Rachel's Studio of Dance

What an incredible weekend for our Nationals Team at the NZ Open One Dance Championships in Wellington! 🏆✨

The dedication, passion, determination, and energy our dancers poured into preparing for this event was incredible, and their results are a reflection of every hour of hard work they’ve invested.

🌟 Nationals Results 🌟

💃 Jysse & Kate - Adult Dancesport
• Qualified for 6 Adult Finals
• Achieved an impressive 4th placing!

💃 Keira - Solo & Dancesport singles
• 11 x 1st Places
• 13 x 2nd Places
• 2 x 3rd Places

💃 Jessica & Amelia - Junior Dancesport
• 12 x 1st Places
• 8 x 2nd Places

💃 Amy - Recreational Pre-teen
• Competed at her very first Nationals and made 3 Finals in some of the biggest events of the day!

We are incredibly proud of each and every one of our dancers. While the results are amazing, what makes us even prouder is the way our studio family comes together year after year. Through the highs and lows of this challenging weekend, our huge team of dancers, families, coaches, and supporters cheer each other on, lift each other up, and celebrate every achievement together. ❤️

Thank you to everyone who supported our team throughout the journey. Your encouragement means the world. Now it’s back to work as we continue training for our Studio Exams on July 5th and begin preparations for the Open Dancesport Championships in Auckland this October! 💪🔥

The future is looking bright, and we’re excited for what’s ahead for RSOD!

Day 1 of the NZ Open One Dance Championships was a huge success for RSOD 🤩
We are beyond proud of all 7x of our students that left their heart on the dance floor yesterday and are so excited to do it all again today. GO RSOD! ❤️‍🔥

Huge thanks to Frank from Love Wild - Wedding Films & Photography for capturing these amazing action shots (and more) of our super star students! Keep up to date with videos and moments from our busy Nationals weekend on our stories 📸

The website to order your action shots from The Southland Festival of Dance closes tomorrow!

Can’t choose? There are incredible bundle deals available which you also save BIG on 🤑 These are photos you will look back on in years to come and reminisce on this time of your life full of passion, dedication, and a deep love of dance 💛

https://lovewild.pixieset.com/guestlogin/southlandfestivalofdance/

You can now relive the magic of the Southland Festival of Dance with the official professional event photos now LIVE and ready for you to view and purchase! 📸 Love Wild - Wedding Films & Photography

After taking over 5000 photos across the festival weekend, Frank has carefully edited the very best 1700 images to showcase the incredible talent, emotion, dedication and connection that filled the Southland Festival of Dance ❤️

These aren’t just photos. The countless hours of practice, early mornings, determination, passion for Dancesport, friendships formed, proud moments, family support and the joy of performing have all been captured so beautifully through Frank’s lens. The warmth, encouragement and family feel of our studios and event truly shine through every image ✨

We are incredibly grateful for Frank’s expertise, creativity and hard work throughout the weekend. Southland is so lucky to have such an amazing local photographer and family behind Love Wild Photography. Please support local and check out these stunning works of art 📷

Pricing:
• Individual digital image — $10
• Bundle of 10 digital images — $60
• Bundle of 20 digital images — $100
• Bundle of 30 digital images — $140

Trust us… you are going to want more than one 😍💃

View the gallery here 👀 https://lovewild.pixieset.com/guestlogin/southlandfestivalofdance/

❗️Only available to purchase online until next Friday 22nd May. Don’t miss out ❗️

Today’s the day!! 🤩

If you’re looking for something to do on this chilly Saturday, come on down to the T&C stadium and watch some incredible dancing. We have several competitors from across Southland and Otago, alongside the much loved school section with West Gore School and East Gore School out to get the trophy! 🏆

Great entertainment, huge raffles, and a yummy canteen - your Saturday is sorted! 👏

Introducing our official photographer for the Southland Festival of dance 2026 - Francois Prinsloo from Love Wild - Wedding Films & Photography 📸

We are so excited to have Frank and his expertise on board. Here’s a bit about him:

Hi, I’m Francois — the filmmaker, photographer, and creative eye behind Love Wild.
Based in Riverton, Southland, and working across Southland, Otago, Canterbury, and the wider New Zealand landscape, I’ve built Love Wild to be more than just a photography and videography business. It’s a way of seeing — a way of preserving emotion, capturing connection, and telling stories with honesty and artistry.

Photos from the event will be available to browse, purchase and download online from Tuesday 12th May to Tuesday 19th May. These are more than just photos. They’re a chance to preserve a special moment in your dance journey. Whether it’s a proud smile, a big achievement, or the passion your child brings to the floor, these images are something you’ll treasure for years to come. A beautiful way to remember the hard work, growth, and highlights of this season forever ❤️‍🔥💃

Photos attached are some of Francois’ incredible dance shots from previous shoots or events.

Huge congratulations to Iylah Rae and her family for selling over 50 of our Southland Festival of Dance raffle books! That’s over 250 tickets! 🤩🥳

This huge effort greatly supports with the running cost of this amazing community event. We are so grateful for your hard work. Iylah was very excited about her new item of RSOD merch, grocery voucher and chocolates! 💛

The raffle will be drawn on Friday and all winners are announced on Saturday at the Southland Festival of Dance. Big thanks to the incredible local businesses who have sponsored an item, their skills and services to the raffle. We had over $3300 worth of prizes donated 🫶