Dancing for Hospice meet the couples: Laura Vaughan and Bryce Morris

If I can do this, I can do anything is the mindset of Dancing for Hospice couple Laura and Bryce. Photo / Stephen Parker

Starting the day at 5am in Taupō, driving an hour to work with the children, juggling business and a passion until 10pm, then driving home makes for a big day.

But it wasn't enough for Laura Vaughan who after two years of hiding behind the scenes will put her best foot forward at this year's Harcourts Dancing for Hospice.

"I'm a very busy human and I feel sorry for my family and friends but they are really supportive."

Vaughan is putting her life on hold to add three two-hour practices a week into her already heavy schedule but isn't fazed — because, after all, it's for Hospice and "you can't say no".

But she does admit she misses her partner a bit.

"I feel like I haven't seen him but he is the one that has pushed me into this. I wouldn't be where I am today without him."

She is nervous about taking the stage on August 10.

Vaughan is paired with Bryce Morris, a familiar voice around Rotorua through his work on radio stations the Hits and Flava.

"Our dance is very different to other dancers' so I am quite nervous to dance in front of [my partner], and I think Bryce feels the same."
"We get on so well. We knew on the first night we were going to get paired together. As soon as we danced together we thought this was our couple," Vaughan said.

"It felt good and we laughed and had fun. We weren't really serious about it because we also wanted to have the fun side of the experience."

Vaughan is cool, calm and collected but, while learning lifts, the nerves got the better of her.

""I was out of my comfort zone — not gonna lie. I was about to cry. But that's okay because we did it and we pulled through."

Morris says his focus, for now, is on the choreography and the nerves would come later.

"There was no stepping on feet the first night."

For Morris dancing is a completely different ball game to radio.

"Radio you don't see my face, but dancing on stage everyone is going to see my face."

Although he is jumping well out of his comfort zone, word on the street is he's not too bad either.

"Being able to use this as life experience and meeting someone you know you are nervous to meet I can go, 'Wait, I danced in front of this many people, this is a piece of cake'. If I can do this I can do anything."

The pair hope the audience is prepared for an intense dance but make no promises they would be doing flips from the roof.

"It's very 2019," Morris said.