The sky was blue and the pier was pink as Noosa’s very own Sunny Coasters Linedancing group danced their way into the club’s most significant undertaking to date, a fundraiser for ‘Do it for Cancer’ (breast cancer).
What a spectacular sight it was to see at the Noosa Marina on Friday 13 October, as the dancers moved to the groove in support of this important event.
Adding to the uplifting mood of the day were the people walking on the bridge who stopped to watch, the crowds at the marina and the people on passing boats clapping and cheering.
“However,” as said by Sue Ravenscroft, “the best part of the day was the financial outcome of the fundraiser.“
“Our goal was to raise $2000 and we have raised almost $4000 with donations still coming in. Thank you to my dancers for your brilliant pink effort and overall contributions for the event. And to the dancers who couldn’t make it on the day, for your contributions and everyone for reaching out to friends and family for theirs.”
The Sunny Coasters would also like to thank Roy and Hannah from the Bakers Pantry for their very generous donation and Trent from The Marina Bar Noosa for providing all the pink decorations and the venue for morning tea. Also big thanks to Alison Taylor at LensArt for photos and videos.
In addition to their love of dancing, the Sunny Coasters enjoy being active and involved within the community.
“We were absolutely delighted to be invited by Bonza to perform on several occasions at the Sunshine Coast Airport, this of course was a huge accolade for the club,” Sue said.
“The Sunny Coasters have treated the residents at many aged care facilities over the past few years to a fun-filled time of dancing, lifting their spirits, and bringing smiles to all. Most recently, we visited Arcare Noosa. The suggestion of participation was enthusiastically received and many of the dear residents, some of whom were dancers ‘back in the day’, rose to their feet and felt the music.”
They will be returning to Arcare in December, to once again dance for the residents as part of their Christmas celebrations.
The linedancing group also recently supported the Sunshine Butterflies in their annual Walk in Wings event which was held on the Noosa river waterfront. They will be welcomed once again to join the Butterflies for their annual Christmas celebration held at the Sunshine Butterflies property.
“This is a beautiful morning where we perform and invite the members and carers to dance and sing along. The event always brings joy and tears to everyone’s eyes, including our dancers,“ a Sunny Coasters member said.
Established here in Noosa five years ago, founder and teacher, Sue Ravenscroft has been teaching dance for over 30 years and “believes wholeheartedly in the benefits of dance and health – physical, mental and social.”
“As we get older, we have a greater chance of falls and dance is great for balance and is massively helpful for coordination,” Sue said.
“Line dancing offers some attractive benefits – no partner required, includes relatively easy steps to learn, requires no previous dance experience, and introduces a combination of different music genres.”
Other members of the Sunny Coasters say, “We’re very excited to see our following in the community continue to grow. There seems to be a commonality among all the dancers, the need for a social network, the yearning for well-being, and the desire to move their bodies.“
Sue is an excellent teacher who runs her classes focussing on a maximum of dancing and a minimum of teaching, her students say.
This helps to consolidate the dancing so allowing plenty of time for dancers to become familiar with the steps and to work at their own pace.
Sue holds a variety of classes from absolute beginner through to more challenging dancing levels.
If a beginner joins in worrying that they may have ‘two left feet’, Sue will assure them they will be dancing in no time. Absolute Beginner workshops are commenced periodically and usually run for 5-6 weeks with learner videos available to purchase so beginners can enjoy a bit of ‘secret practise’ in the privacy of their own homes!
As one dancer voiced recently, “I used to come to dancing and basically just do steps, but Sue has taught me to really dance. I love it.”
Sue said, “The Sunny Coasters Linedancing group are a most inclusive club and are truly inspiring and friendly, new members are always welcome. This is evidenced by the phenomenal growth in club members over the past five years.”
For more information visit sunnycoasterslinedancing.com.au, Facebook, by emailing sue@sunnycoasterslinedancing.com.au, or by phoning Sue on 0408 337 262.
