Mike Rice and Simone Grogan perform one of the many impressive lifts in their rock 'n 'roll routine to Elvis Presley's Shoppin' Around at the Dancing For Life Education fundraiser at the War Memorial Theatre on Saturday.
Photo / Holly Hutchinson
Mike Rice and Simone Grogan perform one of the many impressive lifts in their rock 'n 'roll routine to Elvis Presley's Shoppin' Around at the Dancing For Life Education fundraiser at the War Memorial Theatre on Saturday.
Photo / Holly Hutchinson
Weeks of hard work and practice paid off for the 11 couples who took part in the Dancing for Life Education event and performed two shows to packed audiences at the War Memorial Theatre on Saturday.
Mike Rice and Simone Grogan took first place in the competition for their high-energy rock ‘n’ roll routine to Elvis Presley’s Shoppin’ Around.
The fundraiser featured a matinee and the competition proper that night.
Rice said they weren’t expecting to win but thought the various lifts they did within the choreography might have clinched it for them.
He and his partner had practiced four nights a week for the last four weeks and Grogan’s previous experience of rock ‘n’ roll dancing in her youth helped a lot.
“A huge thank you to fellow dancers Wendy Cossgrove and Hatoa Paul, who coached us and taught us the routine,” Rice said.
“All the dancers were winners on the night, having put in so much of their time and effort over the last month or so, resulting in one hell of a show.”
Rice, who works at Enterprise Motor Group, said members of the public came up to him at the car yard on Sunday to congratulate him and tell him what a fantastic show it had been.
Second place went to Kylee and Jonathan Poole while Mia Gray and Paul Hawaikirangi took out third place with their hip-hop number.
Kylee and Simone are sisters so bragging rights are with Simone for a while.
The best dressed prize went to Karen Hayward and Peter Grealish, who did a waltz as their dance.
Eleven couples took the stage for the Dancing for Life Education event at the War Memorial Hall. Back (from left) are Ayden Malone, Kylah Ashwell, Mike Rice, Simone Grogan, Mahana Stone, Kelly Ennis, Julie Walker, Karen Hayward, Adam Harford, Peter Grealish, Mia Gray, Jason Jones, Janine Hamilton-Kells, Paul Hawaikirangi, Elizabeth and Alex Raines. Front: Jonathan and Kylee Poole, Wendy Cossgrove, Hatoa Paul, Danielle Hegarty and Derek Craven.
Photo / Holly Hutchinson
Event manager Cherie Gaukrodger said it had been a “real team effort” and thanked all of the sponsors who supported the event including those who gave fantastic prizes for the auction such as accommodation, art and produce.
Gaukrodger said they had received “amazing positive feedback” from people who went to the shows.
“Our MC Matai Smith was just fantastic and I want to acknowledge our judges - Heidi Rice, Stephen Taylor, Toni Griffin and Shanan Gray.
“Bruce Whitley from Visualise Design, who produced our all of our advertising material and programmes, also deserves a special mention.”
Dancing for Life Education is the main fundraising event for the Gisborne East Coast and Wairoa branch of Life Education Trust, a health education provider for primary and intermediate schools and kura from Potaka in the north to Wairoa in the south.
A hip-hop display from Kylah Ashwell (left) and Paul Hawaikirangi (right), aka 98 Cents, at the start of the second half of the show.
Mahana Stone (left) and Kelly Ennis (right) get spicy with their salsa number. Photo / Holly Hutchinson
