Results Of The 1st Muar Rising Star Dancesport Championships 2008

The inaugural Muar Rising Star Dancesport Championships 2008 organized by SBW Dancesport Centre of Muar, Johor was a great success. Held at the Yuan Shun Restaurant in Muar on November 16 2008; guests were treated to a sumptuous Chinese dinner and entertained by the competitors to a fabulous display of their dancing skills. A special guest performance by Asian Professional Latin American Dance Champions, Alonggod Nutsati and Wanchaya Kumsook from Thailand also had the audience spellbound. Altogether, about 90 couples from Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand took part in 22 events in Modern Standard and Latin American dances. The results of the competition are:-

Standard - Master 1
1) Peter Lim & Agatha Lim (Singapore)
2) Vincent Ng & Doris Ng (Singapore)
3) Philip Tan & Jane Foong (Singapore)

Standard - Master Beginners
1) Heng Chia Hwa & Lim Hwee Kheng (Singapore)
2) Jimmy Cheong & Maggie Cheung ( Singapore)
3) Lawrence Tang & Ivy Khong (Selangor)

Standard - Novice
1) Dexter Lau & Ash Shefa (Kuala Lumpur)
2) Vincent Ng & Doris Ng (Singapore)
3) Jason Wong & Rachael Wong (Singapore)

Standard - Pre Amateur
1) Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)
2) Lee Keng Lek & Hazel Swee Su Lyn (Kuala Lumpur)
3) Vincent Ng & Doris Ng (Singapore)

Standard - Grade B
1) Romeo Alfarius Queri & Triska Tan (Singapore)
2) Terrence Low & Edna Lee (Singapore)
3) Tan Kay Leong & Schlaine Wong (Selangor)

Standard - Rising Star
1) Romeo Alfarius Queri & Triska Tan (Singapore)
2) Terrence Low & Edna Lee (Singapore)
3) Lee Keng Lek & Hazel Swee Su Lyn (Kuala Lumpur)

Latin - Junior Under 16
1) Collin Tan & Dawn Tan (Singapore)
2) Joey Tan & Naomi Anne Ho (Singapore)
3) Alvin Ho Wei Jeat & Teesha Tee Sin Yee (Negri Sembilan)

Latin - Master Beginners
1) Ramus Tan & Ng Peng Hoon (Johor)
2) Ong Teck Guan & Amy Gan (Melaka)
3) Tan Chee Wan & Annie Ong (Singapore)

Latin - Master 1
1) Samuel Chua & Ng Lay Hua (Singapore)
2) Bryan Tan & Nancy Liow (Johor)
3) Ong Yong On & Apple Ang (Singapore)

Latin - Novice
1) Ho Zhi Pin & Tan Chen Yin (Singapore)
2) Joey Tan & Naomi Anne Ho (Singapore)
3) Nicholas Yeo & Tan Wei Qing (Singapore)

Latin - Pre Amateur
1) Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)
2) Tong Song Wei & Lee Wen Ting (Singapore)
3) Lee Keng Lek & Hazel Swee Su Lyn (Kuala Lumpur)

Latin - Rising Star
1) Johnston Lim & Nicole Tan (Selangor)
2) Ekarut Maneechot & Visaporn Tirasawadee (Thailand)
3) Tong Song Wei & Lee Wen Ting (Singapore)

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Rhythm Tappers @ Malaysia Showcase Rhythm Tap At "Tap Raiders" Show

Fans of tap dancing in Malaysia were recently treated to an eye-opening performance of rhythm tap at Schokalart Salon-Lounge at SohoKL @ Solaris Mon't Kiara, Kuala Lumpur from November 14 - 16 2008. The show called Tap Raiders was directed by Toh Kong Eu, the founder and first artistic director of Rhythm Tappers @ Malaysia. Toh, who studied tap dancing in the USA under various masters like Savion Glover, Diane Walker, Brenda Bufalino, Barbara Duffy and Van Porter was an engineer with a petroleum company before giving up his job to become a rhythm tap artiste, choreographer and teacher in Malaysia.

Tap Raiders showcased seven items performed by teachers, students and guest artistes with choreography by Toh, second artistic director Pang Shueh Miin, Diane Walker and Leon Collins. The show kicked-off with an acappella tap performance by an octet of dancers. During an interlude, Toh had the audience in rapt attention with a solo performance. He later performed a duet with Phang (pic) to a beautifully choreographed number done to a funk style with some fusion of swing. Actress, model and accomplished tapper, Jojo Struys who was a guest artist, also performed a duet with Toh. Their improvised routine incorporated elements of street and hip hop.

Tap dance has historically been a highly individualistic dance form that allows the dancer considerable artistic, stylistic and interpretative freedom. As a result, there are many different styles of tap dancing that exist today due to its natural development and growth. Examples of tap dance genres include rhythm, flash, classical and show (Broadway-style) tap. Most tap dances that are performed on the major concert stages in the US today can be considered as rhythm tap. Rhythm tap in itself is also an extremely broad category since elements of other dance forms (and also different styles of tap) are usually present in tap dance.

Rhythm Tappers @ Malaysia aims to promote tap dance as an art from in Malaysia. Their goal is to create awareness, understanding and appreciation of rhythm tap via performances, workshops, lectures, demonstrations and word-of-mouth. Contrary to popular belief, one can tap dance to any style of music or groove. Rhythm tap is essentially looking at tap's original essence - rhythmic expression with an emphasis on the musicality and expression of tap. More importantly the message is that tap can co-exist with alternative music forms like pop, hip-hop, funk and R&B. The aim is to present tap as an exciting and hip dance & music form.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Wade Robson Conducts Dance Workshop In Malaysia

Wade Robson, the celebrated dance choreographer of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD) USA was in Malaysia last month to conduct a workshop for 80 privileged dancers who had the rare opportunity to train under a world renowned performer. The 25 year old Australian-born, 2-times Emmy Award winner who choreographed Britney Spear's 1999 World Tour at the young age of 16, conducted the exclusive two-day workshop on October 18 and 19 at Celebrity Fitness Studio in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Among the participants at the meet were previous contestants from the SYTYCD Malaysia Seasons 1 and 2 - Alam (champion season 1), Cecilia Yong (champion season 2), Dennis Yin, Jorida Lim, Vivian Chan, Farah Hanan and SYTYCD Malaysia choreographer Boojay of Floor Fever. At the workshop, Wade demonstrated dance routines taken from his latest work in the Cirque Du Soleil/Criss Angel Believe stage show. Wade also obligingly danced his own Sexyback routine choreographed to Timberlake's song together with the Floor Fever dance crew.

Wade Jeremy Williams Robson was born on September 17 1982 in Brisbane, Australia. He began performing as a professional dancer at the tender age of 5 and was a back-up dancer for Michael Jackson during Michael Jackson's Bad Tour of Australia in 1987. Wade and his family moved to the United States when he was nine years old to pursue his career in the entertainment industry. Before he turned 10, Wade had danced and acted in Michael Jackson's music videos (Black Or White, Jam, and Heal The World), numerous commercials, films and TV shows.

In 2007, Wade won an Emmy for a routine called Ramalama which he choreographed for SYTYCD. In the same year he choreographed and danced in a special performance of Dancing With The Stars which turned out to be one of the season's highest rated episodes. Wade will also be choreographing and producing Britney Spear's World Tour 2009 which is slated to begin in March next year. "The tour will be nothing like you've ever seen from Britney in the past seven years. It will be pretty crazy, wild, different, kind of sexy and elegant" Wade enthused.

Warmest Regards,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Party The Night Away At Penang Street Dance Competition & Street Dance Jamboree 2008

Danzity Dance House (http://www.danzityproductions.blogspot.com/) of Penang will be organizing the Penang Street Dance Competition 2008. The details are as follows:-

Dates:- December 20 2008 (Preliminary), December 27 2008 (Final)

Venues:- Preliminary - New World Park, Final - Queensbay Mall

The prizes offered are:-

• Champion - RM2000 (Cash & Gifts)
  
  1st Runner Up - RM1500 (Cash & Gifts)
  
  2nd Runner Up - RM1000 (Cash & Gifts)
  
  Consolation - 5 X RM100 (Cash & Gifts)

The Rules of the competition are:-

• 1. Three to six members per team
  
  2. No offensive or revealing costumes permitted
  
  3. Maximum 4 minutes on stage for each team
  
  4. No offensive or foul content in songs selected
  
  5. No use of cigarettes or drugs permitted in the events premises
  
  6. Participants are to arrive 1 hour prior to the competition
  
  7. Competition is only open to non-professional teams
  
  8. Closing date for registration is November 15 2008
  
  9. Late entries are subject to approval of organizers
  
  10. Registration fee RM20 per person. Late registration RM30 per person

The Penang Street Dance Competition 2008 is part of the Penang State I-Dance Campaign 2008 organized by Danzity Dance House. The campaign will showcase dance related programs and activities aimed at creating awareness and promoting interest in dancing as a healthy activity to the youth of Penang. Among the activities promoted are dance classes, workshops, roadshows and performances. The campaign will culminate in a Street Dance Jamboree on December 28 2008 at New World Park. For more information kindly contact Grace (012-4129272), Sean (012-4861699), email: info@danzity.gosh.com.my or log on to http://www.idance2008.blogspot.com/.

Best Wishes,

Dance Aficionado

Shuffle Your Way To Melbourne

KFC Holdings (Malaysia) Bhd has recently launched the "Shuffle Your Way To Melbourne" Contest. Some of the salient terms & conditions (please check out their website http://www.kfchotrods.com.my/ for the full terms & conditions) of the contest are:-

1. The contest is open to all Malaysians aged 12 and above.

2. The contest period is from November 17 to December 7 2008.

3. Participants are allowed to submit as many videos as they wish. All entries must show the participants 'shuffling' with the KFC Hot Rods.

4. The duration of each video should be a minimum of 40 seconds and a maximum of 1 minute.

5. Contestants have a choice to select their own music to 'shuffle' to as long as it is free from explicit content.

6. All entries must be submitted via YouTube.

7. All video submissions will go through a short-listing stage where 20 finalists will be selected by the judges for the Grand Final.

8. The Grand Final will be held from December 8 to December 12 2008 where the video entries will be open to public votes.

9. The Grand Prize of 1 holiday package to Melbourne, Australia will be awarded to the entry from the Grand Final that receives the most number of votes followed by the next 9 top voted entries who will be awarded the special prize. The next 10 entries that follow will win the Consolation Prize.

10. Registration closes on December 6 2008.

There are 2 ways of participating in this contest - 1) Online or 2) On-Ground. For the online participation you will basically have to record yourself doing the Shuffle Dance and then upload your video on YouTube. For the on-ground participation you will have to check out the on-ground location schedule from Fly FM and Hot FM. Be there, and the crew will record your moves on camera. They will then submit your dance video online. The on-ground locations are in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang.

The shuffle or what is more popularly known as the Melbourne shuffle is a dance style created in the underground parties in Melbourne, Australia during the early 1990s. The basic movements are a fast heel and toe action with a style suitable for various types of electronic music. Some variants include arm movements. Melbourne shuffle footwork is based on Celtic dance, in particular Irish dance. Since the days of the Gold Rush in Australia, there has been a large Celtic population in Melbourne, mainly from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Spain (Iberia) and France (Gaul). The Melbourne shuffle is gaining popularity in many countries around the world due in no small part to the many shuffle videos that have been posted on YouTube.

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Zumba - A Fusion Of Dance And Aerobics That Is Taking The World By Storm

Zumba is a fitness programme that is fast becoming a worldwide craze. The fitness programme combines Latin rhythms with cardiovascular exercises to create an aerobics routine that is fun and easy to follow. Participants often comment that it is so much fun that they don't think of it as a workout. There are presently more than 20,000 Zumba trained instructors in 35 countries and millions of Zumba Fitness DVDs have been sold worldwide. Zumba enthusiasts all over the world are discovering the joy of dancing and the benefits to their health all at the same time.

Colombian fitness trainer Beto Perez stumbled upon the concept of Latin inspired fitness in his native country of Colombia in the mid 1990s. He introduced a fitness programme which he called Zumba and which soon became very popular in his class. The word Zumba is Spanish slang for "to move fast and have fun". In 1999 Perez brought the class to the United States where he was approached by Alberto Perlman and Alberto Aghion to create a global company based on the Zumba fitness philosophy. The three young entrepreneurs then set a goal to offer Zumba classes all over the world. In 2007, Zumba was introduced to Mexico, Japan, China, Britain, Italy and Spain.

The fun workout comprises of approximately 70% Latin dances (eg. cha cha cha, samba, mambo) and 30% of other dances from around the world (eg. flamenco, calypso, hip hop). "We utilize the the principles of fitness interval training and resistance training to maximize caloric output, fat burning and total body burning. It's a way of mixing body sculpting movements and easy-to-follow dance steps" says Perez. "It's fun and addictive. It's wonderful to see so many people having fun while getting fit. I think the terrific Latin rhythms in the programme have taken the 'work' out of "working out" he added.

Perez was here in Kuala Lumpur in March 2008 to help lay down the groundwork for starting the Zumba Fitness programme in Malaysia. He, along with fellow fitness trainer Tanya Beardsley gave a series of master classes to other fitness trainers at California Fitness which is currently offering Zumba classes at its fitness centres. California Fitness presently has 4 fitness centres in the Klang Valley - Menara Standard Chartered, Lot 10 Shopping Centre, Mid Valley Megamall all in Kuala Lumpur and Sunway Pyramid in Petaling Jaya.

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Experience Hip Hop Culture At Kuala Lumpur Hip Hop Festival On November 15 2008

The inaugural Kuala Lumpur Hip Hop Festival will be held on November 15 2008 at Modesto's at Lot 46652 off Jalan Bukit Kiara, Sri Hartamas, 50480 Kuala Lumpur (telephone number 603-62017898). Hip hop artists from the United States of America, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia will be getting ready for a showdown this Saturday at this restaurant in the popular entertainment enclave of Sri Hartamas/Mon't Kiara where the local and expatriate communities often gather to chill out.

With a theme called "Rhyme For A Reason", those attending the festival can expect great entertainment and a wonderful time. Proceeds from the sales of the tickets will be channeled to Stop Violence Against Children; a non-governmental organization. Fans and enthusiasts will be treated to live performances by both professionals and amateurs who will showcase the four core elements of hip hop culture - emceeing (often referred to as rapping), DJ-ing, breakdancing and graffiti art.

Artists who are expected to perform at the festival include Akil from Jurassic 5, Phlowtron, Reefa, MC Samir, KLG Sqwad, 4Dub, Sould ID, Diplomats International featuring Vandal, Tech 1, Rudi Twisted and Ras Muhamad and Phatnatrix. The emcee for the event will be Altimet, a popular local deejay, songwriter and publisher(http://www.altimet.blogspot.com/). Workshops will also be conducted for those wishing to experience or learn more about the hip hop culture.

The festival will start at 12.00 noon and will last till about 2.00 am the next morning. Tickets priced at RM55 are available at all Modesto's outlets and the office of The Reach Events in Plaza Damas, Sri Hartamas. You can also get them at the door on the day of the event for RM65. For more information about the KL Hip Hop Festival, call 603-62031051 or 6016-3279945. For those intending to drive there, it would be advisable to car pool due to the traffic congestion and parking problems in Sri Hartamas.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

World Celebrates Obama's Victory In 2008 US Presidential Elections

The whole world rejoiced in the election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the Unites States Of America on November 4. Never before has a US presidential election being so closely watched and followed by the world. Not since the days of new president John F Kennedy has the world's heart been so open and filled with good feelings for the United States of America. The magnitude and emotion of the world reaction illustrated the international character of the US presidency. Many look to Washington as the place where the global issues of war and peace, prosperity or crisis are decided.

In Kuala Lumpur, Americans and non-Americans gathered at the ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel to watch the elections. In Rio De Janeiro, Brazilians partied on the beach. In Jakarta, Indonesia, hundreds of students at his former elementary school poured into the school courtyard and danced in the rain when the results were announced on television. A national holiday was declared in Kenya - where Obama's father was born - in honour of the first black US president elect. The biggest cheers for Obama outside of the United States probably came from the residents of Obama in Japan.

Obama, which means "small beach" in Japanese lies in the Fukui prefecture and is about 4 hours train from Tokyo. The Obama campaign had brought an air of excitement to this sleepy hollow which has a population of approximately 30,000. Local leaders had hoped to promote tourism by latching on to the connection and giving a fillip to the economy. An "Obama for Obama" supporters group attracted 1500 members. A hula dance group called the "Obama Girls" was also formed in honor of Obama's Hawaiian heritage. When their namesake's victory was declared, the residents of Obama were ecstatic and dancers performed on stage in the city hall.

When president elect Barack Obama visits Japan, hopefully next year I wonder whether he will visit the town of Obama to thank the residents there for their support during the White House campaign. I am sure the residents of Obama will be thrilled to meet him and will roll out the red carpet to welcome him. They may even make Obama an honorary citizen of Obama. The mayor of Obama has recently announced that he intends to commission the erection of a statue of Barack Obama to be put in front of the city hall "as a token of the great historical moment for the name Obama". In addition he has declared that November 4 be made an annual holiday in the city.

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"Evolution Of Dance" The Number 1 Most Favourited (All Time) Video On YouTube

YouTube is a video sharing website where users can upload, share and view video clips. The company was founded in 2005 by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen and Jawed Karim. YouTube was acquired by Google in 2006 and is presently headquartered in San Bruno, California, USA. Unregistered users can watch most videos on the site while registered users are allowed to upload an unlimited number of videos. YouTube reported that in January 2008 alone, nearly 79 million users had made over 3 billion video views. YouTube also bestows numerous awards on the videos including the "Most Viewed, Most Favourited, Most Discussed and Top Rated".

As far as video clips go, Evolution Of Dance by American motivational speaker and comedian Judson (Jud) Laipply is undoubtedly one of the most popular of video clips to have appeared on YouTube. The six-minute video posted on YouTube by Laipply in 2006, features him dancing to a soundtrack that plays through various popular songs by various artistes ranging from Elvis Presley (Hound Dog) to Chubby Checker (The Twist), Village People (YMCA), MC Hammer (U Can't Touch This) and Michael Jackson (Billie Jean & Thriller).

Evolution of Dance was the finale to Laipply's 2002 show called Inspirational Comedy. Laipply said he came up with the name Inspirational Comedy to help describe what he does. He wanted people to know that he was going to try and be funny but also give them things to think about and try to inspire them all in the same experience. During its initial rise in popularity, the video amassed over 10 million views in under two weeks. It was also featured on CNN, MSN, E!, USA Today, Good Morning America, The Today Show, AOL, Google and many other websites.

Evolution Of Dance is currently the Number 1 Most Favourited (All Time) Video, Number 2 Most Viewed (All Time) Video and Number 6 Most Discussed (All Time) Video on YouTube. The video has been viewed over 103 million times as at October 30 2008. It had the most all time views for just over 2 years before being replaced by the music video for Avril Lavigne's Girlfriend which also had more than 100 million views. Anyone who has watched Evolution Of Dance is bound to be bombarded with flashbacks, for the better or worse, of a particular period of their youth so characterized by the iconic dances which accompany the songs.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Viennese Ball 2008 Kuala Lumpur - 5 Lucky Couples Chosen To Attend Vienna Opera Ball

The Viennese Ball 2008 which was held on October 25 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre was a truly spectacular event. More than 700 persons amongst them royalty, dignitaries and socialites attended the social function. Those present included the Royal Patron of the ball, Yang Amat Mulia, Tunku Naquiyuddin Tuanku Ja'afar, Regent of the State of Negri Sembilan and His Excellency Dr Donatus Koeck, the Austrian Ambassador to Malaysia. The ball was held in aid of the Yayasan Tunku Naquiyuddin and Pure Life Society charity foundations. This is the second time the Austrian Embassy in Malaysia is organizing the ball (www.vienneseball.my) after the resounding success of the one held last year.

At the cocktail reception there was a performance by young musicians from the Ann Perreau Music Studio, Austria who charmed everyone with a splendid show despite their young ages. During dinner, there was a haute couture fashion show by Malaysian designer Melvin Lam. This was followed by a piano recital by Austrian pianist Professor Johann Turek. Renowned soprano Marcelo Cerno, accompanied by the Ambassade Orchestra Vienna also gave a splendid performance. Josef Dolinsky and Raffaela Pegani, two of the principal dancers from the Ballet School of the Vienna State Opera delighted the audience with a polka, waltz and czardas (Hungarian dance) performance.

One of the highlights of the Viennese Ball was the introduction of the 53 debutantes and the opening dance by the debutantes and their partners. A debutante was by tradition an upper class girl in Europe who had come of age and is to be formally introduced or who makes a debut at a ball to announce her eligibility to other men. The debutantes who were immaculately dressed in white ballgowns and their partners who looked resplendent in tailcoats danced the Polonaise, Quadrille and the Viennese Waltz. Five of the best couples were chosen to attend the Vienna Opera Ball in Austria in February 2009. They were:-

1. Jonathan Fam & Ellya Sam

2. Samuel Sum & Chew Su Fen

3. Jan Zwiefelhofer & Theresa Ahrens

4. Syed Amir Faisal Syed Ali & Sasha Leong

5. Surendaran Chandra Sekaran & Alicia Thooi

Debutante co-ordinator Selma Skriegner said - "We weren't just looking at how well they did the Viennese Waltz. We also had to see if they were good dancers, whether they could do the other dances like the Cha Cha Cha, Rumba, Foxtrot and Rock & Roll. Dance instructor Reinhard Polt who was very pleased with his charges, quipped - "They performed very very well. And I think they loved it, they've enjoyed this Viennese Ball!" His Excellency Dr Donatus Koeck said he hoped that the Viennese Ball will be a yearly event here and that Malaysians can get more interested in organizing it. "Its quite a huge task for a small embassy like mine" he added.

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Antimo Russo Of Italy To Conduct Latin American Dance Workshop In Malaysia

SBW Dancesport Centre of Muar, Johor will be organizing a dance workshop which will be be conducted by Antimo Russo of Italy. The details are as follows:-

Date: November 15 2008 (Saturday)

Time: 8.00 pm to 10.00 pm

Venue: SBW Dancesport Centre
48-39A, Jalan Taman Sakeh Baru 1/2
Taman Sakeh Baru
Muar, Johor

Malaysia

Tel. No: 019-7745871 (Mr Siow Boon Wah)

Fax. No: 06-9511069

Email: sbw_dance@hotmail.com

Fees: RM80 for a 2 hours workshop

The dances and the topics that will be touched upon and discussed by Antimo Russo at the workshop are:-

Cha Cha Cha - development of rhythm, balance and changes of body weight, check position in the New York action and split Cuban break, differences.

Rumba - appropriate technique in the walks (forward & backward), application of a rotation to a walk, lead & follow, change of the rules.

Besides teaching Latin American dances in Hong Kong, China where he is currently based, Antimo Russo also teaches Argentine tango and salsa. Russo, 27, has taken part in many world dancesport competitions including the Blackpool Professional Latin American Dance championship. He is presently dancing with Ee Phei San of Hong Kong. For more information on Antimo Russo, please check out http://www.arthurmurrayhk.com/.

Best Wishes As Usual,

Dance Aficionado
Dancesport Malaysia

Line Dancers Converge On Christmas Island For 50th Anniversary Celebrations

Christmas Island is a territory of Australia and lies in the Indian Ocean. It is located about 500 km south of the Indonesian island of Java. With an area of 135 square kilometers, Christmas Island is approximately half the size of Penang Island. Captain William Mynors of the British East India Company gave the island its name when he arrived on the island on December 25 1643. In 1887, phosphate was discovered on the island which led to the annexation of the island by the British Crown on June 6 1888. Phosphate mining began in the 1890s using indentured labour from China and the Malay archipelago. Sovereignty of the island was transferred to Australia in 1958 and Territory Day is celebrated on October 1 every year with much gusto by the islanders.

This year, Christmas Island celebrated its 50th year of being a territory of Australia. The celebrations somehow attracted the attention of a group of more than 100 Malaysians comprising dancers, marathon runners as well as friends and family who cleverly combined the idea of a holiday, anniversary celebrations, dance workshop and half marathon all in one. On Oct 3, the group flew to Christmas Island on a chartered flight. The next day the dancers took part in a line dance workshop conducted by Australian dance instructor Chris Watson who had come to Christmas Island with three of his dancers from Tamworth, New South Wales. Watson belongs to a dance group called Dare To Dance (http://www.dare2dance.org/) which conducts workshops around the world.

The group of line dancers comprised mainly of dancers from two studios in Selangor, namely Jasz Dance and Studio 33 who meet regularly for parties and workshops in the Klang Valley. (For more information on their line dancing activities, contact Jasz Dance at 012-6551164 or Studio 33 at 012-3880315). The runners from Malaysia and their Christmas Island counterparts also took part in a half marathon. The 21 km "JW Flora and Fauna Fun Run" hosted by the CI Cricket and Sporting Club (http://www.cicsc.org.cx/) took the runners through the woods and roads of the beautiful island. Scott Fischer, president of the CICSC said the club hoped to organize a full marathon in future.

The population of Christmas Island stands at about 1000; made up roughly of 70% Chinese, 20% Europeans and 10% Malays. The island is noted for its lush tropical rainforest, amazing flora & fauna, birdlife, beautiful beaches and stunning landscapes. It is also famous for its red crabs and robber crabs, known elsewhere as cocunut crabs. The annual red crab mass migration to the sea to spawn has been called one of the wonders of the natural world and takes place every year around November. More than 60% of the island is now under the protection of the Australian Parks Authority. The park on the island contains the last remaining habitat of the endangered Abott's booby and the only nesting sites of the Christmas Island frigate birds

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