Natalie Dickinson, along with her partner Robert, will be performing the foxtrot in the Ballarat Foundation's Dancing With Our Stars fundraiser.

Ms Dickinson might be a familiar face around town - she has lived in Ballarat since she was five, attending school and university here, then becoming a teacher before starting her family and venturing into a photography business.

"Ballarat has just been such a big part of my life." she said.

IN THE NEWS:

Ms Dickinson said she was honoured to be approached to join Dancing With Our Stars.

"It is not one of those glamorous high-profile sort of things that people think of first, when you think of donating money to something," she said.

"But when you listen to them speak about all the things that they are actually achieving and all of the people who would not be helped in any other way.

"There is not a specific foundation that helps people learn to drive. It is one of those things that you think if you did not have access to that, what would those people actually do?"

Ms Dickinson had done online work for Visit Ballarat before. Someone on the board nominated her for Dancing With Our Stars.

"When I got the call they said someone put your name forward and I asked 'why?'," she said.

"But it has been fun and I am glad I did it."

DANCING INSPIRATION:

Ms Dickinson, along with contestant Belinda Pilcher, will be running a trivia night as a way to help raise funds for the Ballarat Foundation.

The event will be held on Friday, May 20 from 7.30 pm at the Hydrant Food Hall. Tickets are available via Eventbrite.

"We have lots of donations from local businesses for prizes and things like that," Ms Dickinson said.

A few weeks into rehearsals she has been enjoying her time in the dance studio.

"We get all of the choreography down and then Shelley says 'that is the easy bit'," she said.

"Now we have to get all the technical stuff, which is the elbows up, head facing the right way, heel to toe, bend knees and smile.

"It is actually really hard to try and clear your mind and just go with it because I am not at the point where it is natural and automated yet."

Ms Dickinson's donation page can be found at ballaratfoundation.org.au

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