Meet the couples Dancing for Hospice: Crispian Stewart and Caroline Wharton

Detective Sergeant Caroline Wharton and Crispian Stewart. Photo / Ben Fraser

Its been a gruelling week with challenging priorities for Harcourts Dancing for Hospice couple Crispian Stewart and Caroline Wharton. But with four weeks to go until the couple take centre stage, their adrenaline is starting to pump. The pair sit down with reporter Leah Tebbutt discuss the journey so far.

Its been a tough week for Crispian Stewart on his Harcourts Dancing for Hospice journey.

He admits, with tired yet excited eyes, he has been staying up late watching the Black Caps bowl their way to the final.

But that's meant a lack of energy at the three or more dance practices he attends a week.

Coupled up with Detective Sergeant Caroline Wharton, he said while the big night was four weeks away, right now he was just trying to enjoy every moment.

The pair is one of 10 teams made up of 20 locals with no dance experience learning routines for August 10's Harcourts Dancing for Hospice, the charity's biggest annual fundraiser.

"I feel like I am getting a lot more out of it than Hospice.

"We have been given professional dance lessons, met some amazing people, are now part of a dance club and it has brought dancing into our household which I am truly grateful for."

It has even brought him closer to his oldest daughter Lexie who he said was the real dancer of the family but his youngest daughter has also kept herself involved.

"Sadie is my harshest critic and has not been shy in critiquing my work. But there is plenty to critique I guess."

And perhaps it was Sadie's advice that got to him in the end because he has since started boxing to keep himself strong for all the lifts and spins we will soon see on stage.

"Caro has been so patient with me and has plenty of bruises to show for my poor dropping and lifting technique.

"Although she does giggle a lot and has that cheeky "back of the classroom' banter going on. You know when she is concentrating because her tongue starts hanging out."

Crispian is not wrong, Wharton is a giggler and its no denying this couple are a perfect match.

She said although she gets the blame, it was Crispian who antagonised her in the first place and she was a hard worker at heart.

"As a police officer, I'm often viewed one way in the community so it is nice to show there is a bit more to me.

"I've been in the police for a long time now as a crime investigator so this is great to be giving back to the community in a different way."

As for the dancing, its all a bit new for Wharton but it has given her the opportunity to work on another skill.

"I'm just a home sewer so I have been spending a lot of hours on it, but I am making our own costumes.

"I thought it would be quite hard to source what we wanted so I thought why not just make it."