Music spins out gold for dancing duo

STRUTTING THEIR STUFF: Kathy Kent and Steve Bowden showing gold medal-winning form in the 35+ restricted section in the rock 'n' roll competition held in the Masters Games marquee on Saturday. PHOTO/STUART MUNRO 310115WCSMMASTERS6

Ask Kath Kent and dance partner Steve Bowden what attracts them to rock 'n' roll and there's one common theme - the music.

Both from Wellington, they dance for the Kapi-Mana Rock 'n' Roll Club. Dance partners, as opposed to life partners, they are in their 19th year of dancing.

They've danced at nationals and go to Australia every year to compete in their competitions and say they have done "pretty well".

"We do very well in Australia and always come home with trophies."

Kent said they both got involved because they liked the music, the dancing and the social contact: "We've met some wonderful people over the years," she said. "But it's probably the music more than anything," Bowden said.

They said rock 'n' roll was very strong in Wellington with six active clubs "so there's always a dance on every weekend".

Kent makes her own outfits "right down to the petticoats and knickers" and those costumes were constantly changing. Bowden gets his suits made in Wellington.

They only dance as a couple. The sport does have same-sex events, but that doesn't interest them. And there are triples involving a man and two women but Bowden said "one woman on the dance floor's enough for me".

They were last at the Wanganui Masters four years ago.

Their routines are always being modified and, while they used to have coaches, they're comfortable sorting out their own sequences nowadays.

For the record, Kent won bronze in the best dressed woman competition, Bowden gold as the best dressed man, and they collected silver as best dressed couple.

As for their main event - the 35+ restricted? They took out gold. Not a bad weekend, really.