Archive: Author: tottonc

Gaye’s dancing journey began with Irish dancing at the age of six. She became a Teacher & Adjudicator in her early 20ies & ran her own Irish dancing school for 20 years.

Since qualifying as a teacher in SCDing she has taught at 2 NZ Summer Schools, 2 Australian Winter Schools, many Day & Weekend Schools, along with Region Classes, & a Day of Dance in Gosford, Australia. Recently, she has taught at 2 Days Schools, teaching exclusively dances she has devised.

Devising is Gaye’s passion. She has published 6 books, with another on the way. One of the most exciting projects she initiated, & project-managed with husband Damon, has been the Training Formation Videos, which you can find on this website. These are also YouTubed & excitingly, are being used worldwide.

Damon started dancing as a fifteen-year-old and is convinced that his fitness and flexibility owes much to that early involvement. His parents and his brother all danced, and he still meets up with his brother on the dance floor from time to time.

Damon has taught at day schools & weekend schools across New Zealand. He has recently had a second crack at teaching at an Australian Winter School (in conjunction with his wife, Gaye) and has taught at numerous Summer Schools in New Zealand (going back a disturbingly long way!). His other “hat” is as Master of Ceremonies for major events, which he has often been asked to do at Summer School even when not on the teaching staff.

Damon and Gaye have extended their knowledge and appreciation of the “family” of Scottish Country Dancers in recent years by dancing in England, Scotland, France, and Germany.

Chris joined the dancing world at the young age of 6 in a small Waikato town. Over the years he became more involved becoming part of the local club’s committee, and later the Lower Hutt Club’s committee. In 2016 Chris was approached by the Kelburn Club and invited to become their tutor. He taught the club for 5 years before they closed the doors for the final time in 2022 following COVID. He started working toward his teaching certificate while at Kelburn Club and is now fully qualified in 2025.

Over the last few years, Chris took on a joint role as Lower Hutt Club tutor 2023-2025, as well as becoming the Juniors tutor and relieving at other clubs around the region. He has also organized Hogmanay and summer dancing over the last few years, and is now organizing Summer School for 2027-28.

Andrea has been dancing for just over 30 years now, having started as a child in England. After moving to New Zealand at the age of 10, she continued dancing at Eastbourne, Lower Hutt and Upper Hutt Clubs, before starting her teaching certificate in her early 20’s while finishing my University Degree.

During Andrea’s dancing and teaching career she has attended and taught at Summer Schools, Weekend Schools and Day Schools around the country and has just finished co-teaching at Lower Hutt Club. Andrea recently taught at an Australian Winter School in New South Wales.