By Kelsey Joachim
Western Herald
And the judge’s scores are in…tens across the panel! That’s what each couple is hoping to hear after they perform their ballroom routine in front of an audience at Miller Auditorium.
Western Michigan University’s Department of Dance and Partners in Dance will be hosting a scholarship fundraiser called “Dancing with the WMU/Kazoo Stars.” The event will take place Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 at 8 p.m. on the Miller Auditorium Stage.
The Department of Dance and Partners in Dance are hoping to raise $10,000 towards scholarships for dance majors.
Tori Distelrath, a Western Michigan University student, said, “This is a very creative and unique idea that will definitely attract a lot of people and raise money.”
She also commented that she wished her program would do something fun like the Dancing with the WMU/Kazoo Stars event to raise money for scholarships that would benefit her and that she could be a part of.
The WMU event will feature local celebrities who will perform ballroom dances to fight for the top spot of the night. Nina Nelson, Professor and Department of Dance Chair, is the woman behind the idea for this event.
“There were several motivating factors. At first I wanted an event that would celebrate the 10th anniversary of Partners in Dance, our community support group,” Nelson said in an e-mail.
“The second factor was a desire to bring the university and greater Kalamazoo communities together with dance and fun entertainment as the centerpieces.”
Nelson was inspired by the popularity of the Dancing with the Stars TV show, and wanted to use this popularity to draw attention to dance with this event.
Some local celebrity competitors include Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra Music Director Raymond Harvey, attorney, urban real estate developer and restaurateur Tom Huff, community volunteers Judy Jolliffe and Patti Huiskamp, retired probate judge Carolyn Williams, State Representative of the 60th House District, Robert Jones, and WMU Men’s Basketball Head Coach, Steve Hawkins.
To find these competitors, a committee was set up to compile a list of university and community leaders that represent a good variety of areas including education, business, the arts, and politics.
Mayor of Kalamazoo, Bobby Hopewell and his partner will repeat their prize-winning dance from last year’s event.
The Mayor happened to be the crowd favorite last year, but according to Nelson, each celebrity has their own section of cheering fans.
Each celebrity dancer is paired with a WMU dance student or faculty member who will work with them on their unique ballroom routine.
The student dancers are asked if they would like to volunteer to help with this event and then Nina Nelson selects student partners who can be available for their rehearsals and supportive to their partners.
Choreographer Tony Calucci has created an individualized ballroom dance for each competitor. Tony Calucci has served as a coach for the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show on ABC and was a member of the Department of Dance Faculty.
The judges include radio personality Lori Moore, Ballet Master of The Joffrey Ballet Willy Shives, and Musical Theater Choreographer and WMU faculty member Kathryn Williams.
The dancers will be judged on a 1-10 scale, 10 being the best, and will be judged on style, complexity of steps, rapport with partner, and showmanship.
Not only will there be the dancing competition, but the evening will also include live music, dance instruction, dance entertainment, and a ballroom exhibition.
Hors d’oeuvres and desserts will be served and a cash bar will be present. This event is $75 per person, $50 of which is tax-deductible.
To make reservations, or for more information, contact the Department of Dance at 269-387-5830.
