This year's twenty Dancing for Hospice dancers. Photo / Supplied.
In just under three months, 20 of Rotorua's top local figures will be transformed from dance amateurs to tip-tapping and twirling superstars for one of the city's most glamorous annual fundraising events, Harcourts Dancing for Hospice.
From a local tourism business owner to a mobile spray-tanning whiz, this year's dancers all come equipped with a skill-set that will be sure to leave them dazzling on stage. Finally, after a whole year of wonder, the Rotorua Daily Post can reveal this year's dance partners.
With not a shred of ballroom and Latin American experience between them, the 20 local dancers for this year's fourth annual Dancing for Hospice have quite the challenge ahead of them.
However, through 15 weeks of hard training, each individual will be transformed from a dancefloor amateur to a ballroom blitzer, with just one couple being crowned the winner on the night.
Event goers can expect a night of waltzing, side steps and daring lifts as the 20 locals battle it out on stage on August 10.
For the first time in the event's history, even a Hospice staff member has chucked on her dancing shoes to join the show. Hospice's Lisa Pauling said the event was way out of her comfort zone but she would do anything for the Hospice team.
Fundraising and Marketing Manager for Hospice Nicola Smallwood was looking forward to seeing the event take shape. She said the event was Hospice's biggest fundraising event and was vital to helping raise the close to $1m needed to care for the 115 local patients monthly.
She said all the money raised went straight back into the community to care for the patients and their family to provide nurses and clinical staff and fund day-stays and bereavement counselling.
Many of the dancers have a special connection with Hospice and "it was a humbling experience hearing their stories", she said.
One of the winners from last year's event, Abbie Proudley, said it was truly a "phenonmenal experience".
Her advice for this year's dancers was to "enjoy every minute of it, as among all the pressure you sometimes forget to take it all in. You find yourself looking back and realising all the great times along the way. Remember what you put in, you get back out. Hard work pays off."
Last year, the table tickets sold out in under two hours, so this year the plan is to maximise table space so more of the community can attend.
Tickets will go on sale in June and all details will be updated on the Facebook page Harcourts Dancing for Hospice and its website.
Aaron Willoughby
Director - Willoughby Fire Solutions
"I'm always up for a challenge and what better way to get thrown right out of your comfort zone [and] at the same time to help support such a great charity in Rotorua Hospice. The work the nurses, caregivers, and staff at Rotorua Hospice do is nothing short of outstanding. And when the opportunity came up to help raise money to ensure that Rotorua Hospice continues to have the resources to do such an amazing job, the answer was a definite yes."
Philly Angus
Capers food store manager, marketing, event MC and celebrant
"Married to Rob with two kids, Stella, 12, and Cooper, 10. Avid Mountain Biker and Women's Riding promoter."
Bryce Morris
Client and content solutions specialist at NZME Rotorua
"I'm doing this because Hospice is such an amazing cause and everyone who has done it has said it was such a great experience."
Laura Vaughan
Spray tan specialist and early childhood teacher
"I have been behind the scene for the last two years tanning contestants and this year I got the fantastic opportunity to participate and raise money for Hospice."
Caroline Wharton
Detective – Rotorua police
"The support Hospice provides at a time of great stress and sadness is invaluable so what better way to give back than to take up the challenge of learning to dance for such a worthy cause."
Crispian Stewart
Rotorua Lakes Council stadium events & sports manager
"What an amazing charity to support! Also, this is way out of my comfort zone with my sporting interests, but I want to try something that will connect with my daughter who is an amazing dancer."
Cherie Harpur
Healthcare administrator
"I am excited to be a part of Harcourts Dancing for Hospice as I am involved with Hospice in a professional capacity and also have family members involved with the organisation."
Jeff Anderson
Self employed, Kiwibikes Ltd
"I love to dance and it's always been a passion of mine as it was for my parents. Also, this is a great way to give back to a needed charity that we all need in our community."
Lisa Pauling
Rotorua Community Hospice
"I love my job and the service we provide to our community. I am very privileged to work with the team and volunteers at Rotorua Hospice, so this is me doing it for them."
Justin Hutton
Owner of River Rats Raft & Kayak
"Harcourts Dancing for Hospice is such a great cause and they put on an amazing event. My wife laughed so hard she nearly fell off her chair when she found out I had been asked, so I am looking forward to the challenge of trying to prove her wrong."
Kereti Rautangata
Content producer at Toimatarau Media
"Hospice supported my mother during her last moments on this earth. The work and resources they provided for my mother and my whānau went beyond and above my expectations. The least I could do when asked to dance was to say yes, because Hospice said yes when we needed their help."
Kristina Crouch
Tumuaki/Principal of Te Kura o Hato Mikaere (St Michael's Catholic School)
"Dancing in front of a few hundred people to help raise money for Hospice seems a cheap
payback compared to the love and support we received from the Hospice ladies when we lost our mum last year. We are so grateful. God bless you all."
Heinz Fett
Business broker at ABC Business Sales
"A great opportunity to support Hospice which is such an important part in the community, looking after hundreds of people in need every year."
Pam Turner
Director at House of Travel Rotorua
"I'm dancing in honour of my mum and dad who died way too young and to support
the incredible work that the team at Hospice do in our community."
Slade King
Strength & conditioning coach Bay of Plenty Rugby
"Never danced before other than at my wedding, therefore, this presented itself
as a challenge - like any I can never turn down! More importantly, how could
you deny such a cause and what better way to tautoko. Such a privilege."
Frances Tague
Physiotherapist and business partner at Te Ngae Physiotherapy and Pilates
"I have been in Rotorua for 15 years and love the sense of community here and our
beautiful forest. I believe Hospice do incredible work and am proud to be dancing
for such a great cause. I'm excited to learn some new skills."
Ra Bhana
Māori policy adviser Bay of Plenty Regional Council
"To support the Rotorua Community Hospice Trust, to 100 per cent challenge myself and to promote #MokopunaDecisions, which is the concept of making decisions based on future generations, not just the me in the now."
Polly Delfim
Assistant care home and village manager – clinical at Cantabria Lifecare
"I have always admired the Hospice nurse's job and the compassion they have for caring for palliative patients. I have always also supported the event as a spectator so now it's time to commit to supporting this amazing cause at a deeper level."
Thomas Falconer
Freelance videographer and YouTuber
"I've seen firsthand how epic the Hospice nurses are with in-house care and how much we need Hospice more in our community! Time to get my groove on and raise funds for this awesome charity."
Zizi Sparks
Rotorua Daily Post reporter
"I'm dancing to step outside of my comfort zone and do something different while supporting a good cause."
Meeting scheduled for this morning as changes proposed at Tokoroa site.