Entertainment
6 December, 2023
Dancers set to put best feet forward at championships
TABLELANDS Social Dancers are excited that two of its regular couples are taking part in the Australian Dancesport Championships this weekend.
Dancing in his first championship, Duncan Blakey will be joined by dancing partner Else Pascoe, while Margaret and Jimmy Falvo, of Mareeba, are no strangers to the national dance floor.
Mrs Falvo said she and husband Jimmy had been dancing competitively since about 2016.
“It was something I had always wanted to do and my husband had been dancing previously but never competed,” she said.
In 2017, the pair won the Australian Title in their age group.
The Australian Dancesport Championships will be held in Melbourne from 8-10 December.
Mrs Falvo said they expected to spend quite a bit of time on the dancefloor, with the hope of making it through to the finals.
“There’s some hard work there. We need to put enough out there to get noticed to get to the next round but have enough in the tank to put into the final,” she said.
This year, Mr and Mrs Falvo will give the open competition “a crack”.
“The only way to push yourself to get better is to compete against the best. You are only as good as the competition that turns up on the day,” she said.
Both couples are part of the Tablelands Social Dancers group, one they visit on a regular basis.
“They make us feel so welcome. There’s a lot of backing there for us. We hop on the dancefloor there for extra practice,” Mrs Falvo said.
They were able to hone their floorcraft to a wide range of music by attending the social dances.
“When you compete you have no idea what music will be played,” Mrs Falvo said.
Taking part in these competitions means the couple have travelled extensively seeing Tasmania, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Cairns.
It also keeps their minds active and bodies fit.
“You learn to dance at eight, you can still be dancing at 80,” Mrs Falvo said.
Just Dance Cairns will host the North Queensland Dancesport Championships in July 2024, a competition Mrs Falvo looks forward to.
“...which is fantastic for us, it’s the only competition north of Brisbane. We are hoping that Townsville holds another in the next two years,” she said.
The Australian Dancesport Championships will be live streamed via www.dancesport.org.au
