Dancing for Hospice dancers Craig McFadyen & Laura Falconer
Craig McFadyen and Laura Falconer will be making their way around the dance floor rather than classrooms at Harcourts Dancing for Hospice.
They are one of the dance couples in this year's fundraiser for Rotorua Community Hospice, being held on August 20 at the Energy Events Centre.
Ten dance couples with little-to-no dance experience are practising hard several times a week to be stage-ready and raise money for the local hospice.
The goal of the evening is to raise $120,000 to enable the hospice to care for and support more than 420 patients with terminal illnesses each year.
Laura Falconer, music teacher at Rotorua Girls' High School, said to give back to Hospice - which had been there for our community and for her family during the passing of her grandparents - was a cool experience.
"They [Hospice] were such an awesome part of our family environment at a really hard time and to be able to work hard and give back to them is a really awesome opportunity."
Craig McFadyen and Laura Falconer are working hard to put their absolute best on the stage. Photo / Andrew Warner
She said her mother and brother have both previously been in Harcourts Dancing for Hospice too.
Falconer said McFadyen and herself were feeling pretty good at the moment and were working hard to put their absolute best on the stage.
She had enjoyed meeting all the dancers and team through this experience - "Everyone comes from so many different walks of life with their skills, abilities and passions, and we all get on like house on fire".
"Everyone is really digging deep and pushing to learn these awesome dances."
Falconer said Rotorua Girls' High School had been supportive, and that some of the students will be there on the night ushering.
"I think they will be excited to see us in a completely different light.
"Nerves are starting to kick in and it is becoming more real but it's great. We know that we are working hard and when the day comes we will be ready."
Ngongotahā Primary School principal Craig McFadyen said he had been asked for a few years if he would take part.
"I'm in no way a dancer and thought no one would want to see me up on stage. This year they were quite persistent and I thought why not give it a go. I've loved every minute since."
He said he wanted to show both his two boys and the 400 children at Ngongotahā Primary School that, despite something being really outside your comfort zone, you can aspire and be brave to do something that's a little bit different.
He said practices had gotten full-on but he was lucky to have such a great dance partner who had guided him through times when he got quite frustrated.
"Our instructors have been great and understanding too."
He said, "We have performed in front of previous dancers and the nerves were there in front of 30, so dancing in front of about 2000 will be a big step up, but it felt better".
McFadyen said a highlight had been getting to meet a whole lot of different people, and also seeing the progress of all the dancers.
