daniel had a great time at the championships.
"There wasn't a lot of competition in the youth group but in the adult he won pretty much everything, except for New Vogue, which is a ballroom style only danced in New Zealand and Australia.
"He is a great kid, and danced really well," Simon Meade said.
The championships at the Wanganui War Memorial Centre were a glamorous occasion, Wanganui Dancesport secretary Annette Almond said. They ran from noon to 6pm, with 70 competitors from Wanganui, Palmerston North, Levin, the Wellington region and Auckland.
Dancers were aged from about 10 years to those in their 70s, and there were 40 trophies to win.
The dance demonstration was a "beautiful little ballet piece" by 14-year-old Hannah Lewis from the Shirley McDouall School of Dance, and the Rapanui-Brunswick Playcentre provided refreshments.
The War Memorial Centre was a lovely venue, Ms Almond said.
"The staff are always so helpful and it's a full-sized floor for the dancers, which is appreciated."
Image 1 of 8: SILVERWARE: Trophies await the winners.
