Third place and special awards highlight successful National Dance Challenge
Posted on June 18, 2026
A third place finish, two special awards, and several top five placings highlighted a successful outing for Macleans College dancers at the National Dance Challenge (NDC).
Competing against more than 34 secondary schools, 27 students from the Macleans College Dance Academy delivered strong performances across a range of dance genres.
Representing the school in jazz, lyrical, ballet, contemporary, and hip hop, the dancers competed against some of the country's leading secondary school teams.
The competition featured an exceptionally high standard of performance. Jazz team Majesty and hip hop team Regal performed strongly in highly competitive sections of more than 15 groups. Sovereign (lyrical) placed fifth, while Valour (contemporary) also achieved fifth place in categories featuring between 12 and 17 groups.
A standout result came from the ballet team, Prestige, which secured third place with a polished and confident performance.
The dancers also earned two special awards. Regal received the Best Personality Award for its energy and stage presence, while student leaders Karen and Lene Rekdal (Te Kanawa House) were recognised with a Student Choreography Award for their ballet piece. This was a significant achievement, with more than 50 student choreographies entered in the competition.
The teams were led by student leaders Karen and Lene Rekdal, Amber Thompson (Kupe), Poppy Jackson (Mansfield) and Amy Wang (Hillary).
Throughout the event, all students represented Macleans College with professionalism, dedication and pride. The school looks forward to seeing the dancers continue their development at their next competition in August.
