Karori dancer features in major contest

By Frank Neill

Karori dancer Arabella Shackel will feature in the upcoming Alana Haines Australasian Dance Awards (AHA), held in honour of another Karori dancer.

This year’s awards, which will showcase Australasia’s most talented dancers aged from 11 to 18, will take place at the St James Theatre from 8 to 10 April, with the finals of the competition beginning at 6pm on the final day.

Dancer Alana Haines was 11 years old when she tragically died in a car accident on Christmas Eve 1989.

Since the inaugural 1991 competition held in her honour, the Alana Haines Australasian Awards has grown to the largest of its kind in Australasia.

Now 15 years old, Arabella began dancing when she was three. She is “really excited” for this amazing opportunity, Arabella says, and she hopes to learn lots and grow as an artist.

Peace as Institution to improve People’s Lives: The 7th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War

Under the theme of “Institutional Peace: Strengthening Communication to Build Trust”, an international peace NGO, Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light (HWPL), holds its 7th Annual Commemoration of the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW) from March 14th to 19th in 41 countries from Africa, Europe, North America, and Asia.

“This declaration, comprised of 10 articles and 38 clauses, aims to restore the spirit that served as the basis for the establishment of the United Nations and to achieve sustainable peace by promoting the universal values of the global community. The DPCW contains the message of no war, peace between nations and societies, friendly relations, prosperity, happiness, this is a simple message and everyone can relate to this message,” said Prof. Dr. Md Nazrul Islam, Chairman of International Law, University of Dhaka who drafted the DPCW, in the event on March 14th.

Especially in New Zealand, an in-person event organized by the HWPL New Zealand was held at the University of Auckland and livestreamed over zoom for those in Samoa and Wellington.

The event consisted of a commemorative speech from HWPL Chairman, performance and special videos, reading of a peace letter addressed to the President of Russia and a photo exhibition of the peace work of HWPL Chairman Lee Man-hee of HWPL emphasized during the speech that one person cannot bring about peace. “The current international law cannot prevent war. Russia, a permanent member of the United Nations, waged war. The DPCW was introduced to renew the inoperative international law to eliminate war. Now is the time to achieve peace.” The Chairman also added that if people’s hearts change, a better world will be created, and that is why peace must be taught at home and at school.

People from all over the world took part in the annual commemoration, and plans were made to help bring peace to Ukraine. People from more than 100 countries wrote “Peace Letters” to say that the Russian invasion of Ukraine was against international law and to demand that Russian President Putin leave all of Ukraine’s land. These letters will be collected and sent to Ukraine, where a peace monument will be erected.

She can’t wait to perform both her solos on the St JamesTheatre stage.

Arabella is performing The Lilac Fairy variation from “Sleeping Beauty”, and a neoclassical pieceher sister India has created. India is currently a student at the Australian Ballet School, after graduating theNew Zealand School of Dance.

Arabella is in the Scholars Programme at the New Zealand School of Dance and she trains with the Fiona Haines Dance Academy in Karori.

The 400 dancers in this year’s AHA will aim initially to become one of the 33 finalists. The finalists will then compete for $400,000 of awards and prize money. Scholarships to prestigious dance schools are among the awards that will be presented.

Former AHA competitors Dane Head and Monet Galea-Hewitt, who are now a part of the Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB), will be performing “Le Papillon”, choreographed by Marie Taglioni with music by Jacques Offenbach.

When recalling their experiences competing at the AHA, they both mention the nerves building up to the competition.

“I remember practising endlessly every night at home,” Monet says.

“The Alana Haines is definitely a moment to shine, so you put a lot of demands on yourself and try to make the dance perfect.”

Both Dane and Monet are excited to be performing “Le Papillon” at this year’s competition, saying it feels like a fullcircle moment.

“I remember watching the finals night back when I was a competitor and never in a million years did I think I would be up there as a guest performer,” Dane says.

“You never really know where your career’s going to take you, so it feels very nostalgic and a privilege to come back home and perform,” Monet says.

“I remember watching performances nerves of competing, but just having the privilege to call it my profession, is truly special.”

The AHA gives young dancers amazing opportunities “to dance in renowned schools and gives them a flavour of what ballet is like outside of their own studio,” Monet adds.

“I was lucky enough to receive a scholarship to train in London for two weeks from AHA back in 2017, and that experience made me that much more hungry and determined to become a professional dancer,” Dane says.

“I will forever be grateful to the Alana Haines Awards for that.”

More information on the AHA Awards is at https://www.wellingtonnz.com/experience/ events/alana-haines-australasian-danceawards/.