Dance success for Raylene

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 4, Issue 35, 17 February 1987, Page 6

Dance success for Raylene

Raylene Sue took up classical ballet seven years ago, hoping it would give her a background for tap dancing. Today she has the ability to make a career in modern dance. Ohakune 'born and bred\ Raylene began modern dance four years ago. Under the guidance of her teacher, Julie Mickelson, of Taihape,

Raylene has recently reached a professional standard after successfully completing the New Zealand Association of Modern Dance Solo examination which requires a 90 percent pass mark. The thirty minute routine is made up by teacher and student prior to the examination and includes performing warm up exercises, modern jazz, classical modern. and impromptu dances in front of examiner Valerie Wilsori of Wanganui. Raylene is the only person to have completed the course in the area and plans

to pass on her knowledge and experience by helping her dance teacher with younger pupils. She says she would like to further her dancing, perhaps auditioning for Limbs Dance Company. In the future she would also like to teach at her own school of dancing. She says she prefers modern dancing to classical ballet because it is easier to express feeling. Classical has set routine she added. Raylene comes from a sports orientated family who support her and help her also with all the travel-

ling involved to lessons and competitions. Raylene is currently working as a receptionist at Ruapehu Outback Adventures in Ohakune after leaving Ruapehu College at the end of last year. She enjoys a wide variety of sports including softball, basketball, snow skiing and waterskiing. When Raylene went to Julie Mickelsons School of Dancing she said she really had to be dedicated. "Training alone is so much more difficult without someone i else pushing you along,"she commented.