Dancing With Hope
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| Angela Jones and Lee Starr show off their dance moves as contestants. |
City Professionals Go ‘Ballroom’ for Reid Center
By T.J. Moore
Some of Asheville’s elite flocked to the WC Reid Gymnasium to cheer on and show love to 22 of their contemporaries as they waltzed, shagged, and cha-chaed the night away for a worthy cause.
The Reid Center hosted “Dancing With The Stars” on Jan. 27 to support its programming and renovation efforts.
Inspired
by ABC’s popular television show, Reid Center board member Mildred
Nance-Carson thought that having a competition similar to what she saw
could be a fun way to bring the community together and to bring
additional funds to the center.
“I saw an
episode of (ABC’s) ‘Dancing With The Stars’ in November and I thought
that it would be a good idea for a fundraiser,” she says, “(This was
also a great idea) because there is a lot of people in the community
that does ballroom dancing mainly in a classroom setting but this is
the first time that these people have the opportunity to show the
fruits of their labor.”
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| Participants of the Dancing with the Stars fundraiser pose for a group picture after a fun night. Photos by Renato Rotolo. |
Carson proved to
be right on both accounts. Her idea made the superstars of Asheville’s
civic scene step out of their comfort zone and on to the dance floor,
and added nearly $4,000 to benefit the curricular and structural
revival of the Reid Center.
While Carson
convinced an array of Asheville professionals to dance in front of an
audience of their peers, it was certainly not an easy task. “Many of
them (participants) were reluctant to be in the fore front but they
were willing to step out of their comfort zone and dance for a great
cause-our youth,” Carson said.
Laurey’s
Catering owner and DWTS contestant Laurey Masterton was one of those
who was initially unsure about competing but discovered the positives
of participating in the contest. “It (dancing) made me nervous but I
thought that it would fun. (I decide to compete) because it’s a good
cause (The Reid Center) is a nice place and I want to help it to become
better,” she said.
Despite her
nervousness and apprehensions, Masterton and her partner, Mission
Hospital president Joe Damore finished in a third place tie for their
creative and spirited “Motown Mix”.
Masteton and
Damore’s set wasn’t the only one that impressed event judges Mayor
Terry Bellamy, Adelaide Key, Tom Parker, and Gloria Myers. Other
noteworthy performances include Buncombe County Sheriff Van and Shana
Duncan’s waltz, AB Tech President K.Ray and Glenda Bailey’s Shag, and
Walt Robinson and Barbra Byrd’s swing. Some of those dances were
impressive enough to force a tie for first place early in the
competition.
While those
dances mentioned received high scores, there was one couple that rose
above the pack. Engineer William Lathan and his partner, Mission
Hospitals human resources assistant Nina Rowell stole the show and
delighted the crowd with their waltz to “Somewhere My Love.” Their
performance earned them the win and an ovation.
Afterwards,
Rowell shared her motivation for participating in this competition. “It
is a wonderful cause that I wanted to support and dancing is a
wonderful way to support the children.” she said.
