Dane (16) won the young performer title in the ballet code at the Oamaru Performing Arts Festival last weekend, while Olivia van den Yssel (16), of Alexandra, won the tap-dancing title and will also compete in the national contest, for competitors aged 16 to 21.
The winner of each section in the national competition - ballet, tap, piano and vocal - will receive $5000.
Dane, a year 12 pupil at St Kevins College, has been dancing since he was 7, learning from Oamaru dance teacher Anne Harris. He is going to also start lessons with Bronwyn Judge.
Dane has been part of a junior associate programme at the New Zealand School of Dance since he was in year 9, which meant travelling to Wellington four times a year for tuition.
He is hoping to audition for the New Zealand School of Dance at the end of this year, which would mean full-time dance training.
"It's a bit scary but I want to do it. Dance is what I want to do now," he said.
The Oamaru Performing Arts Festival was his first competition for a long time and he performed a ballet solo from Swan Lake and a contemporary dance choreographed by Mrs Judge.
Dedicated to dance, Dane admitted he got tired and had blisters all over his feet - "but that's all right, I can cope," he said.
As well as practising and having lessons, Dane still found time to keep up with his homework and milk cows in his spare time.
