What happens when you are a dad of triplets who don’t believe you can dance when you are rehearsing for Stars of Wollongong Dance for Cancer.
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They come along to one of your lessons dressed as ballerinas in pink tutus to give you some tips and show you how it is done.
Ever since Peter Buckley, of Peoplecare, started learning his routine with Carina Serray there has been a running joke in the Buckley household about whether dad can dance.
- Read more: Meet the colour-coded Buckley triplets
Last week Eliza, Chloe and Bronte, 5, decided they wanted to see for themselves and came along to North Wollongong PCYC with their more optimistic mum Ally Buckley.
“He has been showing what he has been rehearsing during dinner and they have been cheering daddy on. The girls think it is a fun but I think they think daddy is being funny don’t really think he will get up on stage in front of a room full of people,” Mrs Buckley said.
But seeing is believing and after he showed them the whole routine at PCYC it was Hi5s and smiles all round.
Mr Buckley is among 14 novice dancers now less than one week out for their big chance to strut their stuff on stage to raise vital funds for cancer services in the Illawarra region. The volunteer stars including Illawarra Mercury sales manager Steve Sutton are putting the finishing touches on their routines before June 2 when their will make their public debut at WIN Entertainment Centre.
Their motivation is making the lives of local cancer patients a little easier. And Mr Buckley has been getting a lot of support from his workmates at Peoplecare. One service to benefit from such generosity last year was the Cancer Council NSW’s Illawarra Transport to Treatment. The free, completely volunteer-led program is designed to fill the gaps in local transport services to meet the needs of people affected by cancer.
In 2017 alone Cancer Council NSW volunteers travelled more than 13,000kms to transport patients and carers from across the Illawarra to vital treatment and specialist appointments both within the Illawarra and up to Sydney.
Mr Buckley and the 13 other entrants have already raised more than $50,000. He couldn’t thank Ms Serray enough for what she has been able to achieve in recent weeks. And said it was amazing to discover the amazing dance talent we have in Wollongong.
“She is volunteering her time to do this and she is an amazing person. I have been training for eight weeks about twice a week. The triplets keep giving me tips on what to do. Especially Bronte. She thinks I am trying to be a ballerina”.
“I am trying to explain to here it is a bit more of an upbeat dance,” he said.
Ms Serray completed her Bachelor of Arts in Dance at the Western Australian Academy of the Performing Arts in 2013 after spending a semester studying at Purchase College at the State University of New York in 2012. She completed her Advanced 2 RAD exam with distinction in 2013 under the direction of Diana de Vos and then continued to Solo Seal level in 2014.
Ms Serray returned to Wollongong and successfully auditioned for Austinmer Dance Theatre where she worked alongside artistic director Michelle Forte.
That resulted in her meeting Iraxte Ansa and being invited to join her for her Summer Residency programme ‘Metamorphosis’ in Mexico and Spain. She has also performed at the Victoria Eugenia Theatre, and participate in a live installation at the Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao.
In January 2016 she undertook a three week dance contract with Lisa Maris McDonell at the Casula Powerhouse and in 2017 she performed with Austinmer Dance Theatre at both the Adelaide and Sydney Fringe festivals. She presently teaches at i-Dance Performing Arts Studios.
Mr Buckley and the Stars of Wollongong now have less than a week to learn their short dance routines with a professional partner from Kazzajazz Studios. Tickets for the gala event are available through Ticketmaster.
“I have never danced before. I like a good Nutbush dance at a wedding. But in terms of a choreographed routine this is a first,” he said.
“The Cancer Council contact Michael Bassingthwaighte and he delegrated very well and said Peter Buckley will do it.”
“The staff at Peoplecare have been veryt supportive.”
Greg Ellis
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
Almost four decades in electronic, print and digital media. A writer, presenter, emcee, photographer and videographer with degrees in business management, marketing and human resources and tertiary qualifications in photography.
