Sequins, sparkles and salsa will take over the Illawarra this weekend as the South Coast Ballroom Dancing Spectacular returns to the Wollongong Town Hall. EMMA SPILLETT dipped her toe into the ballroom world and discovered for its competitors, it really is all about the rhythm.
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As the house lights dim and the murmur of the excited audience fades to a hush, dozens of primped couples take to the floor.
A sea of women, decked out in colourful fabrics, feathers and fake eyelashes, join hands with men sporting their finest tails, rich tans and slicked-back hair.
The music starts and the dancers take a collective breath, stand a little taller and begin to swish around the floor.
Cheers from the crowd go up, the competitors' smiles go on and the judging begins.
''When you get on the floor, it’s a special kind of magic; I don’t feel alive until I start dancing.''
It is Wollongong's answer to Strictly Ballroom - the city's own ballroom bonanza, complete with glitz, glamour and lots and lots of sequins.
The annual South Coast Ballroom Dancing Spectacular has been running for more than 60 years and is one of the longest-running independent ballroom dancing competitions in the country.
Founded by the "darlings" of the region's ballroom scene, Margaret and Ray Reeve, the event started as a chance for students at their busy Thirroul dance school to show off their skills.
Fast forward half a century, and the competition is now a veritable melting pot of amateurs and high-ranking national and international dancers.
It has attracted some of the industry's most well-known figures (think Todd McKenney and "Tina Sparkle" herself, Sonia Kruger), as well as competitors from as far afield as Iceland.
Thirroul's Donna Shingler (nee Reeve), a former world champion, has helped her parents co-ordinate the Illawarra competition for several years.
She said the event had become a "must-do" on the national ballroom calendar.
"A lot of couples use it to prepare for other competitions," she explained.
"August is a busy month in our world - there's a big event at Luna Park and the Tasmanian Open Championships; the Wollongong comp has definitely become part of that group of competitions that couples like to do."
Preparation starts months in advance - elite couples often devote several hours a day to training, expending as much time and energy as professional swimmers or track runners.
"It's like any other sport, especially at that high level, you have to be very fit," Mrs Shingler said.
"When [partner] Alan was competing, his heart rate was under 50 BPM, he was incredibly fit.
"It takes constant practice and a lot of dedication."
It is this intensity, and the competition's reputation for sparkle that is the selling point for the 600-plus audience members who flock to the spectacular every year.
"I think ballroom is like soccer, it's so much better live," Mrs Shingler said.
"When people watch it, they realise these dancers can really shift.
"I had the same feeling when I watched my first football premiership live - it's that sense of awe."
Programs like Strictly Ballroom and Dancing with the Stars have helped ballroom's cause, leading its resurgence in dance halls - and loungerooms - nationwide.
"We've definitely seen the competition grow again," Mrs Shingler said.
"We've got parents enrolling their children to learn ballroom, University of Wollongong students attending classes, it's really wonderful to see.
"We've had people move to Wollongong from New Zealand and Perth to study at Dancespace, it's nice to think people are converging on the town for ballroom."
Hobbyist Peter McLeod agreed, noting the city had a reputation for its ballroom stars.
"When I moved to Wollongong, a friend said to me 'you have to go to Dancespace'," he said.
"People don't realise that the studio has so many dancers who are at a championship level of skill; you are really among some top-quality people."
Amateur competitors have also been drawn to the studio and the city's ballroom showcase.
Toni-Lea Porter and Ben McKinnon are set to compete on their "home turf" for the first time, entering the Latin sections.
The pair, who juggle study at the University of Wollongong and part-time work with ballroom, have spent hours getting "up close and personal" for the sake of the competition.
"We do a lot of training," Ms Porter laughed.
"I think when I decided to become a competitor, I severely underestimated how much of a commitment it would be; it's very time consuming, we do about 15 hours of training a week.
"I always joke that it's like being in a sexless marriage - I spend more time with Ben than I do with any other individual, we've definitely got to know each other."
The couple, who are quick to note they're not dating in "real life", started competing nationally about eight months ago.
Despite the travel costs, which can start to rack up when you regularly hop between states, Ms Porter said the expense was well worth it for the thrill of the stage.
"There's nothing like the adrenalin rush," she said.
"When you get on the floor, it's a special kind of magic; I don't feel alive until I start dancing."
A theatre student and long-time dancer, Ms Porter is no wallflower on-stage but admitted ballroom had taken her out of her comfort zone, physically and mentally.
"It's the most fun you can have getting fit but it's full on," she said.
"I'd done other forms of dance when I was younger like ballet and jazz but this is the hardest by far - you're sharing the whole experience with someone else, it's not just about you.
"If you're off-centre or you lose your balance, it immediately affects your partner - you have to be very strong, there's a level of endurance and flexibility involved."
Mr McLeod agreed, noting he'd given more than his share of "moist hugs" to partners.
"You don't really notice it because you're in the studio, making friends and talking, it's my favourite way to work out," he laughed.
"But sometimes they'll put on three or four songs with no break; you'll do the quick step and you're literally running around the room sweating."
Mr McLeod, who is a long-time modern jiver, returned to Australia last year after a stint in the US.
He decided to re-enter the competition scene, teaming up recently with new partner Sharon Hook.
Although the pair have trained together only a handful of times, Mr McLeod said the weekend's competition would be a chance to test out their routines.
"We often get people who come along to classes, enjoy the social side of ballroom and say, 'hey, why don't we try competitions?', it's just a good atmosphere and a lot of fun."
But what about comparisons with Strictly Ballroom? Will the city be flooded with dancing divas and drama?
"Well I don't know about Wollongong, but I would say [Strictly Ballroom] is more of a documentary, than a comedy," Ms Porter laughed.
"Ballroom is a world with its own rules, it can be high drama - you're in this hyper-reality with all these creative artists who are larger than life and have adrenalin running.
"Sometimes there can be emotions and tempers but you put up with it to do what you love."
- The 2014 South Coast Ballroom Spectacular will be held at the Wollongong Town Hall on Sunday.
- Doors open at 10.30am with the competition kicking off at noon.
- Tickets are available from the IPAC or the Wollongong Town Hall box office.