Rotorua Harcourts Dancing for Hospice Nathalie Macfarlane and George Taurua ready to hit the dance floor

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 Nathalie Macfarlane and George Taurua.

Nathalie Macfarlane was an avid dancer for most of her early life but had to put away her dance shoes when she was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in her late teens.

The disease affects the digestive system and can cause debilitating pain.

Now, eight years after her diagnosis, the 25-year-old is ready to dance again and is determined not to let the illness limit her.

Macfarlane is ready to dance again on the big stage at Harcourts Dancing for Hospice with dance partner George Taurua.

“It’s been a really good chance for me to get back into doing [dancing] and exercising. It’s good for my physical health as well as my mental well-being, having something to look forward to doing each week.”

She said there were parts of dancing that were still “engrained” such as technique.

“Turning out your legs and pointing [your feet]” which is harder now as the opposite is sometimes required in ballroom dancing.

“I’m not being delicate when walking. You have to be strutting around. It’s a bit different” she said.

Macfarlane was looking forward to getting out and showing the crowd the dance she and Taurua. had been working on for 15 weeks.

“When you’re a spectator, I guess you don’t really think about everything that’s gone into it. It’s a charity event but it’s also a show.”

She said all the dances on show night were going to be different.

Dancing for Hospice profile with Nathalie Macfarlane and George Taurua. Photo / Andrew Warner

“Everyone is going to perform something different. A real variety, I think that’s what’s so exciting about it.”

Macfarlane said it was special to be able to share it with the audience. “I’m very proud of us. We’ve done good.”

Taurua saw dancing in this year’s competition as an opportunity to get outside his comfort zone.

During the day, Taurua is a co-owner of the local Rotorua restaurant White Tiger.

He said Hospice had supported his family many times and fundraising helped the organisation keep “doing what they’re doing”.

Taurua said there was “a bit of peer pressure” from his friends to get involved with the show but he eventually gave in.

“I’ve never danced in my life.”

He was most excited about getting on stage and showing off the dance. “I reckon it’s pretty cool. It’s going to be a good fun night.”

Macfarlane and Taurua are sponsored by Western Heights Pharmacy.

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