THERE was underwear, bare torsos and even a mankini.
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The dancers were prepared to flash the flesh for the Stars of Wollongong Dance for Cancer charity event at the UOW Hall on Saturday night.
It was all for a good cause though as about 500 people braved the elements to attend the Cancer Council NSW function, which raises funds for cancer treatment in the Illawarra region.
“Through events such as dance for Stars of Wollongong Dance for Cancer we strive to connect people and organisations to the cancer cause because we know that together we can build insights into the significance of cancer in our lives and contribute our talents towards the vision of cancer defeated,’’ Merewyn Partland, the Cancer Council NSW director of community engagement, said.
“Together we will beat cancer.’’
The final tally raised is likely to be over $75,000 from the event, which pairs local professionals with a local dancer to perform a routine in the evening.
Local teacher Mark Smith and his dancing partner Teagan McKeen were crowned the judge’s favourites for the night after a performance which blended the old with the new and had plenty of crowd support.
The University of Wollongong SMART boss and Destination Wollongong chair Tania Brown and her partner Dane Sanderson wowed the audience with a tap number and were voted the people’s choice winner.
The managing director of Professionals Real Estate in Wollongong, Rob Grubb, shocked the audience by stripping down to a mankini.
The gamble of his teacher Kelsey Heycott paid off with the best costume prize.
Convenient Chemist pharmacist and proprietor Asim Iqbal was the overall biggest fundraiser, raising over $15,000 for the cause.
Other dancers on the evening included local media personalities such as the Illawarra Mercury's Desiree Savage, WIN News journalist Melissa Russell and i98FM presenter Fairlie Hamilton.
Judges for the evening were Golden Guitar winner and Wollongong local Mollie McClymont, IRT Foundation manager and last year’s judge’s choice winner Toby Dawson and former St George Illawarra Dragons player Dan Hunt.
Hunt confirmed on the night he would be swapping his judge’s scorecard next year for a pair of dancing shoes.