Dust off your dancing shoes Rotorua, Harcourts Dancing with the Stars

Sixteen weeks of toe-tapping, twisting, stepping and sliding are almost over for 10 Rotorua dancing couples.

Harcourts Dancing with the Stars, Rotorua Hospice's biggest fundraiser of the year, is on tomorrow night at the Energy Events Centre.

Together the 2016 and 2017 events raised more than $250,000 to support palliative care work by the Rotorua Hospice.

Harcourts Dancing with the Stars 2017 winners Kelly Albrecht and Steve Pinder. Photo/File

Rotorua-raised Olympian Dame Valerie Adams is on the judging panel this year, former event MC and current MP Tamati Coffey and infomercial queen and author Suzanne Paul will form the judging panel with returning Rotorua-born judge d'Artagnan Kennedy who featured on the first series of televised Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand.

Rotorua Community Hospice fundraising and marketing manager Nicola Smallwood said the team started organising dancers in February.

"They have been practising each week, sometimes every day, more often than not three times a week."

Then there was organising sponsors, judges, bookings, lighting, sound, music and more.

The Energy Events Centre at the start of venue preparations for 2018 Harcourts Rotorua Dancing with the Stars. Photo/Supplied

The Energy Events Centre during venue preparations for 2018 Harcourts Rotorua Dancing with the Stars. Photo/Supplied

This year, Smallwood said only two judges would reveal their scores after each dance so that the winners remained a secret until the very end.

Unlike previous years, there will not be a clap-o-meter measuring the crowd's response.

Instead, participants in the silent auction will be granted access to vote for the People's Choice award.

Smallwood said the couples had "gone above and beyond".

"They have had 16 weeks to practise not 18 like last year, but they are on track and ready to go."

Dancing teacher Shelley Martin, said "some dancers had natural ability they did not know they had, and for others we had to find it".

She said she and fellow volunteering teachers Troy Smith and Glen Law tried to pair the stronger dancers with those who found it harder.

"They have had to practise, be patient, put in the time, and have a good sense of humour."

She said Smith had travelled over from Matamata three to four times a week to teach the couples, and they "could not have done it without the extra support from Glen Law".

My Kitchen Rules 2017 contestant and Rotorua foodie Natasha Whitewood, who is partnered withRotorua Daily Post sports reporter David Beck, said she was looking forward to the "hype and buzz" on Saturday, with friends and whānau.

"To be honest I am feeling fine. I am sure I am supposed to feel stressed but I just figure whatever will happen will happen."

Harcourts Dancing with the Stars
Tickets: General admission tickets are still available for $35 on Ticketmaster. $45 on the door if not sold prior.
When: Doors open at 5pm, show starts at 6.30pm, Saturday, July 28
Where: Rotorua Energy Events Centre