Just Dance

Which new Star Dancer is "building" support for her team? Which is the better suited to making music than dancing to it? And who's most likely to "cater" to our audience? Who are these intrepid volunteers and their seven counterparts volunteering for Stamford’s longest-running community theatre? Read on!

Photograph courtesy fotosbyfailla.com

Curtain Call is thrilled to announce the line-up of local celebrities who have volunteered as "Star Dancers" in its fifth annual Curtain Call’s Dancing with the Stars fundraising event. Patterned after the hit television show, this is the fourth year it will be at The Palace Theatre in Stamford. Judges’ Choice Awards are presented in male and female categories and are based on the performance at the event. Peoples’ Choice Awards are presented in male and female categories and are based on the number of votes secured in advance and the night of the event. “Votes” are sold beginning today at $10.00 each and are a major component of the fundraising for this event. (Votes are like sponsorships in a walk-a-thon.)

For this year's event, 10 local celebrities/civic leaders volunteered to spend 10 weeks in preparation for the May 19 event. They are partnered with dance professionals from throughout the area.

This year's lineup of dancers includes:

Wayne DeVingo, Owner, Salon Wayne – Professional Dance Partner: Jude Coraldi, Fred Astaire Dance Studio Norwalk

Jeanne Hendrickson, Director of Finance, Perey Turnstiles, Inc. — Professional Dance Partner: Peter Hahn, Fred Astaire Dance Studio Norwalk

Karen Kelly, Associate Publisher, Moffly Media — Professional Dance Partner: Lou Lopez, Latin Moves Dance Studio;

Lori Mercede — Professional Dance Partner: Ted Thomas , New England Academy of Dance;

Theresa Rogers Matthews, Owner, Horseneck Wines — Professional Dance Partner: Mayko Noriega, Arthur Murray of Greenwich; 

Jimmy Romaniello, Owner, James Daniels Entertainment — Professional Dance Partner: Shannon Chapman, Maria Fiora's Ballroom and Latin Dance Studio;

Mia Schipani, Vice President of Business Development, RMS Companies — Professional Dance Partner: Cameron Johnson, Maria Fiora's Ballroom and Latin Dance Studio; 

Jeffrey Selden, Managing Partner, Marcia Selden Catering & Event Planning — Professional Dance Partner: Sarah Lee Michaels

Meri Wick, Director, Sales Learning and Development, Heineken USA — Professional Dance Partner: Michael Powers, Arthur Murray of White Plains, NY

Steven M. Wise, Owner, Steven Wise Associates — Professional Dance Partner: Rosa Petriello, Arthur Murray of Greenwich.

The event will mimic the popular TV show in that there will be behind the scenes video footage of the couples in rehearsal in addition to live performances and commentary by a panel of judges that night. "The success of our past events has been due in great part to the dance professionals and their studios who volunteer their services to get these amateur volunteers up to speed," Ursone said.  Tickets and sponsorships for the event start at $125. "The voting is a great way to get involved in the process," Ursone noted and it is a very important part of the fundraising. With the organization's oil and electric utility bills reaching over $60,000 this year, Curtain Call needs this event to help keep ticket prices down.

The cocktail hour, to be held at UConn Stamford, will feature a wide variety of top shelf food and drink provided by such area vendors as Marcia Selden Catering, Columbus Park Trattoria, napa & co., David's Soundview Catering, Spazzio, Capital Grille, W.J. Deutsch & Son, LTD, Heineken and Zyr Vodka.

For more information on tickets, sponsorships and voting, call 203-329-8207 or go online to curtaincallinc.com and click the Special Events tab.