'Glammy, glitzy and shimmery'

PETER DRURY/Waikato Times

LET'S DANCE: Megan Harrop and Dan Wilks perform for the judges at a ballroom dancing competition at Tamahere Hall on Saturday.

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They glided through their routines, dazzling the 400-strong crowd in sequined, floaty frocks and tuxedoes.

Hundreds turned out to watch 85 ballroom and Latin dancers take to the floor at Tamahere Hall on Saturday as part of the annual Hamilton Amateur Dancesport Club Festival of Dance.

Competitors came from all over the North Island.

Several Hamilton couples performed well on the day, a lead-up to the national championships in Auckland at the end of the month.

Organising committee member Alan McDonald said ballroom and Latin dancing had made a comeback in recent years, probably thanks to TV show Dancing With The Stars.

Two of the TV show's professional dancers, Jonny Williams and Kristie Boyd who this year partnered Barbara Kendall and Chris Hobbs also strutted their stuff at Tamahere.

Mr McDonald said the event was a huge success, with standing room only.

"The majority of significant couples were all out there dancing, which is quite important, and spectacular," Mr McDonald said.

"It's glammy, glitzy and shimmery," he said.

"Certainly the Latin's for the younger ones, they move parts of their body you can't even think about."

Footworks Studio dancers Dan Wilks and Megan Harrop had three wins and several third placings in both ballroom and Latin in highly competitive junior and adult fields.

Hayden Davies and Chloe Dommett grabbed a series of third placings in the adult Latin grades while top adult open and B grade ballroom dancers Paul Smith and Cathryne Farnsworth took four firsts.

Senior dancers Jim Kernohan and Elizabeth Clausen and Matthew Taylor and Heather McDonald dominated the senior grades in both ballroom and Latin, sharing all first and second places between them.