Entertainment
29 January, 2021
Let's Dance
GET ready for a colourful, high-energy journey through music and dance from around the world with all the glitz, glamour and excitement at the sixth annual Cairns ‘Dance Extravaganza.’
The event will feature two hours of spectacular dance shows by some of the best local and national dancers including Australian and World Latin and Salsa Champions.
Highlights will include samba girls dancing to the beats of Rio Carnivale, the speed and dazzle of salsa, and the seductive, sensual moves of bachata, tango, belly-dancing, and much more.
Tickets are selling quickly for the showcase at Cairns Performing Arts Centre (CPAC) on Saturday, February 27 with all proceeds going to the Meredith Anne Rundell Inc (MAR) to grant wishes for women with Metastatic Breast Cancer.
The charity provides financial support and services for these women to complete an item from their ‘Bucket List.’
Event founder and performer Kevin Loccisano started the charity in 2015 after losing Ms Rundell, his partner, to the aggressive cancer.
“Meredith and I met doing what we loved, dancing. Meredith was so positive in her life. She didn’t just talk it, she was it. Always looking for a solution and not focusing on the problem,” he said.
“After she was diagnosed, Meredith created a bucket list of things she wanted to do. Small things like flying business class, a visit to the reef, a helicopter flight were things she wanted to do, and throughout her time we worked towards accomplishing as many of these as we could. I will always remember the pleasure on her face each time we completed something.”
Mr Loccisano was born in Mareeba and is a secondary teacher in Cairns. He took up dancing in 2005 after 20 years in the navy. He is a five-time Australian salsa champion and one-time world champion in the over 50 male amateur solo category.
He said as well as supporting a good cause, the extravaganza was a major event for the region’s dance groups, allowing them to showcase some of the talent that abounds in Cairns.
“We’ve been growing every year. This year we’ve got around 30 acts, including teams and soloists, from Cairns and Mareeba as well as Townsville and beyond,” he said.
Tickets for the extravaganza can be purchased from CPAC: www.cairns.qld.gov.au/CPAC
Special guest performers visiting Cairns for the event will include world salsa champions Oliver Pineda, Nestor Manualian and his partner Rebecca Vallejo, and Cuban dance ‘maestro’ Antonia Faria.
These experts will hold dance workshops throughout the day on Saturday February 27 at Strictly Street Salsa Cairns Studio, with all proceeds going to the MAR charity. To book or for more information visit www.meredithannerundellinc.org
