Fred and Dominique’s ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ dance raises hundreds

A professional dancer and a retired businessman wowed guests at a Christmas party with their surprise choreographed routine – raising an incredible £800 for St Catherine’s Hospice in the process.

Dominique Boyle, 30, and Fred Smith – who turns 80 on New Year’s Day – gave an impressive performance to ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ at Shaw Hill Golf Resort in Whittle-le-Woods.

The pair struck up an unlikely friendship at Shaw Hill, where Dominique works as a personal trainer and Fred attends the gym. He had joked that when Christmas parties returned following the pandemic, he hoped Dominique would save the first dance for him; and she made sure it was a duet to remember!

Dominique, who trained at the Anita Murray School of Dancing and now runs Domination Fitness UK, said: “Fred’s always wanted to do a dance performance and now he’s ticked one off the bucket list at nearly 80 years old! He did so brilliantly on the night and made me very proud and quite emotional.

“We did it in honour of our friend Beryl Marsden. She attended my dance classes and was a member at Shaw Hill; she was a quick witted, lively, beautiful lady and was cared for at St Catherine’s Hospice earlier this year.

“When I was thinking of ways to raise funds for the charity in her memory, I recalled Fred’s wish to perform at the Christmas party, so I recruited him to do something extra special. I think he was expecting something a bit easier to learn, but we gave it our all. It turns out he’s a real showman at heart!”

She added: “We rehearsed in the fitness studio at Shaw Hill for two hours every week for five weeks. The guests at the ball were club members, staff, and local businesses, and they gave us a huge round of applause and really dug deep to donate on the night. We couldn’t believe how much we managed to raise.

“It was a very fitting tribute and a way to celebrate Beryl whilst giving something back the place which looked after her so well in her final moments.”

Fred, from Brindle, added: “I’m not a dancer, as you can tell by the video! But I really enjoyed it. I wasn’t nervous; I was quite looking forward to it, and it was all right on the night, as they say. We’re so pleased with how much money we raised for the hospice; everyone was very generous.”

• If you would like to donate to St Catherine’s Hospice in a show of support for Dominique and Fred’s fantastic efforts, please click here.

Share with your friends!