Harcourts Dancing for Hospice 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
Harcourts Dancing for Hospice 2021. Photo / Andrew Warner
Months of hard work and dedication are coming together next weekend for 10 dance couples, who will show off their glitz and glam dance routines on the big stage.
The 10 couples will step out on the dance floor for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice 2023 at Energy Events Centre next Saturday night and perform for friends, family, the community and judges.
With little or no dance experience, the dancers have been practising for 15 weeks to be stage-ready and raise money for the local hospice.
The evening’s goal is to raise $140,000 to enable the hospice to care for and support the 358 referrals for terminally ill patients made each year.
Rotorua Community Hospice fundraising and marketing manager Jessica Meade said the black-tie event was “the event of the year to get your glitziest dress and sharpest suit out”.
She said table seating was now sold out but there were some tickets available in the grandstands. “Get in quick as they are selling out too,” said Meade.
Meade was most looking forward to watching the dancers perform in front of a supportive audience on show night.
“They’ve worked really hard for the past 15 weeks. The culmination of their efforts and bravery is inspiring.”
She said going on the journey with the dance couples and watching them have “two left feet” to now entertaining an audience of over 2000 people made her proud.
Dancers in the 2023 competition. (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.
Rotorua Community Hospice chief executive Jonathon Hagger said he was “excited for show night” and watching the Rotorua community support Hospice was “magnificent”.
He said it was a privilege to have watched “sneak peaks” of the dancers’ performances during rehearsals and added the talent “keeps getting better” each year.
Hagger said the organisation was hoping for a full house with ticket sales.
“It will be an extravaganza of dancing talent, a light show and the judges are fantastic. It’s going to be a successful night”.
Choreographer Ellie Smith said all dance couples were polishing their dance moves and making final touches to their routines.
Smith said it can be “tricky” learning a new skill in 15 weeks and all the dancers had “handled it really well”.
She said all dancers were ready for the final dress and technical rehearsals, including lighting, music and costume checks happening next week.
“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.”
One of Harcourts Rotorua Dancing for Hospice choreographers, Ellie Smith. Photo / Andrew Warner
To critique and score the performers, four judges who are all well-versed in dance and/or entertainment will decide the winner on the night.
Two members of the judging panel include 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 winner of a new Suzuki Swift sponsored by Grant Johnstone Motors.
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 to 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.
Harcourts Dancing for Hospice tickets are now on sale, available online from Ticketmaster or at the box office at Sir Howard Morrison Centre.
Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.
