Forget the world-famous pairings of Fred and Ginger or Torvill and Dean.

The twinkling toes of Tim and Rebecca, Shane and Nerida, and possibly Norm and Carol-Ann are set to grace the Queenstown Winter Festival.

If you don't know what this all means, you've clearly been missing out on "the" show of the moment.

Hit TV show Dancing With the Stars has been fuelling conversations around the watercooler – and making headlines – for the past two months.

The competition has now reached its closing stages, with only three couples, Invercargill mayor Tim Shadbolt and partner Rebecca Nicholson, actor Shane Cortese and Nerida Lister, and former All Black Norm Hewitt with Carol-Ann Hickmore, left.

Yesterday, festival manager Leigh Soper confirmed several of the participants had agreed to show their stuff at the opening party on July 2.

Ewen Gilmore, Mr Shadbolt and Mr Cortese had all confirmed they would take a spin on the dance floor, while Mr Hewitt was still a "potential", Ms Soper said.

The show's judges and the voting public will have chosen their winners by that point, but the Queenstown audience, assisted by MC Jason Gunn, will have the chance to judge how the dancers shape up in a live performance.


Source: SOPHIE HAZELHURST

Wow that sounds really interesting.