Dance sensation EJ Hoath, 4, demonstrated his favourite moves at the Tauranga waterfront.

The Dance-O-Mat, donated by Trustpower, was installed on the waterfront yesterday and a group of people tested its varnished floor for the first time.

Tumanako Moana shows his moves on the Dance O Mat at the Strand. Photo/Andrew Warner.
Tumanako Moana shows his moves on the Dance O Mat at the Strand. Photo/Andrew Warner.

But little EJ soon stole the show, concentration written on his face while he rocked away with his swish Michael Jackson dance moves. He started off unobtrusively in one corner, but it was not long before he had taken over half the floor as crowds stood by and clapped along.

As soon as the music stopped, EJ ran to his mother's arms and the confident dancer morphed back into a shy preschooler.

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Also making the most of the new dance floor was Tumanako Moana, 20, from Welcome Bay. Mr Moana is an aspiring choreographer so he was in heaven when he stumbled across the new Dance-O-Mat.

"This is great, I know a lot of crews that have been trying to start up. I will bring my crew down [today] for another go.

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"This is one of the best things I've seen around Tauranga. Two dollars and you can play your own music, the fact that it's here - that's what I'm talking about."

Project Tauranga manager Michael Vujnovich had a go and enjoyed watching other people have fun.

The Dance-O-Mat is a coin-operated dance floor that anyone can use by putting $2 into the slot of the modified laundromat machine, plug in an iPod or phone, put it on play, and dance for half an hour. It was originally designed to bring life and energy back to the Christchurch CBD post-quake.

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