Invercargill girl Elianah Harrison, 6, has been attending and watching Invercargill Rock ‘n’ Roll club performances since she was 3.
After experiencing all the action from the crowd, Elianah took the dance floor for the first time this year and was part of the club’s championship, held on Saturday.
"I love when we do the floor sweep. It is really fun", she said.
Elianah is the granddaughter of Sandy Pascoe, who has been a member of the club for 12 years.
They shared not only a passion for the twists and throws but also for the dresses, inspired by the ’50s era.
"It is quite emotional to see her dance today. She loves it and is something special we can do together", Mrs Pascoe said.
Elianah’s dance partner, 6-year-old Justin Thomas, was also influenced by his family to join the club.
"I always saw my sister dancing and doing some cool stuff so I wanted to do it as well", he said.
Club president Carl Herman said it was the club’s biggest event of the year and attracted about 50 people, which was "far more" entries than the previous year.
"It is a fun day full of throws, dips, dress wear and great ’50s music.
"It has been quite popular over the recent years ... The kids love getting dressed up, boys love to throw the girls around and the girls love to be thrown around. It is a more rebellious kind of dance so you can do whatever you want."
