Meet the couples Dancing for Hospice: Zizi Sparks and Thomas Falconer

Contestants Zizi Sparks and her dance partner Thomas Falconer outside their sponsor Smiths City. Photo / Stephen Parker

The Rotorua Daily Post's very own Zizi Sparks is dancing in this year's Harcourts Dancing for Hospice alongside her dance partner Thomas Falconer. With five weeks to go until Rotorua's dancing highlight of the year, the pair sit down with reporter Leah Tebbutt to talk everything from motivation to Backstreet Boys.

"I just want to make my grandpa proud."

This is how Thomas Falconer feels ahead of his big night on stage for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice.

However, his grandpa won't be in the audience to see him shine but Falconer does believe he will be watching down from heaven.

"He is such an inspiration to my life.

"Even to his last days, our relationship grew closer ... So I just want to make him proud."

Hospice stepped up to the bar for Falconer when his grandpa was passing away so for him to dance on behalf of the charity, is an honour.

"Life is about grand experiences and being involved and Dancing for Hospice is definitely one of them."

The pair is one of 10 made up of 20 locals with no dance experience learning routines for August 10's Harcourts Dancing for Hospice, the charity's biggest annual fundraiser.

Dancing's always been a dream of Falconer's as he is an admitted fan of the Backstreet Boys, he even had to rearrange a trip to go and see them at seven different locations cutting it down to just one show in Canada a week before he takes the stage for charity.

"I'm confident disappearing for a week and it will be fine because I know we will have to put in a few extra yards.

"I'm really fortunate to be dancing with Zizi because we are both good at putting our heads down and getting the work done."

And the ever calm and collected Zizi Sparks agrees, saying by then they would have done all they could and it would be just the finishing touches at that stage.

"We are both quite quick learners and have a good formula for each practice."

Sparks said she was a logical person which helped with learning the dance but she admits she needs to take a step back and let Falconer lead.

"I have struggled to let go and let Thomas lead because I know the dance should look like this so I make it look like that. But actually, it is Thomas' job."

But for Sparks, she feels it doesn't matter what the judges score is because she knows if she has done her best, she has done herself proud.

"If you come first or if you come last, it doesn't matter unless you have left everything on the floor."

Harcourts Dancing for Hospice is on August 10. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.