41.9 F
Clarksville
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsAltrusa's 2012 Dancing with the Stars benefits local non-traditional students

Altrusa’s 2012 Dancing with the Stars benefits local non-traditional students

Altrusa International of ClarksvilleClarksville, TN– On Saturday evening Austin Peay State University‘s Music/Mass Communication Building played host to Altrusa’s fourth annual Dancing with the Stars competition. The evening was emceed by Cydney Miller and Rick Marino. The contest was judged by Britney Campbell, Danny Baye, and Conrad Eddington along with the assistance of random audience members who voted for their favorites from each round of dancing. The scores were tallied by Henry Martin from Stone, Rudolph, and Martin CPAs.

Dancing for the evening were Scott Jensen and Pro Jennifer Kirksmith; Felicia Long and Pro Danny Pugh; Cassandra Osborne and Pro Christopher Wayne; Jameson Giffis and Pro Anne-Marie Fournier; and Kayla Goad LeVan dancing with Pro Matt Stewart. Local business woman Kay Sites was also scheduled to perform with Pro Jonathan Bungard, but had to withdraw due to an injury.

The 2012 dancers for Altrusa's Dancing with the Stars
The 2012 dancers for Altrusa's Dancing with the Stars

The Stars started off back in September with weekly group sessions with the Clarksville Dance Club. Then they headed to Nashville to work with their professional partner for with 40 hours of training. Each team had to learn two very intricate dance numbers.

Each star was introduced to crowd, then did their number followed by comments from the judges, and after a bit of friendly banter with hosts Cydney Miller and Rick Marino they received their totals.

Felicia Long dancing with Pro Danny Pugh doing the West Coast Swing
Felicia Long dancing with Pro Danny Pugh doing the West Coast Swing

The dances were:

Jameson Giffis dancing the Tango with Pro Ann-Marie Fournier
Jameson Giffis dancing the Tango with Pro Ann-Marie Fournier
  • Scott Jenson and Jennifer Kirksmith started things off with a swing
  • Felisha Long and Danny Pugh continued with the West Coast Swing
  • Casandra Osborne and Christopher Wayne heated things up with the Tango
  • Jameson Giffis and Anne-Marie Fournier kept things simmering with a sultry Tango
  • Kayla Goad LeVan and Matt Stewart finished out the first round with the Foxtrot

Then it was time for the pros to wow the crowd with their skill. Pros Jonathon Bungard and Jennifer Kirksmith teamed up to Tango, followed by all of the pros dancing at once with a stunning improv dance to the Four Hand Piano.

Jonathon Bungard and Jennifer Kirksmith glide through the Tango
Jonathon Bungard and Jennifer Kirksmith glide through the Tango

After a short intermission, the action continued:

Kayla Goad LeVan and Matt Stewart danced a steamy Cha-Cha
Kayla Goad LeVan and Matt Stewart danced a steamy Cha-Cha
  • Felisha Long and Danny Pugh kicked off the second round with the Foxtrot
  • Jameson Giffis and Anne-Marie Fournier strutted their stuff with a Nightclub Dance
  • Kayla Goad LeVan and Matt Stewart danced a steamy Cha-Cha
  • Scott Jenson and Jennifer Kirksmith danced the Waltz with style and elegance
  • Casandra Osborne and Christopher Wayne closed out the second round competition with the Mambo

As the audience voted for their favorites the Clarksville Dance Club took the stage and kept the crowd entertained.

After the dances were finished Judy Hammerstein from Altrusa, and Mac Eddington from the Clarksville Dental Center took the stage to present $8,000 in scholarship checks.

The Scholarship Winners with Mac Eddington and Judy Hammerstein
The Scholarship Winners with Mac Eddington and Judy Hammerstein

The recipients were:

  • $1000 – Marlenia Givens and January Jennings
  • $750 – Jeannie Joyce, Robin Maynard, Teri Cross, and Gladyn Minzey
  • $500 – Jacinta Harris, Kenneth Billings, Vanessa Price, Judy Gowen, Veronica Felix, and Jody Costa
Henry Martin from Stone, Rudolph, and Martin CPAs presents the winners to hosts Cydney Miller and Rick Marino
Henry Martin from Stone, Rudolph, and Martin CPAs presents the winners to hosts Cydney Miller and Rick Marino

The scholarships were made possible by the generosity of Eddington’s Furniture, the Looking Glass Restaurant, the Pinnacle, and the Clarksville Dental Center, the attendees at the Dancing with the Stars events, and all of the the program advertisers.

It was at last time to present the winner of the Altrusa’s 2012 Dancing with the Stars. All the dancers were worthy, but there could only be one winner and this evening the deserving couple was Kayla Goad LeVan and Matt Stewart. They were presented with the award by last years winner Sandra Ford.

This years winners Pro Matt Stewart and Kayla Goad LeVan with Sandra Ford
This years winners Pro Matt Stewart and Kayla Goad LeVan with Sandra Ford

All in all, this is a great event; and one you should attend next year. The evening was non-stop action; and every single dancer performed like a pro.

Photo Gallery

Bill Larson
Bill Larson
Bill Larson is  is politically and socially active in the community. Bill is a member of the Friends of Dunbar Cave. You can reach him via telephone at 931-249-0043 or via the email address below.
RELATED ARTICLES

Latest Articles