Go-Go Getter

By Andrea Louise Thomas Photos Gary Sissons & supplied

Rosebud go-go dancer Vicky Sapkin has loved music from the mid-1960s since she was fifteen years old. The Easybeats, whose members included renowned songwriters Harry Vanda and George Young were her favourites. It wasn’t just the music; Vicky adored everything '60s from Twiggy and the mini dress to E-type Jaguars and old record stores. She delighted in movies and TV shows of the era which often broke out into a dance scene. Nothing thrilled her more than Batman and Robin busting a move.

“This kind of music energises me. I just have to dance. It makes me feel so joyous. It’s such fun. Laughter and movement are priorities in my life,” she says. She has to stop herself from dancing if 60s music comes on in the supermarket. She can’t explain why this kind of music so inspires her, but she just can’t help it.

She stopped dancing in her later teens and didn’t really get back to it until 2022 when she saw a notice for a '60s cover band playing at Tom Katz at the Sorrento RSL and decided to go along. As soon as she heard the music, she jumped up to dance and didn’t sit down again until the band finished playing.

After this she started looking for '60s cover bands and discovered The Wipeouts, The Herberts, The Retro Stars, The Boombabies and The Repeters. Vicky has regular gigs dancing with The Wipeouts at the Hampton RSL. She’s met amazing people at these gigs who share her passion for the music and dance of that era. Her genuine talent, bold enthusiasm and spectacular dance moves did not go unnoticed. In fact, people wanted to know how she did it. Their encouragement at gigs kick started her passion for teaching.

Vicky established her business, 1960s Dance Party in 2024. She has taught both private and public classes. She’ll be teaching an open session as part of the Mornington Peninsula Seniors Festival on October 22 from 11-12 and women-only sessions at Mount Martha House in October and November. She also teaches free sessions before her gigs with The Wipeouts.

Vicky choreographs every dance number in her classes, simplifying some trickier ones. “The 1960s Dance Party concept is all about being free and having fun,” she says. Vicky teaches classics like the Watusi or Batusi (in honour of Batman), The Pony, The Jerk and The Monkey. She leaves two dances at the end of each session for participants to dance freestyle. Vicky loves engaging with her students.

In her teaching repertoire, Vicky has more than fifty dance moves to draw from. She really enjoys choreography. The moves have to be authentic go-go moves and she chooses ones she knows will be the most fun to dance. Seeing Vicky in action is the personification of joy. Her delight is infectious.

Never in a million years would Vicky have thought professional go-go dancing was in her future. At high school she had a real knack for numbers. She obtained a Bachelor of Commerce at Deakin in Geelong. Then she spent four years working for Price Waterhouse as a chartered accountant and eventually moved to more flexible accounting and bookkeeping jobs.

Being deskbound indoors for hours on end was really not what Vicky wanted. She needed to be active. She swapped from full-time to part-time work and then stopped working when her children were born. Caring for kids had her moving almost constantly and she liked it that way.

Now Vicky enjoys working as an administrator for the Mornington Peninsula Beach Box Association. Interacting with the thousand plus members, many of whom are generational beach box owners, is fun and interesting. They have so many stories to share and are truly passionate about their beach boxes. She’s been doing this for ten years.

Vicky also likes working as a volunteer committee member with the National Trust’s Mornington Peninsula Branch. She is keenly interested in Australian history and was a committee member and treasurer with the Mornington & District Historical Society for 14 years happily mixing with like-minded people and discovering intriguing stories of the Mornington Peninsula.

I would dance every night of the week if I could because I am completely in the moment

Vicky became the local history representative and vice-chair on the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Arts and Culture Advisory Panel. She’s now treasurer of the Peninsula Culture Collective. In both roles she has met fascinating people across all of the arts. Being involved with historians and creative people gives Vicky a real buzz.

That said, nothing thrills her more than go-go dancing. “Being on the dance floor and feeling free is just the best! I would dance every night of the week if I could because I am completely in the moment. I love the bands, the audiences are great and the positive vibes are so uplifting,” she says. Go-go Vicky!

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