Tickets are still available for the third annual Dancing with the Fredericksburg Stars fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 26 at the University of Mary Washington. The performance, modeled after the popular ABC television Series Dancing with the Stars, will take place at 7 p.m. in George Washington Hall’s Dodd Auditorium on the Fredericksburg campus.
A portion of the proceeds from the performance will endow the University’s Performing Arts in the Community Scholarship for regional students who excel in music, theatre or dance. Last year’s event grossed approximately $63,000.
In the Fredericksburg version of the television series, 10 regional “stars” are paired with professional dancers from Strictly Ballroom Dance Studio in Fredericksburg to compete for the top award, the Mirror Ball Trophy. The audience will vote for the People’s Choice Award.
Performers will include Jon Van Zandt, president of Van Zandt Restorations; Rozzie Whitescarver, retired elementary school teacher and dance instructor; George Solley, environmental consultant with Marstel-Day, LLC; Amanda Talbert, public affairs coordinator for GEICO; Susan Coleman, director of marketing and communications for the Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center; Cedric Rucker, associate vice president of student affairs and dean of student life at UMW; Herman Jones, retired colonel of the U.S. Army; Carrie O’Malley, attorney and partner at Hirschler Fleischer Attorneys at Law; Heather Hagerman, realtor and principal of The Hagerman Group Coldwell Banker Elite and Coldwell Banker Commercial Elite; and Howard Heppe, surgeon at Plastic Surgery Services of Fredericksburg.
Patrick A’Hearn, artistic and public relations director of Riverside Center in Stafford, will host the event and a panel of judges will offer commentary following each dance. This year’s judges include: Ellen Killough, executive director of Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, Inc. and 2013 winner of Dancing with the Fredericksburg Stars; Ralph Waters, dance instructor and winner of 10 national titles in American smooth and rhythm dance; and Terrie Crawley, local dentist and member of UMW’s Board of Visitors and Foundation Board. Crawley is also the 2014 winner of Dancing with the Fredericksburg Stars.
Tickets are available at http://fredericksburgstars.umw.edu for $85, plus a $5 processing fee, of which $75 is tax deductible. Seats are selected and reserved at the time of purchase. For more information, contact UMW’s Office of University Events and Conferencing at 540-654-1065.
