Young dancers from Dance Central have attained some top results in the Asia Pacific Dance Association (APDA) exams.
Results now through from exams completed last year place six of the school’s dancers either with a top mark or top tier (top 5 per cent) in their exams completed in August 2025.
“The ADPA syllabus is worldwide and as you can imagine there are thousands of dancers doing this syllabus and exam,” says Dance Central principal Iggy Gloy, “so to gain the top mark in a genre and level or be in the top five per cent is an incredible achievement.”
As well as other students from New Zealand, the Asia Pacific region includes dancers from the likes of Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, says Gloy.
“So it is quite massive… that our little studio in Taupō, every year since we started the syllabus, we’ve just grown in our numbers of getting these top results.
“It’s really cool considering we’re not competing, but we are doing the same work as other studios in Australia and all over Asia, and we can hold our heads up high.”
A top mark means only one person in Australasia gained that result, she says, while a top tier mark might mean a mark like 99 per cent shared between a few students.
The school had top marks: Maddie Scott (8) for junior jazz 2 and for contemporary 2 while Harlow Brown (7), got one for agility, level 2.
“So young ones coming through and doing really, really well.”
Among the school’s four top tier marks, which Gloy equates to a second or third place in the marking schedule, was Elsie Paul for primary jazz one.
“This is remarkable because Elsie was diagnosed a few years ago with leukaemia. And also, I think they removed a brain tumour, so she’s blind in one eye. And for this little girl… to get that because there were some learning difficulties along the way and obviously spatial awareness along the way, that was tricky. But she got a top tier result for primary jazz one, which we are just so stoked about.”
Attending a conference last year for the ADPA syllabus in Thailand was an eye opener, says Gloy.
In one workshop with students demonstrating, she says it was like watching an entire class of Maddie Scotts dancing.
“It’s competitive and tough, but you know that if you get that kind of result, you have earned it. It’s not going to fall in your lap.”
As well as affirmation of the dedication of local students, she says the marks mean the tutors must be doing something right.
“And if I also look at the genres covered… we’re excelling in a range of all different styles that we have on offer, and that’s super great too, because we have different teachers teaching these different genres.”
Dance Central Results
Top Marks
Madison Scott – Junior Jazz 2
Madison Scott – Contemporary Level 2
Harlow Brown – Acro Level 2
Top Tier
Shayla-Rose Smith – Contemporary Level 9
Evelyn Clift – Acro Level 2
Isla Joyner – HipHop Level 5
Elsie Paul – Primary Jazz 1
Picture: Elsie Paul, Evelyn Clift, Harlow Brown, Isla Joyner, Maddie Scott and (not shown) Shayla-Rose Smith got top or top tier marks in their 2025 Asia Pacific Dance Association (APDA) exams.
This story has also appeared on LakeFM Dancers post promising results in ADPA exams
