Dancing with the Local Stars 2015

High energy, grace and talent fill Camden stage

Mon, 04/13/2015 - 8:45am

    CAMDEN — It was a night of movement and joy — even contemplation — as the stage at the Camden Opera House brightened with local stars and students April 10. The seventh annual Dancing with the Local Stars, a fundraiser for the Wayfinder Schools, drew a full house, as the audience cheered the dancers on.

    Dancing with Local Stars paired Midcoast celebrities with professional dance instructors who took to the stage together to show off their best dance moves in support of Wayfinder Schools.

    This year's cast of stars included Ben Curtis, Polly Saltonstall, Heather Hearst, Matt Bixby, Owen Casas, Betsy Kingsley, Craig Ouellette, Erin Ovalle, and Lucinda Ziesing. Each star was paired with instructors from Swing and Sway Dancing or Kinetic Energy Alive.

    Meanwhile, Wayfinder student Rakeem Sullivan choreographed a piece and his fellow students joined him on stage to hip hop to “Stand by Me.” The dancers included Sullivan, Myranda Robishaw, Papi Meuse, Rose Piscuskas, Erika Bramhall, Elijah Harris, Faith McQuatters, Shannon Coccia, Fiston Mubalama, Ethan Ward, Alexis Iammarino and Oren Stevens.

    The show also included special performances by Studio Red, Shana Bloomstein, Rockport Dance Conservatory, Atlantic Ballet Company, Swing and Sway Dancing and Kinetic Energy Alive.

    Hair, make-up and transportation for the stars was provided by the Cutting Room, Beauty Mark and Country Coach Charters.

    Erin Donovan of Spoon and the Bangor Daily News, MCed the show.

    An after party at The Smokestack Grill included music by D.J. Terry Frank.

    The community effort was sponsored by Camden Real Estate Company, Old Port Advisors, Charles D. Jordan, Jr. Real Estate Appraisal and Consulting, Maine Magazine, Penobscot Bay Pilot (PenBayPilot.com), Lord Camden Inn and Grand Harbor Inn.

    The show this year included:

    Owen Casas and Kea Tessyman, doing the hip hop to “Uptown Funk”

    Heather Hearst, with Steven Dones=Rogers, swing jiving to a Pulp Fiction medley.

    Studio Red performing jazz to “My Girl.” Dancers include Lyla Brooks, Preston Henderson, August Knause and Mariah Watkinson

    Polly Saltonstall and Christian Clayton, Robin Jordan and Amanda Strong swinging to “Ain’t Nobody Here but Us Chickens.”

    Atlantic Ballet Company performed to “Story Book Princess Medley” Dancers included Thia Carter, Elle Rose Cox-Griffin, Heather Cox, Michele Cox, Jane Cummings, Kaitlyn Duffelmeyer, Sophia Gudroe, Ilianna Kahn, Willoe Kirkpatrick, Morgan Knauer, Madalina Lodge, Calista Pagurko.

    Matt Bixby and Jessica Libby danced with swing to “Something’s Got a Hold of Me.”

    Lucinda Ziesing and Steven Dones-Rogers performed the Foxtrot to “Anything Goes.”

    Kinetic Energy hip-hopped to “Can’t Hold Us.” Dancers included Rakeem Sullivan, Jenn Ames, Carrie Hedstrom, Haley Simmons, Chloe Isis, Kathryn Matlack, Michele Fink, Carla White and Kea Tessyman.

    Erin Ovalle danced with Christian Clayton to “What a Feeling.”

    Shanna Bloomstein with Nnenaya and Dawud Zaki perform to “Yesterday Was Hard on All of Us.”

    Ben Curtis and Jessica Libby performed a waltz-swing to an Elvis medley.

    Betsy Kingsley and Steven Dones-Rogers tangoed to “Roxanne.”

    The Rockport Dance Conservatory danced to “We Share Everything.” Dancers were Sydney Fields and Kelsey Guinn.

    Craig Ouellette and Kea Tessyman performed jazz to “I Had the Time of My Life.”

    Swing and Sway Dancing performed jive swing to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.” Dancers included Christian Clayton, Jessica Libby, Steven Dones-Rogers, Amy Moody, Judy Weisman, Paula Pendleton, Robin Jordan, Iris Beckwith, Aubrey Anderson, Amanda Strong, Leela Theim, Kayloni Hall, Liz Davis, Patricia Lepak and Susan Thiem.