Inspiring new freedom of movement without constraints of gender roles, the twist took the world by storm in the 1960s. While many dance moves have come and gone, the twist remains – and, this spring, Canberrans are invited to join a world record attempt for the most people doing the twist together. Hosted by OPC and Lifeline Canberra, Lake Rattle & Roll will see the classic Chubby Checker tune sing out across Lake Burley Griffin on Sunday 8 October.

“It’s a bit of an iconic dance; it’s lively, easy to dance to, the music is infectious, the more you play it the more you want to,” says Brett Norton, Manager Director of OPC.

While scrolling through social media, Mr Norton stumbled across the story of the world’s largest twist dance. The event took place at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Mississippi back in 2014 with 3,040 keen dancers taking part.

“I thought, ‘my goodness me, if that were in Canberra, we would smash it’. I started to think about where and the easiest place to do this type of thing would be on an oval, and I’m looking at a map and looking at our lake. I thought we could create a lifeline and who better to do it for than Lifeline Canberra,” he says.

Having worked with the crisis support services for many years through OPC, an It support company, Mr Norton says the work that Lifeline Canberra does makes an incredible difference to communities across Australia. He says the charity is always there when needed.

“Lifeline Canberra support people going through a difficult time with mental health, and it is such a real problem, everyone of us, if not impacted directly, certainly we know someone who is. It resonates very loud,” he says.

Marking the start of Mental Health Week (the second week of October), Mr Norton says Lake Rattle & Roll is a great way for the community to acknowledge the incredible work of Lifeline Canberra. Attendees are encouraged to bring a speaker or radio with them to tune into Hit 104.7 playing The Twist on the day. A simple twist of the hip, the dance is accessible for all ages and abilities; however, you need to be able to dance for five minutes to be included in the world record attempt.

“If you stop, then one of the marshals who will be monitoring may catch you out and you will be subtracted from the number of people dancing,” he says.

Attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favourite 1960s figure or celebrity. Mr Norton has picked out a pinstripe suit that harks back to the Blues Brothers.

An estimated 5,000 people would be required to cover the circumference of the lake, while 3,041 are needed to break the world record. Registration is required and can be done up until the morning of; joining the attempt is free with every registered participant receiving a certificate if successful.

While not mandatory, the option to donate to Lifeline Canberra is available on the registration website. Carrie Leeson, CEO of Lifeline Canberra, says any donations will be appreciated, and the day is about connecting with the community and taking steps to improve your wellbeing.

“We will spark a conversation around mental health and that’s ultimately what we want to do, keep people talking, keep people connecting,” she says. “Who doesn’t want to sit around a table on New Year’s Eve and say they broke the world record this year?”

While getting the word out about the record attempt, Ms Leeson says they have visited construction sites and hardware stores, and invited volunteers to get down at the recent Southside Bookfair, with everyone involved having a great time.

“Whether you can or can’t stand, how much or how little you can move, it’s just about coming down and doing what you can. We saw all versions of it at the Bookfair; It’s incredible,” she smiles.

According to Ms Leeson, the dance left people feeling positive and upbeat, with volunteers humming and singing for hours afterwards. The funds raised will go towards Lifeline Canberra’s crisis support and bereaved by suicide support services. Only four per cent of funding comes from Government sources, leaving the local charity to rely heavily on community generosity.

“It’s not a requirement for people to donate,” she says. “The important thing is that we come, connect and support each other and that we have fun together and as a community, we create a lasting memory.”

Lifeline Canberra’s 24-hour crisis support line is staffed by a small team of compassionate, highly trained volunteers who provide mental health support. One call can change a life and with each call costing $26, for less than the price of a movie ticket and popcorn, you can help save a life.

“If people wanted to donate and they wanted to know what they could donate towards, as little as $26 go towards changing someone’s life forever,” she says.

Ms Leeson says that with the rising cost of living and other environmental impacts, they are still predicting the worst to come in terms of mental health. The pandemic increased call demand by 40 per cent, and the number of calls answered across the country hit a high of 3,500 on the first day of lockdown and it is yet to drop below that. Calls continue to be more complex and take longer, meaning more supporters are needed.

“More people are reaching out, which is great; more people are realising that they need help and taking the steps and being courageous and seeking help. At the same time our job is to make sure someone is there to answer, so when they are ready to do some work, someone is there to help them.”

Calling on the community to come together, Mr Norton is encouraging businesses and organisations to record a short video of their team doing The Twist and then challenging another business to the same. Upload the video to their social with the hashtag #twistchallengecbr.

Join the record attempt and show your appreciation for Lifeline Canberra at Lake Rattle & Roll on Sunday 8 October at 9am. Register online at opc.com.au/twist

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