The surgeon who sambas

EAR nose and throat surgeon Nadine de Alwis has stepped out of the operating theatre and onto the dance floor as part of this year’s Dancing With Our Stars fundraiser for the Ballarat Foundation.

At a gala night on Saturday 20 June, de Alwis will perform the samba with dance partner, vet Horrace Tang, who took part in the competition last year and was assigned the same ballroom style.

de Alwis said it’s important to support the foundation’s hyper-local work which has the key focus areas of homelessness, food insecurity, youth success, mental health, gender inequality and violence.

“I have two daughters and I want them to feel safe,” she said.

“I think it’s a really great opportunity for the community to get behind the Ballarat Foundations and help out. It’s a fantastic cause.”

Like this year’s other stars, de Alwis is rehearsing at The Dance Studio with instruction by teacher and choreographer Shelley Ross.

“Samba is a fast Latin dance and I’m learning a lot,” she said.

“I’m having to unlearn my ballet technique. Samba is very fluid and turned-in whereas ballet is turned-out.

“It’s going really well, and finally, now it’s just working on technique.

“It’s a really fun dance and I think, hopefully, it should get the crowd going. It should be a fun dance to watch.”

de Alwis is appreciative of all of her sponsors and everyone who has donated so far.

Individual fundraising pages for the Dancing With Our Stars participants are live and accepting donations at ballaratfoundation.org.au