Candy Lane

Lane in 2014

Candy Michele Lane QSM is a New Zealand dancer, choreographer and television presenter. She co-presented TVNZ's Dancing With The Stars with Jason Gunn, and also choreographed New Zealand's Got Talent, The Singing Bee, and Stars in Their Eyes. Most recently she was the Head Judge of the 2015 series of Dancing With the Stars. In August 2021, it was announced that she would feature in the 2021 Season of Celebrity Treasure Island 2021.[1]

She relocated to Australia in 2022 to be closer to her family.[2]

Dance career

Performance

Auckland-born Lane first represented New Zealand in dancing when she was 10 years old, and as a 14-year-old became the youngest person to win the New Zealand Amateur titles. Aged 15, she went to London to train, dancing on the world circuit for 10 years and performing lead roles in the West End, including playing Anita in West Side Story.[3][4]

At 18, Lane became the youngest person to win the professional Australasian and South Pacific championships, which she went on to win five times.[4] With her partner Doug Newton, she won the Professional Latin title at the Australian Championships in 1977, 1978 and 1979.[5] She reached a ranking of third in the world for dance.[4]

Choreography

Lane has choreographed several New Zealand television shows, including The Singing Beeand Dancing with the Stars,[6] Stars in Their Eyes and New Zealand's Got Talent.[3]

Teaching and judging

In 1990, she established her own dance troupe, The Candy Lane Dancers. She then opened a dance school, Candy Lane Dance Studios, in the Auckland suburb of Mount Eden.[4]

An International Adjudicator, she has judged at the Ballroom and Latin American World Championships and many other international competitions.[6]

Television presenting

Dancing With The Stars

Lane was co-host alongside Jason Gunn of five series of the New Zealand version of Dancing with the Stars between 2005 and 2009. She specifically presented the backstage interviews with the dancers and the half- and full-time leaderboards. She often danced with Brendan Cole, a judge on the show. On the final episode of each season, Lane performed in a choreographed "spectacular", featuring the dancers from the show, Gunn and The Candy Lane Dancers. Lane was the head judge for the 2015 revival on TV3.[7]

The Shopping Channel

In October 2012 Lane became one of the inaugural presenters on The Shopping Channel, New Zealand's first home shopping channel.[8]

Fashion design

Lane launched a line of dance-inspired leisure clothing, "Dancesport" in 2008.[9]

Honours

In the 2014 New Year Honours, Lane was awarded the Queens Service Medal for services to dance.[10]

In October 2015 she was presented with a Scroll of Honour from the Variety Artists Club of New Zealand for her services to New Zealand entertainment.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Meet the contestants of Celebrity Treasure Island 2021". TheSpinoff. 1 August 2021. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Candy Lane is leaving to be closer to her family".
  3. ^ a b "Candy Lane, QSM". New Zealand Herald. 31 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d Alexander, Kelly (January 2007). "A trip down Candy Lane". Her Magazine. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  5. ^ "Professional". Australian Dancesport Championship. 2013. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  6. ^ a b "Dancing with the Stars: Candy Lane (co-host)". TVNZ. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  7. ^ "First judge Candy Lane confirmed for 'modern' Dancing With the Stars". New Zealand Herald. 7 April 2015. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  8. ^ Leathley, Siobhan (1 July 2014). "Shopping for new channel hosts". New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  9. ^ "5 qs 4 candy lane". Waikato Times. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 13 December 2014.
  10. ^ "New Year honours list 2014". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 31 December 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  11. ^ "Awards". Variety Artists Club of New Zealand. 13 May 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2018.