It was a classic blue-sky Canberra winter's day, but somewhere over the other side of the world, we'd like to think Tina Turner was smiling. Once again, fans of the late, great singer had gathered to perform what has become an unlikely unofficial Australian anthem – the Nutbush. And we did it in very large, very stylish numbers. Dressed in their best Tina Turner inspired outfits, 350 Canberrans filled Civic Square for the second year in row. Led by the cast of TINA: The Ultimate Tribute to the Queen of Rock 'n' Roll, people of all ages, including some on crutches, took part in the dance. There was pink hair, denim jackets and plenty of glitter, as people left work and ran down to the square to take part in the dance that almost everyone knows. Even if they think they've forgotten how it goes. People attending were encouraged to bring their best moves to the event. Canberra Museum and Gallery, which organised the event, had a specific brief in mind. “We need people with the grooves, moves and a great sense of fun – 80s hairstyles encouraged,” ran the instructions. Following the instructions and both wearing their 80s-inspired wigs, Camilla Greville and Julie Whitmore were excited at the opportunity to celebrate Tina Turner's life in the unique Australian tradition. “When I turned 50, I really wanted to join a flash mob,” Ms Greville said. “I love Tina Turner, she is a good strong women. It will be great to do something really fun like this with a whole bunch of Canberrans.” “She is amazing – we are here to honour Tina Turner,” Ms Whitmore said. Although they had a quick practice run before the real thing, most in attendance had no issues remembering the moves. This was the flash mob's second year in a row, and most were even more excited at the prospect of doing it again next year. Another Tina enthusiast Maryanne Duncan joined her colleagues for the dance, and said she wanted to show the country that Canberra knows how to have fun. “We need this. We need to be able to show people we aren't just a public service town and know how let our hair down,” Mrs Duncan said. The first Nutbush flash mob in Canberra happened last year in response to the rock star's death on May 24, 2023. Weirdly, the origins of the Nutbush dance are still unknown, although folklore suggests it all began in Australian primary schools in the 1970s. Born and raised in Tennessee, Tina Turner wrote Nutbush City Limits in memory of where she grew up. Her connection to Australia grew beyond the iconic dance. After stints with Sherbet and Olivia Newton-John, Australian Roger Davies became Turner's manager in 1981, taking her talents to arenas around the world. On top of her Queen of Rock 'n' Roll title she was also known as the Queen of Rugby League. With the NRL what was then the VFL, Turner became an unlikely champion, helping the game reach new heights. She was involved in a number of adverts featuring her hit songs What You Get Is What You See and Simply The Best. Following its success, Turner was invited back in 1993 where she performed Simply The Best at the 1993 NRL Grand Final, stunning fans across the country. Her Australian connection didn't stop there. She even featured in George Miller's Max Max Beyond Thunderdome along side Mel Gibson. This year's flash mob smashed last year's attendance by 150 people, and the expectation is that next year's will be the biggest yet.
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