Time to put those boogie shoes on

SHAKERS: Greydis Montero Liranza (left) and Lisa Kohunui get ready for Dancing in the Streat. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

If you love to dance then Eat Streat will be the place to be tomorrow night.

The third annual Dancing in the Streat Summer Jam is taking place and it kicks off a week of dancing in the city in the lead-up to next weekend's New Zealand Cuban Festival.

The festival is at the Millennium Hotel, but Dancing in the Streat and the other community sessions are open to all.

The idea of the Summer Jam is to promote dance in the region. There will be demonstrations and performances of all Latino styles and the opportunity for wannabe dancers to follow the instructors' lead.

New Zealand Cuban Festival Trust chairman Petera Hudson said it was shaping up to be an exciting week of dancing in the city.

"We'll be turning Rotovegas into Little Havana," he said.

"This is our opportunity to share the culture and give a taste of Latino dancing and it's a great place to have this event.

"Rotorua is magic and we're really looking forward to this week."

There will also be lots of music and plenty opportunity for members of the public to dance. It gets under way at 8.30pm and at 8.45pm there will be demonstrations. From 9.15pm you can put those moves into action.

Next week there will be more dancing in the community, with demonstrations at City Focus, the Arts Village and Thursday's Night Market before the festival takes over the Millennium Hotel.

Mr Hudson said there are a number of instructors arriving from overseas to take part. This is the sixth festival and the second year it has been in Rotorua.

The Dancing in the Streat session is being run by The Dance Factory, a Rotorua-based Latino dance school.

Details
What: Dancing in the Streat
When: Saturday, February 28, 8.30-10.30pm
Where: Eat Streat, Rotorua
How much: Free