The black Stetsons and cowboy boots of the Whakaoriori Shufflers are now set to wow linedancing crowds transtasman after winning national trophies in Pukekohe at the weekend.
Veteran shuffler Philippa Cairns said yesterday 14 members of the group will travel to the four-day Ashby House Australian Line Dance Festival at Tamworth, starting on May 1 in a first-time international foray for them.
The festival is now in its third year and is touted as Australia's largest linedance workshop event outside the Tamworth January festival.
The Whakaoriori Shufflers last year celebrated a decade of linedancing together, she said, and also hosted the prestigious Beat Awards the Kiwi "Oscars" of linedancing in Wairarapa that were this year held at Pukekohe at the weekend.
Club representatives twice walked the red carpet at Pukekohe before a crowd of about 350 dancers and fans, picking up both the 2007 North Island Day-Night Social Travellin' North Islanders Trophy and the 2007 Choreographed Dance Stephen Paterson Trophy for their original dance, Velvet Waters, Mrs Cairns said.
"Club founder Dale Rolls was a magnificent motivator for the dance she picks the music and dancers and winning the Paterson Trophy was a great honour for our club, and now clubs all over New Zealand and overseas will be performing the dance," she said.
"Our group even features on YouTube."
Velvet Waters would also be competitively performed at the Tamworth festival and the group are confident of success, she said, especially since they are now armed with national recognition for the bootscooting winner back home.
She said the group are to also perform a demonstration of linedancing at a fashion parade in Masterton next month and will be practising hard in readiness for the Australian festival.
"Linedancing is all about the friendships you form, and the fun.
"It's the fun, the friendship and the atmosphere the whole dancing spirit."
n Anybody interested in linedancing please phone Philippa Cairns, 378-8891.
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.