Line dancers step out at festival
Diane Perkins teaches a group of Tussock Country festival-goers how to line dance at the Town & Country Club in Gore yesterday. PHOTO: ELLA SCOTT-FLEMING
A band from the North Island squeezed in some line dancing in Southland last week before taking to the stage later that night for Gore's country music festival.
Instructor Diane Perkins had a full house at her beginners' line dancing class last Wednesday morning, teaching festival-goers and visiting group The Harmonic Resonators some country moves.
Ms Perkins' students, with varying levels of skill, danced the "cab driver" to the band's song Kaitaraiwa — Māori for driver.
The morning class, held at the Gore Town & Country Club, and the Resonators' later show at the St James Theatre were both part of the Bayleys Tussock Country music festival, which finished on Sunday.
Band member and ukulele player Ryan McIntyre said his group all had a country music background, mostly centred around the Morrinsville Country Music Club in the Waikato.
Two of his fellow musicians had competed in the festival's Gold Guitar Awards and Mr McIntyre said frontman Jeremy Hantler competed again this year, winning the traditional section.
McIntyre also sings in another band and line dances while performing country classic Achy Breaky Heart.
He said he was always looking for new dances and often filmed his feet doing the steps, because they were so easy to forget.
The group also danced to Ron Mitchell's I'll Be Country and Ms Perkins said Mitchell's songs were great to dance to.
There were more than a few giggles as learners stepped or turned the wrong way, but Ms Perkins said there was endless room for mistakes and it was about having fun.
ella.scott-fleming@alliedpress.co.nz
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