Clubs to take to the dance floor

Clubs to take to the dance floor

2 April 2014

BALLYNAHINCH Rugby Club and Drumaness Gaelic Club are hoping to close the miles between them by pitting their members against each other in a competition with a difference this May.

Members of the two clubs will replace the pitch with the dance floor to go shoulder to shoulder in a unique event designed to shake up the traditional Strictly Come Dancing formula.

Primary school teachers, welders, estate agents and joiners are among the eight volunteers from each club who will be paired off for the inter-sport fundraising dance-off in the Millbrook Lodge Hotel.

Professional dance instructors John and Poppy Kerr have been hired to help choreograph a waltz and a jive for each of the couples who will shimmy for their place at the top of the leadership board in front of an audience of 400.

Brian Fegan, from Drumaness Gaelic Club, said organisers had been tapping the shoulders of potential dancers for the past six weeks to find competitors from each club, which boast a joint membership of 450 youth members and 200 adult members.

He said the event was designed to build improved links between the two clubs, which have enjoyed limited interaction until recently, despite being just four miles apart.

He said their club had hosted a couple of successful Strictly Come Dancing events over the past few years and thought a joint venture would inject new life into the concept, while building on the joint ventures the clubs have enjoyed in recent times, including an over 40s game of two sporting halves.

He said the two clubs now regularly invite each other to sports days although the dance event would be the first formal fundraising partnership.

“We realise there is a lot to be had from trying to find out a bit more about each other,” he said.

“The Strictly events run by clubs have been very successful and this is mixing it up a bit.

“The dancers are all practising together on a Wednesday night and they are having great craic, swapping partners to help each other out. It will be interesting to see if that changes towards the end as the competitive side kicks in.”

Although Brian says there will be some fundraising carried out as part of the event, he said that was not the organisers’ main goal.

“We are determined to make this a successful event and it is focussed on building on our links and creating friendship between the two clubs, which are just four miles apart,” he said.

“It has been surprisingly easy to get people to take part and volunteer for the dancing.

“Although our goal is not particularly fundraising at this time, this could open the door for major funding opportunities in the future.”

He said tickets, which are on sale now through club members, were in big demand.