One of the Dancing for Hospice 2023 dance couples, Hamoterangi Pomana and Owen Turuta. Photo / Andrew Warner
One of the Dancing for Hospice 2023 dance couples, Hamoterangi Pomana and Owen Turuta. Photo / Andrew Warner
Hamoterangi Pomana and Owen Turuta are hard at work preparing to compete in this year’s Harcourts Dancing for Hospice.
The event, which will feature 10 dance couples, will be held on August 19 at the Energy Events Centre.
The 15-week-long rehearsals are well underway, with three practice sessions a week for the couples.
Rotorua Community Hospice needs to raise $1 million each year to operate and is aiming to raise $140,000 through this year’s event.
Hamoterangi Pomana is a personal trainer at F45. She said her reason for taking part in the event was to show her appreciation for the work Hospice does in the community.
Pomana had a personal connection to Hospice. “My gramps was sick before he passed away. Hospice was his main at-home carer for a couple of weeks.” Pomana said Hospice helped her “gramps” through his time of need.
She said co-ordination was an important part of learning the dances and despite being physically active, “a lot of it’s brainpower as well”.
One of the Dancing for Hospice 2023 dance couples, Hamoterangi Pomana and Owen Turuta. Photo / Andrew Warner
Owen Turuta is the operations manager at Zorb Rotorua. He said he decided to take part to show his support for the hospice and it was a “good way to give back to the community”.
“It seemed like a bit of a no-brainer and essentially a good event to get behind.”
When The Rotorua Daily Post spoke to the dance couple, Turuta said, “It wasn’t until last night, but we finally got it [a dance move they had been working on] for once and it was like, euphoria, it felt incredible”.
He said he hadn’t yet felt any nerves about the night. “I don’t really get nervous a lot until the actual time. So, until we’re on that stage, that’s probably when it’s all going to hit me.”
For now, he was feeling pretty excited and “pumped” for the event.
“I know when I get up there, my mum’s going to be bawling her eyeballs out,” he said.
Turuta said they were both “looking forward to having everyone there and showing them the hard work that we’ve been putting in”.
Pomana and Turuta are sponsored by VIP Plumbing and Gas Fitting.
Rotorua Community Hospice fundraising and marketing manager Jessica Meade said tickets will go on sale at the end of June.
People can get all their updates on the Harcourts Dancing for Hospice Facebook page.
Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.
