(Top line from left) Tristan Thomas, Tom Parry, Rebecca Moore, Philip McDonald, Poppy O’Neill. (Second line from left) Owen Turuta, Nicky Fraser, Nathalie Macfarlane, Megan Romanes, Lloyd Akroyd. (Third line from left) Liz Carrington, Katie Hickey, Jo-Ann Wilson, Jarrod Collins, Hamoterangi Pomana. (Fourth line from left) George Taurua, Dean Devery, David Livingstone, Danielle Weston, Aaron Sears.
(Top line from left) Tristan Thomas, Tom Parry, Rebecca Moore, Philip McDonald, Poppy O’Neill. (Second line from left) Owen Turuta, Nicky Fraser, Nathalie Macfarlane, Megan Romanes, Lloyd Akroyd. (Third line from left) Liz Carrington, Katie Hickey, Jo-Ann Wilson, Jarrod Collins, Hamoterangi Pomana. (Fourth line from left) George Taurua, Dean Devery, David Livingstone, Danielle Weston, Aaron Sears.
Weeks of hard work have boiled down to one night for 10 Rotorua dance couples.
Tonight, Harcourts Dancing for Hospice 2023 kicks off at the Energy Events Centre with the aim of raising $140,000 for charity.
With little or no dance experience, the dancers have been practising for 15 weeks to be stage-ready.
Rotorua Community Hospice fundraising and marketing manager Jessica Meade said last week the black-tie event was “the event of the year” and to “get your glitziest dress and sharpest suit out”.
Dance instructors Ellie Smith and Troy Smith have been working with the couples and getting them ready for the big night.
Ellie Smith earlier said it could be “tricky” learning a new skill in 15 weeks and all the dancers had “handled it really well”. She said all dancers were at that time ready for the final dress and technical rehearsals, including lighting, music and costume checks.
Harcourts Dancing for Hospice dance instructors Ellie Smith and Troy Smith performing during last year's event.
“It will all come together. It’s special seeing the fruits of their labour and their smiles when coming off the stage. It’s really rewarding,” Smith said.
Judging the dancers are Dancing with the Stars alumni Brittany Coleman and Alex Vaz.
Last year, the pair came in fourth in season nine of the New Zealand TV competition series, which pairs professional dancers with well-known Kiwis. Coleman was the expert of the pair, while Vaz had been on Heartbreak Island in 2019 and was a bachelor on TVNZ’s The Bachelorette in 2021.
Rotorua-born and raised radio personality Clint Roberts, from ZM’s drive show, will be making a guest judge appearance at Dancing for Hospice. ZM is owned by NZME, publisher of the Rotorua Daily Post.
Fourth judge Kingsley Gainsford also grew up in Rotorua and represented New Zealand as a champion dancer internationally for many years.
Harcourts Dancing for Hospice celebrity judges for 2023 are Clint Roberts (left), Alex Vaz and Brittany Coleman and Kingsley Gainsford.
The winner of the Harcourts Dancing for Hospice will receive the coveted Disco Ball Trophy. The event also includes live and silent auctions, including a new Suzuki Swift sponsored by Grant Johnstone Motors that someone will win.
Extra security measures have been added at the beginning and end of this year’s event. Those attending will be required to bag-check on arrival at the event.
There will be a one-way policy after 8pm. Once exiting the Energy Events Centre, event-goers will not be permitted re-entry. Intoxication on arrival will also mean removal from the event.
Table seating has sold out, however, grandstand tickets are still available via Ticketmaster or the box office at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
