(Probably) Final World Championship update

Previously, I posted "However, the sponsorship trail is long and hard and.......not very successful. To date, Qantas, Etihad and Irish Dancing Magazine have declined to offer sponsorship, but I will keep trying!!!"

I can now add that Tourism Ireland has also declined to offer any sponsorship for me to photograph Australian and NZ dancers.

So, that means that I won't be going, and there will be no free high-resolution photos of our fabulous Australian and NZ dancers. Sorry, I did the best I could.

Also, the devastating Christchurch earthquake has disrupted my plans to be in Auckland to photograph the AIDA NZ Feis on the 6th March. I am very sorry that I can't be there, but I will try to get to another NZ feis this year, perhaps the Nationals?

Finally, the QLD Flood Fundraising by clicking has all but come to a standstill, with people deciding, apparently, that it is OK to receive the photos, LiveCommentary and LiveCam free, but not to make the effort, on a daily basis, to help the people of QLD. I am saddened by this - I expected more, but I was probably expecting too much. Sadly, this will have a material impact on the ID community, something that I will announce later.

So, enjoy the free stuff while you can, it may not be around for too much longer.

World Championships are almost here!!!

Wishing the best of luck to all followers of LiveCommentary and all dancers competing in the 2011 World Championships.

Your correspondent continues to seek sponsorship for airfares and/or accommodation to attend the Worlds and to photograph the Australian and NZ dancers. Of course, the photos will be on www.swoose.net and free to anyone.

However, the sponsorship trail is long and hard and.......not very successful. To date, Qantas, Etihad and Irish Dancing Magazine have declined to offer sponsorship, but I will keep trying!!!

And a first for www.swoose.net, I will be photographing the AIDA NZ Feis in Auckland on Sunday 6th March - there will be no LiveCam or LiveCommentary as I have no mobile internet in NZ - but there will be photos later!!