Denim & Diamonds: Stars of Tamworth 2026
Last Saturday night, the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre was the scene of the 2026 Cancer Council NSW Stars of Tamworth Dance For Cancer. Guests were surrounded by denim and diamonds from the moment they entered via the red carpet as eleven extraordinary community members took to the stage in front of a packed house to raise money for the fight against cancer.
When the final figure was announced, Tamworth had raised just over $202,000, the highest total in the twelve-year history of Stars of Tamworth Dance for Cancer!
TCDA: Event Partners at the Heart of the Night
Tamworth City Dance Academy has been part of Stars of Tamworth since the very beginning, and this year our role was acknowledged formally for what it has always been, not a sponsor, but a true event partner. Working closely with the Cancer Council NSW Tamworth's Community Fundraising Specialist Sally-Anne Whitten, TCDA choreographed all eleven star performances, provided the dance partners for each star, and opened our facilities for all Star and full group rehearsal throughout the season.
Our Senior Show Troupe performed at the opening, halftime and closing of the evening. Our aerialists delivered one of the most visually arresting sequences of the night, with a double silk routine at centre stage, two aerialists on the dual on-stage lyra, and silk aerialists framing the entire stage with movement. The scale of the TRECC made it even more breathtaking.
This year our Head Teacher Miss Lily Singh stepped into a significantly expanded role. She took on a major portion of the choreography, performed as dance partner to Star Dave Manchion, coordinated the full aerial program, stage managed the event from start to finish, and ran several of the evening’s interactive segments, including the Git Up Challenge. It was a remarkable effort across every dimension, and exactly the kind of leadership that defines TCDA.
A Night to Remember
The denim and diamonds theme gave the evening a distinctly Tamworth character, that being country glamour at its best. Attendees leaned in fully, and the TRECC looked extraordinary. The VIP pre-show included a saloon casino with blackjack and roulette tables, with all proceeds going directly to Cancer Council NSW, setting the tone for an evening where every element had purpose.
The eleven stars in ten performances were diverse, crowd pleasing and genuinely spectacular, each with its own distinct identity and theme. Fundraising continued throughout the night via live and silent auctions, phone voting, and the Git Up Challenge, which was an interactive segment where stars pulled audience members onto the stage to learn the routine and perform it live. Nobody anticipated how many people would want to join in and the floor was absolutely packed in one of the great unscripted moments of the night.
Congratulations to Our Stars and Award Recipients
Every one of the eleven stars who took the stage on Saturday night gave months of their time, fundraised tirelessly in the community, and delivered performances that were nothing short of showstopping. The following received special recognition on the night:
• Highest Fundraiser: Adam Brook (partnered by Bridie Yeo) , raising over $36,000 individually
• People’s Choice: Nicklaus Weir (partnered by Annabelle Collins)
• Judges’ Choice: Sam Gardner (on double Lyra with her daughter Mia)
• Highly Commended: Lachlan Barry and Jessica Eggins
• Community Spirit: Dan Saunders (partnered by Jaydah McKnight)
These stars were joined by Angel Mossiss (partnered by Bella Cook), David Manchion (partnered by Lily Singh), Emma Knights with the Tradies Angels, Kirsty Rust (partnered by Lauren Aslin) and Rebekah Bianca (partnered by the TCDA Senior Troupe). As Star Angel Morriss reminded everyone on the night the real winner is the fight against cancer. There is no better way to put it.
Twelve Years and Still Going
Stars of Tamworth Dance for Cancer has raised life changing sums for Cancer Council NSW over twelve years, and TCDA has been there for every single one of them. This event is among the most meaningful things we do as a studio, not because it showcases our dancers or our choreography, though we are proud of both, but because it puts the skills and resources of this studio in service of something that matters deeply to this community.
Cancer has touched almost every family in Tamworth. Showing up for this event, year after year, is one of the ways TCDA shows up for this town.
Thank you to Sally-Anne and the Cancer Council NSW, to Rise Content Co and JT Photographic Studio for capturing the evening so beautifully, to the Tamworth Regional Entertainment Centre, and to every sponsor, volunteer, auction bidder, phone voter and Git Up enthusiast who packed that floor. And most of all, thank you to our eleven stars. You were extraordinary.
🎬 Watch the event video by Rise Content Co https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14otppm9gDB/
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