Splashes of vibrant colour swirl around the room as the Ruby Red Dancers put their heart and soul into their weekly practice. Sparkles catch your eye as the group of mature ladies twirl around, captivating you as they give it their all. Their joy of dancing and bringing happiness to others is evident in the enthusiasm given to a dress rehearsal.

The Ruby Red Dancers consist of women aged 55 to 83 - impressive, right? Their passion stems from contributing to the community, and of course the desire to keep fit. This volunteer group performs for free, only asking for donations of any size for Motor Neurone Disease Victoria.

“We practise and treat each performance like we’re being paid $1000 – and we get an amazing response in return,” says Diane, the organiser.  “We’re all friends, some of us for over 16 years. We’ve been dancing together for six years and we began rehearsals at my home.”

Joining Diane in the conga line are Christina, Wendy, Lynn, Dimitra, Audrey, Gail and Lyn, all of whom are from the Mornington Peninsula and the Greater Frankston area. They are an example of how dancing, music, choreography and friendship can assist in healthy and positive ageing.

Ruby gemstones are the queens of the stone world, and so are these ladies. They look the part and thrive on dressing up in their own costume creations filled with bright colours and jewels. Funding all their own expenses like hall hire, transport, administration costs, costume supplies, music and props is most impressive. They also hand out tambourines, shakers, streamers and coin belts (think belly dancing) for audience participation throughout the show to get everyone involved and wanting to boogie.

“The looks on our audience’s faces are priceless,” Diane says.  “They love the colours and the fabrics. We really believe that the more sparkles, the better.”

These dancing divas perform for various groups, organisations and functions including nursing homes, retirement villages, fundraising events, multicultural programs and Christmas parties. The energy that the ladies exude is so contagious that even staff at the events get up and join the Macarena. Given this, it’s not surprising that they’re steadily getting booked out for their season.

“We all agree that as a volunteer group we feel contributing to the community - in particular older people - is most important for health and happiness - ours and the audience’s - and we’ll continue to dance and bring pleasure to many for years to come.  Our beliefs are about bringing happiness to others who have helped to build our community and country during their lifetime.  Maybe it’s a little patriotic, but we are committed to the joy and colour that we bring to the audiences.”

If your group is in the market for entertainment, make sure to get the dazzling Ruby Red Dancers to jazz up your event.  For booking inquiries, call Diane on 5977 1766 or 0429 884 561.