After a one-year hiatus due to Covid-19, Harcourts Dancing for Hospice returns on August 7. With all 20 dancers officially announced, the Rotorua Daily Post is profiling each pair to see what motivated them to take part and how their preparations are going.
Six years ago, Danielle Maguire lost her husband.
During one of the hardest times in her life, it was Hospice she leaned on for support and comfort.
Now, Maguire has signed up to take part in this year's Harcourts Dancing for Hospice, the Rotorua Community Hospice's biggest fundraiser each year.
"Hospice were my help, my support, they were with me every day for three months," she said.
When times got tough, the memory of her husband would spur her on.
"He would be so proud. I wouldn't have been here if it wasn't for him, this is for David. I always think about him, it's a good reminder of why we're doing this. My daughters are amazed, proud, and excited.
Dancing for Hospice couple Bernie Dawson and Danielle Maguire. Photo / Andrew Warner
"I've never danced ballroom. It is a challenge but we have the help of three professional tutors. Bernie and I practise almost every day and it's good that we can communicate, that's important. We both want to do the best we can for people who come and watch us."
Dawson said by signing up for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice he was following through with his New Year's resolution to learn ballroom dancing so he could go dancing with his "beautiful wife".
"The dance Danielle and I are doing for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice, is one neither of us has ever seen before, but we trust the tutors and they assure us they're not going to let us look stupid," he said.
"It makes you feel alive having a new community of people, Danielle and I get along really well and every practice we learn. [Being on stage] will be fantastic, the instructors say 'do the work and you'll succeed' and we're doing the work."
He said it was nice learning something new.
"We're training our brains to stay young. I've been playing tennis and squash forever, I'm into everything, but not dancing. I must say, it doesn't seem foreign at all, we're picking it up."
Tickets for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice go on sale later this month, and all updates will be posted on the Harcourts Dancing for Hospice Facebook page.
