Two make Tattoo

Two women from the Peel region will join a team of 60 dancers from New Zealand, Australia and Canada, who will perform in the New Zealand Military Tattoo.

The performance, held in Palmerston North, celebrates the New Zealand military and cultural history, and Sarah Burgess and Hannah Andrews both said they we excited to be a part of it.

“I have done ballet for about 12 years now, as well as other styles such as jazz and contemporary. However, I made highland dancing my focal point in May 2017 and competed in my first competition in September of that year,” Ms Andrews said.

“I have been in big local musical productions as well as many dance recitals over the years.

“Last year I had the opportunity to travel for dance to compete in Gosford New South Wales, but I haven't been involved in performance of this size before.”

Ms Burgess said she had been dancing for about 18 years and said while she had been on some pretty big competitive stages, this would definitely be the biggest performance yet.

She said they had to complete a written application back in October last year, to apply for a spot in the performance.

“Then there was a process of verifying our skill level and ensuring that we are training regularly. It was a nervous couple of months waiting to hear if we had been selected,” she said.

The performance will be held at the Central Energy Trust Arena on April 3.