42nd Street: Tapping along to a family beat

Brayden, Lynda and Dave Coldicutt are counting the days to their first performance in 42nd Street. Tania McCauley reports
When the curtain goes up next Thursday, on the opening night of the Napier Operatic Society production 42nd Street, Brayden, 14, Lynda, 20, and Dave, 23, will be tapping along with the rest of the ensemble.
If Lynda's twin, Ricki, hadn't had work commitments, there's a good chance he would have been on stage with them.
Their mum, Tracey, was a top tap dancer and although she gave up before having children Dave reckoned she must have passed along something in her genes.
The psychology student and carer hadn't put on tap shoes for years but was asked to consider dancing again by choreographer Belinda Harvey.
"It has been an awesome experience," Dave said.
For him and Lynda, it is their second time round in 42nd Street. When they were aged 11 and 6 respectively they had minor roles in the society's 1997 production.
Lynda says it's been great being involved again and this time to actually be dancing.
Like her siblings, the second-year nursing student was once heavily involved in Napier Frivs shows, but has not been in one since she was 12.
When she isn't studying, she also plays indoor soccer and hockey and, at one stage, was a Hawke's Bay representative. Until recently, she had also been teaching dancing.
She says their parents have always encouraged them to stay busy.
Their dad, Peter, will also be on stage this season, singing in the Hastings Operatic Society show You Can't Stop The Beat.
All the Coldicutt kids began tap dancing at 5 and, while Lynda's brothers had given up, from the way they have been talking about how much they've missed it she thinks they may both take it up again soon.
Brayden has been working hard in Hastings Operatic Society shows for the past three years, picking up an award for most promising junior performer two years in a row for roles in Rumpelstiltskin and Sinbad the Sailor, and best duo with Donna Smith.
On top of firsts in drama in Years 9 and 10, he is pleased that he has also been given a couple of lines in 42nd Street.
"I thought it would be a cool show to do, for the experience," he says.
He says he's also hoping all this experience will stand him well in future, because he is keen be involved in performing arts when he's older.