Events
The Society of Australian Teachers of Dancing has run competitions and events within Australia since 1945.
The events in the calendar include dates going back over 50 years. The details are as follows:
March and September Competitions
The advertised dates in March and September were established fifty
years ago and have been successfully organised on the corresponding
weekend every year since their inception.
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Crowds enjoying the 2003 Australasian Championships
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The Australasian Championships
The Australasian Championships have also been established for fifty years.
These have become a major national event and have been conducted in all
states of Australia and New Zealand on a rotation basis.
Event Sponsorship
The Society of Australian Teachers of Dancing is the only dance organisation
in Australia who has sponsored amateur and professional competitors for amounts
up to $40,000 each year for travel and accomodation each year.
To allow us to continue our sponsorship aims, we look forward to your support
for our upcoming events in 2004.
The Society
The Society of Australian Teachers of Dancing Ltd., (known as S.A.T.D.)
was inaugurated in 1945 when a group of Stage Teachers invited the
late Jack Keating to Chair a meeting with the view to Forming an alternate
dance association in Australia. That meeting resulted in a uniting
of Ballroom and Stage Teachers and the S.A.T.D was founded.
Under the guidance of Jack Keating, together with Des Etheridge (Secretary)
and the late Bob Potter (Treasurer), the S.A.T.D. introduced its medal
test examinations while continuing to promote Amateur and Professional
competition and championship events. In those early years, many prominent
teachers became S.A.T.D. members, helping the Association to advance and
prosper. Following a visit to Sydney in 1949 by Jack and Val Guthrie
of New Zealand, the formation of S.A.T.D. New Zealand was
achieved, and since then, it has been the official Organiser of the
Australasian Championships in New Zealand.
Co-operation between the Australian Institute of Dance (WA) and the
S.A.T.D. (NSW) resulted in teams from Perth (organized by Robert Wrightson)
travelling across the Nullabor to the eastern states, culminating in
Interstate Teams’ Matches - which were very successfully presented at the
famous Trocadero in Sydney.
1950 saw the S.A.T.D, as a major driving force in the organisation of the
Australasian Championships. State organisers were appointed and they
became responsible for the selection of State Representatives each
year, as well as the presentation of the Australasian in their
respective States, on a State to State rotation basis. This truly unique
format proved successful and still remains in place today. The S.A.T.D.
(NSW) is the of official organiser of the Australasian
in NSW and continues its commitment of financing large contingents
of dancers each year to the State wherever the Australasian
Championships are being conducted.
The early fifties saw the S.A.T.D. organizing championships in Queensland
under the control of the late Ron Steele, and about the same time,
S.A.T.D. (Queensland) was granted the right to be the of official Organiser
of the Australasian in Queensland. During 1964 the Australian Dancing
Board was established and Jack Keating, along with Eileen Kane, Robert
Wrightson and the late Mickey Powell played a major role in its
formation. In 1978 S.A.T.D. was admitted as a member of the
A.D.B. It was the year in which Don Kersnovske was appointed as our
Queensland Organiser for the Sunshine State Championships and Australasian
Selections, and was also the year that saw the passing of the S.A.T.D.
founder, Jack Keating. That year also saw Allan Crane eIected as
President, and together with Alastair MacIntyre (Secretary) and Doreen Costello
(Treasurer), they worked towards the Company incorporation which came to
fruition in 1984. Due to the efforts of Allan Crane, the S.A.T.D. was
able to acquire real estate whilst maintaining growth in medal test
examinations and promotion of competitions and championships. On the
retirement of Allan Crane in 1986, Alastair Maclntyre was elected as
President with Doreen Costello as Secretary/Treasurer. For personal reasons
AIastair MacIntyre retired in 1988 and Bill Duggen, who had been a S.A.T.D.
Director for many years, was elected to the Chair. In 1993, Don Kersnovske,
a long standing member and organiser of the Sunshine State
Championships and S.A.T.D. Director to the Australian Dancing Board, was
elected as S.A.T.D. President/Chairman. Presently, the S.A.T.D. is one
of the major dance organisations in Australia. It has been active in its
service to the Dance Fraternity for over 50 years. S.A.T.D. is well known
throughout Australia, especially for its voluntary work in the sponsorship
of couples to the Australasian Championships as well as to other interstate
events. S.A.T.D. is currently a member of the AustraIian Dancing Board and
also the NSW Combined Societies and is represented in many areas, including
Hunter Valley Districts, by Helen Moffatt, Southern Highlands by Darryl
Navybox and Northern River areas by Roy Gosper and Betty Lindsey.
Tasmania is represented in the north by Eve Reddish and in Hobart by Mark Reddish.
The Directors are pleased to be able to take this opportunity to extend our
thanks to all those Amateurs, Professionals and members of the Public alike,
who have supported S.A.T.D. events and so enabled us to achieve our goals. We are
happy also, to advise that plans are in hand for the S.A.T.D. to continue
its progressive and successful format well into the new millennium.
President/Chairman - Don Kersnovske Secretary/Treasurer - Doreen Costello