Nutbush City: population 259. Civic Square: population 350.

Canberrans reached Nutbush city limits today as 350 line-dancers kicked up their heels to the Tina Turner smash hit, led by the closest thing to Tina Turner – tribute artist Caroline Borole.

What started out last year as a tribute to the late great artist – attracting 200 dancers – returned today as a frenzied flash mob of local pollies (MLA Tara Cheyne) and workers at Civic Square.

The star of Tina the Ultimate Tribute to the Queen of Rock ‘n’ Roll (on at The Playhouse tonight), Caroline Borole, had just arrived in Canberra from Sydney and she and her castmates literally hit the ground running.

Instead of the usual pre-show voice warm-ups and preparing costumes and make-up, the South African-born singer and back-up dancers/singers led hundreds of Canberrans in a Nutbush dance. There were no records broken for the largest Nutbush dance (Mundi Mundi near Broken Hill holds the world record of 6,594) but lunch time just got a lot more fun.

A fact-check is needed here, however, as many locals lay claim to the Nutbush dance being intrinsically Australian. Tina star Caroline sets the record straight and she’s been touring the world with the tribute show since 2017, so she ought to know.

“Yes, definitely the Nutbush dance is also done in America but I think it’s just more popular here – and it probably looks better,” Caroline laughs. “We used to do a line dance in South Africa, called the bus stop, similar but different in certain ways like the music and rhythm. I guess this dance is derived from other earlier versions.”

The organiser of the free event, Canberra Museum and Gallery, reported that on social media 550 people registered to participate in the Nutbush flash mob.

A CMAG spokesperson said the feedback from last year had been incredible with numerous requests to hold it again. No private dancers here, but public dancing en masse.