AN Invercargill club brought the ’50s rock’n’roll era back to Invercargill at the weekend with a 12-hour "danceathon".Dancers and attendees took part of the Invercargill Rock’n’Roll Club open day from noon to midnight on Saturday at Scottish Hall, where enthusiasts could relive the 1950s with music, outfits and all the twists and dips the era was known for.
President Karl Herman said the open day was promoted with several goals in mind, which included lifting the club’s profile within the community, the membership numbers and bringing fun to the people in the community
“We did a danceathon 20 years ago, in our own hall, and it was packed. When we did that, our membership skyrocketed because people loved it and they wanted to get involved.
"After Covid, a number of people are just reluctant to get out of the house ... We just want get them back out and active again."
The open day also worked as a fundraiser for the club’s aims to demolish its “run down” 1930s hall in Waikiwi and build a $1.2million new building on the same site, he said.
Mr Herman said the club was a family-oriented group, with its members ranging from 5 years old to over 70.
"We are a club to let people have fun."
Member Sandy Pascoe agreed.
She and her 3-year-old granddaughter, Elianah Harrison, were having a blast with their matching outfits on the dance floor.
"I’ve been part of the club for 10 years and she has two big brothers who also are part of it. She loves to dance, so I think she will be joining us soon. It is great to share this with my family."
Cheryl Cross said she was ready to dance for 12 hours.
"The secret is to just keep the pace."
LUISA GIRAO
