Harcourts Rotorua Dancing for Hospice: Poppy O’Neill and Jarrod Collins having a ‘blast’

Harcourts Dancing for Hospice will take place on August 19 at the Energy Events Centre and rehearsals are well underway for the biggest 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 practising three times a week for 15 weeks in preparation for the night. This week, Michaela Pointon catches up with Poppy O’Neill and Jarrod Collins.

Auto-electrician Jarrod Collins is hoping to confound expectations when he and Poppy O’Neill take to the dance floor in front of more than 2000 people in a few months.

Collins, 21, said the process so far had been a “blast”.

He was asked by his workplace to participate in Harcourts Dancing for Hospice. “I eventually gave in and said I’ll do it,” he said with a laugh.

He was motivated to be part of the show because it was for a “good cause” and because not many people may expect a dance performance from him.

Getting in front of people and dancing was “a little nerve-racking” but he was confident the dance couple would be fine.

“Not falling over and dropping Poppy” was among his top goals.

“It’s gonna be a good night. It’s for a good cause.”

Poppy O’Neill and Jarrod Collins are taking the stage at this year's Harcourts Dancing for Hospice. Photo / Andrew Warner

O’Neill, 20, danced when she was 10. “I’ve missed doing [dancing].” She said the event was a good challenge and out of her comfort zone.

She felt her childhood dance moves were coming back to her in Dancing for Hospice rehearsals.

“It’s higher stakes,” she said.

“It’s something I never expected I would do. It was a cool way to meet new people and raise money for an amazing cause and Rotorua to help out the community.”

The pair had known each other through mutual friends before the competition started. O’Neill said that had helped rehearsals not be “awkward”.

“It’s laid back but it’s also stressful. It’s learning new people, new faces, a new dance in a different environment.”

She said it was incredibly fun getting to dance with other people from around Rotorua.

O’Neill, who works for heavy transport product company Patchells, said she was nervous about doing “one step wrong and it all turning bad” on the night or accidentally headbutting her dance partner on stage.

She said the dance instructors made everyone feel at ease, understanding it was new territory for some people.

Their costume was “not a colour people would expect”, she said, giving hints about the night.

The pair were looking forward to getting to do the dance in front of family and friends.

O’Neill said showing everyone what they had been capable of learning in 15 weeks would be a great way to celebrate their achievement.

Collins and O’Neill are sponsored by Patchells.

Rotorua Community Hospice fundraising and marketing manager Jessica Meade said tickets would go on sale at the end of June.

People can get all their updates on the Harcourts Dancing for Hospice Facebook page.

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