Inside Dancing with Heart event raising funds for Mackay Hospital Foundation
Could you turn eight rookies into dancing pros in under two months? Meet the professionals putting on their dancing shoes to support the Mackay Hospital Foundation.
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Could you take eight dancing newbies, many of whom boast two left feet, and turn them into show-ready performers in under two months?
That is the challenge facing Mackay Fame Talent School Dolly Louw as she whips into shape volunteers who will on Friday battle it out at the Dancing with Heart event raising money for the Mackay Hospital Foundation.
Ms Louw said the foundation approached her last year for its inaugural dance-off and she was happy to again put on her choreographer shoes this year as she loved getting out there and supporting great community causes.
Each of the eight participants received four lessons with Ms Louw with a few extra rehearsals with Fame’s back-up dancers, who had “worked their butts off”, thrown in for good measure.
“I’ve had an absolute ball with them,” she said, adding attendees could expect a variety of dancing styles and music from Lady Gaga to Kenny Rogers to Moulin Rouge.
Donning the persona and stage presence of Queen’s frontman Freddie Mercury will be Triple M radio host Jay Shipston to the tune of Don’t Stop Me Now.
Mr Shipston said it took some persuasion from his co-host Dave Peters as well as listeners to give him enough courage to take to the dance floor, his nerves somewhat allayed by his costume and the back-up dancers that will “take the focus away from my two left feet”.
The musical theatre enthusiast has injured himself three times during at-home rehearsals: spraining his wrist, twisting his ankle while jumping off a piano, and slicing his finger by moving fan blades.
“I’m not nervous about getting in front of a crowd but I am nervous about stuffing up the moves,” Mr Shipston said, adding he was motivated to win the coveted Mirror Ball trophy.
To do so, he must outdance the likes of Detective Inspector of Mackay Whitsunday Crime and Support Services Emma Novosel and Elders Insurance account executive Josh Smith.
Inspector Novosel said things had “really snowballed” since Ms Louw approached her to become a contestant but she was keen to support a “really worthwhile charity” improving health outcomes for thousands of Mackay region residents.
“About 10 years ago I was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer and I had to travel to have my surgery and to have radiotherapy and in between I had six months of treatment at the Mackay Base Hospital and the care there was outstanding,” she said.
“It was so good to be able to stay at home with my family.”
Inspector Novosel said her competitors’ routines all brought a “different flavour”, describing some as “bloody hilarious”.
“I never expected I was going to have such a good time but it's been a blast,” she said.
Mr Smith said prior to getting “fantastic” help from Ms Louw and her team, he had “been referred to as dancing like a newborn calf”, hinting that his song selection fit in with the Vegas NRL round and was by an artist known to many of the older generation.
He said the Mackay Hospital Foundation played a vital role in filling the funding gap from other levels of government.
The contestants – which also include Get It Done co-owner Sandra Hubner, Brooke Lee Modelling founder Brooke Hargrave, Bishopp account executive Solveig Lobo, Gardian Finance mortgage broker Zachary Spencer, and Next Accounting director Chloe Gunthorpe – are each vying to raise $5000 or more with hopes the tally will be bigger and better than last year’s haul of more than $40,000.
You can support your favourite dancer via the links below or jump onto Mackay Hospital Foundation’s Facebook page.
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