July 2, 2018
Rock ‘n’ roll dancers from all around South-East Queensland are preparing to descend on Maidenwell this weekend for the annual Raising Hell In Maidenwell camp-out weekend.
They’ll be bringing their 1950s and 1960s hot-rods and vintage caravans to enjoy a weekend in the South Burnett sharing the music, the fashions and the foods that made those two decades so memorable.
On Sunday, local dancers were getting some last-minute instructions at a rock ‘n’ roll dance class held at Taras Hall in Nanango.
Veteran rock ‘n’ roll dancer Brett Rennie, from Inverell, explained that the whole point of rock ‘n’ roll dancing was to make women look good.
“A high point of rock ‘n’ dancing is the fashion the women wear,” Brett explained.
“Women who go out for rock ‘n’ roll dancing are dressed to the hilt, and the men are there to help them show off those fashions to best advantage.
“The dance steps are designed to make the women’s skirts fan out and really, the fashions men wear are nowhere near as important.
“What is important is that we lead with all the right steps to make our partners look stylish and elegant.”
Brett said he’d been a fan of rock ‘n’ roll dancing for decades.
“My dream was to dance as well as The Fonz in Happy Days,” Brett said.
“Then I found out that The Fonz never danced … but if he did, I’m sure he would have been incredibly cool.”
This year’s Raising Hell In Maidenwell will be the festival’s ninth outing and it will get underway at the Maidenwell Sports Grounds on Friday afternoon as guests arrive to begin setting up camp and getting acquainted.
Friday night will be spent at the Maidenwell Hotel, dancing along to music supplied by the South Burnett’s very own Elvis Jeff Hancox.
On Saturday, activities will kick off with a Show ‘n’ Shine at 9:00am (8:00am for exhibitors) that will be followed by a day of fun activities featuring food stalls, raffles, engine blow-ups, market stalls and a swap meet, along with a free jumping castle and face painting for children.
There’ll also be a cruise through the region from Maidenwell to Mel’s Diner in Kingaroy for a rock ‘n’ roll lunch that everyone is invited to attend (but buy your own lunch).
This will be followed on Saturday night with a pig-on-a-spit dinner back at the Maidenwell Hotel, along with an auction and live entertainment from popular South Burnett performer Arthur Nettelfield until the wee hours, plus more rock ‘n’ roll dancing.
And on Sunday, there’ll be a last-minute chance to check out all the great vintage vehicles on display before activities conclude at lunchtime.
For more information, phone Terry on 0409-496-167.
