2016 was the first year of the Outside Change Cup & Freedom To Dance Ball, it was a huge gamble, and a very big task to undertake to get this event underway as there was really nothing like it anywhere in Australia.
With the help of so many people starting with our event consultants, Brent Olifent and Anna Longmore, the encouragement of Anthony Hurley and Richard & Anne Gleave of the Freedom To Dance movement, the fabulous New Zealand Ambassador Viktoria Morgan, and of course the support of the dancing community in Melbourne and right across Australia and Asia, this event has gone from strength to strength in it’s 4 years of running.
The first year was extremely difficult for the local dancing community to understand the concept, justify the pricing and the format. People were very sceptical to begin with as this sort of event only ever happened throughout Asia, but never in Australia of this scale and grandeur.
In our 3rd year, we had a fully booked venue and in 2019 we had a long wait list for table seats and, after having to cancel the 2020 and 2021 event due to the COVID pandemic, we were overwhelmed with the 5th OC Cup 2022, being a total sell out once again with a huge wait list of people wanting to attend for the evening Dinner/Ball.
Over the years, we have had some amazing international adjudicators attend, these wonderful people have been;
2016
- Charlotte Jorgensen (USA)
- Luka Fanni (Italy)
- John Tan (Singapore)
- Doug Pouwhare (New Zealand)
2017
- Anthony Hurley (UK)
- Karen Hardy (UK)
- Luka Fanni (Italy)
- John Tan (Singapore)
- Viktoria Morgan (New Zealand)
2018
- Anthony Hurley (UK)
- Karen Hardy (UK)
- Angelo Madonia (Italy)
- John Tan (Singapore)
- Viktoria Morgan (New Zealand)
- Kingsley Gainsford (New Zealand)
2019
- Anthony Hurley (UK)
- Karen Hardy (UK)
- Hanna Karttunen (Finland)
- Nami Shoji (Japan)
- Viktoria Morgan (New Zealand)
- Kingsley Gainsford (New Zealand)
2022
- Karen Hardy (UK)
- Viktoria Morgan (New Zealand)
2023
- Karen Hardy (UK)
- Nami Shoji (Japan)
- Nguyen Giang Chau (Vietnam)
- Ray Rivers (USA)
- Viktoria Morgan (New Zealand)
- Wendy Johnson (USA)
Some of the wonderful memories over the years can be seen below in some images supplied to us from various people. We have had some amazing times, and the organising committee look forward to bringing you the most amazing Outside Change Cup & Freedom To Dance Ball once again on the weekend of 8th and 9th June, 2024.
- Jason Beaman – Organiser
- Brent Olifent – Event Consultant
- Anna Longmore – International Relations
- Viktoria Morgan – New Zealand Ambassador
