KATRINA BRANDON
BY KATRINA BRANDON
LINDA Pink is a line dancing instructor in Newborough, who involves herself in line dancing competitions and festivals around Australia, as well as running fundraising programs for multiple charities.
On May 6, Linda won Australian Line Dancer of the Year in Mayworth, Tamworth.
Linda explained that she was voted in by the Tamworth Country Line Dance Association, where anyone in line dancing can vote on who they would like to win. Along with the single win, Linda’s team also won via the VDAA committee for group of the year. Linda runs classes down in Newborough three days a week and in Heyfield for one.
Behind running the classes here in the Latrobe Valley, Linda has lived locally all her life and wants to keep running the classes as long as possible.
“You probably wouldn’t get that in another sport, so age group, ability, health wise you know everybody can dance, even if they do have two left feet,” she said.
“Hopefully I’ll still get my classes going ’cause that’s what I plan on doing in the next five to 10 years.”
“It’s good in the sense that you don’t need a partner, it’s a safe environment and it’s great music. We don’t always use country music these days. We use anything and everything.”
Linda explained that all her classes are based on the skill level of the individuals in the group and are accommodating to all needs.
She also mentioned that line dancing isn’t like you see in movies or like the old days.
Waltzes and Cha-chas are now involved in the routines.
“It’s really right across-the-board. We do some beautiful, beautiful stuff and dances. So that’s how I initially got into it,” she said.
Linda’s group also likes to run fundraisers within the community. Some names involve the Days of Hope, Lifeline and Knitted Knockers. Even while locked down in COVID, the group got going with a ‘get fit’ fundraiser where they would have to change something in their lives.
“Everybody had to do something to get fit so either walk, give up chocolate, give up alcohol, give up cigarettes (not that many of us smoke), so we had to do something to get fit and I think we raised up to $20,000 while we’re not even together,” Linda said.
Next up for Linda and her group is the LDA ball in Melbourne in June and a black-and-white masquerade ball.
Her team does many events like this throughout many years.
“There is always something coming up that you can travel to because it’s line dancing throughout all of Australia,” she said.
“There’s a few of us going up to the ball in Canberra in August and we’re just done the Sydney ball. We’ve taken them for a few trips. We have taken them to Darwin, taken three groups to Norfolk Island. So we get to travel a bit as well safely together.”
Classes at Newborough are Tuesday and Wednesday 9.30am to 1pm, Friday 9am-10.30 or 10.30am to midday. Cost is $10 a class. Heyfield classes are 10.30am-11.45am and 12pm-1.30pm.
For more information, visit lvbootscooters.com/l-v-country-line-dancers-classes.html
