XN000022-1984-06-04 — Page 5

MONDAY, JUNE 4, 1984

SCHEME THAT TAPS DANCE TALENT

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OUTSTANDING PARTICIPANTS IN THE ANNUAL SCHOOLS DANCE FESTIVAL ARE REWARDED WITH FREE DANCE TRAINING THAT FULLY TAPS THEIR LATENT TALENTS.

'A DANCE TRAINING SCHEME FOR SCHOOLS, UNDER THE SPONSORSHIP OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, WAS INTRODUCED LAST YEAR TO HELP GIFTED DANCERS DEVELOP THEIR SKILLS,' SAID MRS CHIU SHUM SHUK-HAAN, PRINCIPAL INSPECTOR (PHYSICAL EDUCATION), OF THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

SHE SAID THAT 444 PARTICIPANTS IN LAST YEAR'S DANCE FESTIVAL WHO HAD DEMONSTRATED KEEN INTEREST AND POTENTIAL WERE CHOSEN FOR THIS PILOT SCHEME.

COURSES IN CHINESE DANCE, WESTERN FOLK OR NATIONAL DANCE AND CREATIVE DANCE WERE PROVIDED IN THE FIRST PHASE OF TRAINING LAST SUMMER.

A TOTAL OF 190 STUDENTS WERE LATER SELECTED TO CONTINUE WITH THE SECOND PHASE OF TRAINING WHICH WILL BE COMPLETED THIS MONTH.

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THEY ALL RECEIVE SKILLS TRAINING FROM LOCAL DANCE EXPERTS AND THE 108 STUDENTS OF WESTERN AND CREATIVE DANCE RECENTLY SAT FOR THE IMPERIAL SOCIETY OF TEACHERS OF DANCING GRADE EXAMINATION, SAID MRS CHIU.

ALL OF THEM PASSED THE EXAMINATION, COLLECTING 43 HONOURS, 43 +HIGHLY COMMENDED+ AWARDS AND 20 +COMMENDED+ AWARDS.

THE SCHOOLS DANCE FESTIVAL IS A GOOD MEANS TO UNCOVER HIDDEN TALENT, SHE SAID.

MRS CHIV RECALLED THAT WHEN THE FESTIVAL WAS FIRST INTRODUCED PY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IN 1965, ONLY 24 SCHOOLS WITH 240 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED, COMPARED WITH 280 SCHOOLS WITH 3 867 STUDENTS IN THIS YEAR'S EVENT.

TO ENCOURAGE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE DANCE FORMS AND LARGER PARTICIPATION, THE RANGE OF DANCES OFFERED IN THE FESTIVAL HAS BEEN WIDENED TO INCLUDE WESTERN FOLK OR NATIONAL DANCE, CHINESE DANCE, WESTERN DANCE DRAMA, CHINESE DANCE DRAMA, ORIENTAL DANCE AND CREATIVE DANCE.

'BASED ON MARKS GAINED IN THE PERFORMANCES, PRIZES ARE GIVEN IN THE FORM OF HONOURS AWARDS, HIGHLY COMMENDED AWARDS AND COMMENDEJ AWARD CERTIFICATES,' MRS CHIU SAID.

OVERALL CHALLENGE AWARDS WILL ALSO BE PRESENTED TO THREE SECONDARY AND THREE PRIMARY SCHOOLS WITH THE HIGHEST OVERALL SCORES IN THE FESTIVAL.

AFTER THE COMPETITIONS, PRIZE-WINNERS WILL STAGE PUBLIC PERFORMANCES IN THE CITY HALL AND TSUEN WAN TOWN HALL.

/THEY ARE .******