Rotorua Harcourts Dancing for Hospice: Tristan Thomas and Megan Romanes to deliver spins, sequins and sparkles

Harcourts Dancing for Hospice will take place on August 19 at the Energy Events Centre, and rehearsals are well under way for a big night in Rotorua entertainment. Rotorua Community Hospice needs to raise $1 million each year to operate and is aiming to raise $140,000 through this year’s event. It will feature 10 dance couples who have been practicing three times a week for 15 weeks in preparation for the night. This week, Michaela Pointon catches up with Tristan Thomas and Megan Romanes.

The audience can expect spins, sequins and sparkles from performer perfectionists Tristan Thomas and Megan Romanes at this year’s Dancing for Hospice.

Thomas has temporarily put his passion for other sports “on the back-burner” while committing to the 15 weeks of rehearsals for show night.

He said dancing was “quite a physical, active sport” and something he considered himself “bad at” before starting rehearsals. He enjoyed the challenge of learning a new skill and getting better at dance throughout the process.

Thomas has competed at top-level equestrian events in New Zealand and was planning to move overseas for equestrian events before the Covid-19 pandemic halted international travel.

He also competes in basketball teams across the Bay of Plenty and has recently moved into men’s netball as a training partner with the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic girls’ team. During the day, Thomas is a secondary school chemistry teacher at Rotorua Boys High School.

Rotorua Harcourts Dancing for Hospice Tristan Thomas and Megan Romanes will deliver spins, sequins and sparkles on August 19. Photo / Andrew Warner

Megan Romanes’ previous dance experience was limited to the days of her secondary school dance and drama spectacular. “Does [appearing on] Stage Challenge count?” she laughed.

The decision for Romanes to commit to dancing in front of a crowd of 2000 people did not come easy at first.

“I feel like everyone should do something at least once a year that scares the crap out of them. And [Dancing for Hospice] is my thing.”

She said dance partner Tristan was “quite a perfectionist” and the pair had taken it upon themselves to organise their music and routine.

“We’re trying to keep it as much of a surprise [as we can],” she said, and hinted the audience could expect circles, spins, sequins and sparkles from the pair.

She said her grandparents had both received support from Hospice.

“Our family was very thankful for their services.”

Romanes is a grants and accounts administrator at Rotorua Trust and said working within the granting area of community organisations, she saw the need for support.

“[Hospice] are the most important people we rely on at our worst of times.”

The dance partners encouraged people to come along to support the cause and watch an entertaining show by local Rotorua people for a night of celebration, sparkles and fun.

Romanes and Thomas are sponsored by Electrical Solutionz Rotorua.

Harcourts Dancing for Hospice tickets are now on sale, available online from Ticketmaster or at the box office at the Sir Howard Morrison Centre.

Keep an eye out in future Rotorua Daily Post editions, as well as on the Harcourts Dancing for Hospice Facebook page, for more profiles on the full line-up of 2023 dancers and other updates.

Michaela Pointon is an NZME reporter based in the Bay of Plenty and was formerly a feature writer.