
Eighteen-year-old Neave recently returned from the New Zealand Performing Arts Awards held in Palmerston North.
She was just one of just two in a class of eight dancers at a regional competition in Christchurch earlier in the year to be nominated to compete in the event, run by the Performing Arts Competitions Association of New Zealand.
Competitors have to be aged from 15-21, and this year the performing arts genre was tap and ballet soloists, jazz dance troupes, singing and pianoforte.
Next year, the event will be open for Highland and jazz dance, speech, and instrumental.
Teacher Kaye Blackham said that in the dance classes, students have to compete with two separate routines and attend a masterclass taken by the two adjudicators, who this year came from the US and Australia.
A total of 55 tap dancers competed, split into three separate groups with performances over three days.
The top 15 dancers were announced, and they had to perform again.
While Neave was not chosen to go through to the finals, Mrs Blackham said to be named in the top 15 from throughout New Zealand was a fantastic result.
Competing at her final regional dance competition in Ashburton recently, Neave had a clean sweep of all her eight routines, including the championship.
Neave has been learning dance from Mrs Blackham for 13 years, has travelled to Australia to compete and won age group classes, including special awards and scholarships, and is also a fully-qualified dance teacher with distinction.