A voyage of discovery

Doing something the same way you’ve always done it doesn’t really require a lot of thought. There are not many questions to ask that haven’t been asked before, and very few answers that will come as a surprise.

Deciding to try something new is not always the obvious choice, and it brings lot of questions and answers you might never have anticipated. It is a bit of a voyage of discovery, and can be both challenging and rewarding.

Click to download the programme

Johnsonville and Island Bay embarked on such a voyage at the end of last year, when we decided to join forces to run an annual dance together in 2018. And we are so glad we did.

Club members got to work alongside each other in the organising sub-committee, at hall set-up, in supper preparation and serving, and of course we all got together on the dance floor. Our tutors Jeanette Watson (Island Bay) and Rod Downey (Johnsonville) devised a joint programme reflecting the favourite dances of both clubs, and shared the MC’ing on the night.

Why did we do it?  Wellington’s annual dance calendar is quite full in the winter. Additionally many dancers (and tutors) travel at that time, and then there are rugby matches, and orchestra and choral performances, the ballet and many other winter wonders. Rather than have two clubs competing with each other for dancers at such a busy time, we decided to try a different approach.

Our reward was a relaxed night for all with many hands making light work, getting to know people we might not have known so well before, and a bounteous supper! We also had a beautifully decorated hall strung with tartan bunting from Johnsonville, saltires and shields on the walls, and the Island Bay banner taking pride of place on the stage.

The joy of Cadgers in the Canongate

Members from both clubs turned out in force, together with dancers from around the Wellington Region. Eight plus sets on the floor made for a festive atmosphere, and everyone was buzzing.

Did it require more organisation than usual? Absolutely. We all had to look closely at what we did and why, and could/should we do it differently.

We had to work collaboratively, take the character of each club into account and decide things like: What’s our financial bottom line?  How much should we charge at the door? Spend on a band? Which band? Which venue? How will we organise who does what job? How will we split the MC’ing on the night? It was a really interesting process and it brought fresh perspectives.

Would we do it again?  I can’t speak for everyone else, but for me, the answer is “yes”.  It was a great night, and having put in the work getting it up and running the first time, it would be worth capitalising on that investment of effort to do it again. And our reasons for doing it this time remain unchanged going into the future.

Johnsonville tartan bunting, saltires and shields and the Island Bay banner on the stage decorated the hall

Keeping the dance calendar uncluttered, with fewer competing dance events seems to make sense.

Additionally with two clubs committed to making the night a success, we had the support of two clubs’ membership – a good basis for a good turnout. Plus we all had a good time, so why not?

A lot of people contributed to the success of the night, but a special thank you must go to the organising sub-committee. They worked hard to make sure our joint annual dance ran smoothly, and each club’s identity was honoured. Thanks to sub-committee members Allison Kay, Elizabeth Ngan, Jeanette Watson, Jo Worthington, John Jowett and Rod Downey, together with Loralee Hyde on communications.

Kristin Downey (Chair, Joint annual dance sub-committee)

See more photos of the joint Johnsonville – Island Bay Annual Dance

Originally published in Harbour City Happenings Volume 21 No. 2 September 2018