GREENFIELD — On May 11, St. Michael School will once again play host to the fancy footwork of “Dancin’ With the Local Stars,” a fundraiser orchestrated by the Women’s Resource Center.
At 6 p.m., the doors of the school gym will open, welcoming guests to an evening of fun that includes a barbecue dinner from City Barbecue, a cash bar, a silent auction and, of course, the dancin’ feet of the entertainment.
The 2019 lineup of celebrity dancers includes Jill Collins from Remax Realty; Stephanie Gardner, the Hancock Regional EMS Medical Director; Chris Jarrett, Realtor at Hive Realty; Jillian Jarrett, executive director of Life Choices in Greenfield; Fortville chief of police Bill Knauer; and Hancock County Assessor Katie Molinder.
The seven contestants have been training weekly to perfect their line dancing skills with instructor Carolyn Knauer, who teaches line dancing at the 8 Seconds Saloon in Indianapolis.
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Beth Ingle, who recently moved from board member to director of the Women’s Resource Center, said last year’s event earned high praise.
“Everyone I talked to said they had such a great time,” Ingle said. “There were a lot of people dancing on sidelines.”
Last year’s attendance topped out at 110; Ingle hopes to reach 150 this time around.
One change from last year, Ingle said, is the ticket price — now at $40, $10 less than the previous admission of $50. In addition to the dinner, the silent auction and the entertainment, your ticket also includes a trendy popcorn bar. Ingle describes it as a station where guests can scoop up popcorn and add flavors, seasonings and chocolate chips.
A table in Ingle’s office offered a sneak preview at the silent auction items: spa baskets, a basket from the Indiana Soap Company, a fan basket from each of the four county high schools, a wine basket, designer purses, Tupperware, Norwex, Pampered Chef items, cosmetics from Mary Kay, gift cards from numerous area restaurants and a one-night stay (with breakfast included) at the Indianapolis Marriott North.
“The whole community is just really supporting the Women’s Resource Center by the donations, and we really appreciate that,” Ingle said.
This year’s event will have a 100 percent country feel to it, Ingle said. Last year’s dance numbers included a couple of pop songs; this year, three country songs have been chosen for the competition: Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road”; “I Like It, I Love It” from Tim McGraw; and “Where I Come From” by Allan Jackson.
All seven dancers will strut their stuff in the first round. Following each round, judges will hold up their scores written on individual chalkboards. They will be looking at technique, style and presentation in their scoring.
The judging pool includes Hancock County Chief Deputy Prosecutor Marie Castetter and Greenfield Police Chief Jeff Rasche, both of whom were performers last year. Additional judges on board for the competition are Cristy-Corwin Howard, founder and director of Hearts Ablaze cloggers; Father Aaron Jenkins from St. Michael Catholic Church; and Emily Wethington, the advancement officer at the Hancock County Community Foundation.
Corwin-Howard is honored to be selected for the panel. An experienced talent show judge, she looks forward to seeing dancers from outside of her clogging studio.
“I am definitely used to judging and critiquing my own dancers,” Corwin-Howard said. “I will need to go in without my competition hat on.”
Castetter is looking forward to being on the other side of the scorecard.
“I was asked to be a judge because of my insight from being a dancer,” Castetter said. “It gives you an edge having gone through it before.”
Jill Collins is a judge-turned-dancer. After last year, she decided to try her hand at participating as a performer.
“I have two left feet, but I told her (Ingle) I’d do what it takes,” Collins said.
The seven contestants have been rehearsing once or twice a week since the end of February. Collins does well, she said, when she’s one-on-one with the instructor. She gets nervous when the other dancers are around.
In the first round, three dancers will be eliminated from the original seven. The second round will narrow the competition from four to two. The third round will be a one-on-one dance-off between the two remaining performers.
The winner will receive a 2-foot tall trophy — a silver pylon with a mirror ball on top. A second trophy — a smaller copy of the championship prize — will be awarded to a people’s choice winner, selected by the number of dollars dropped into buckets bearing each contestant’s name.
People’s Choice award voting is ongoing on the group’s website, Ingle explained. At hcwrc.org, even those who are unable to attend can vote for People’s Choice by donating dollars in the names of individual performers.
As for the one to beat, Collins thinks Stephanie Gardner will present the most competition.
“She used to take tap and ballet,” Collins said, “so she’s got that natural rhythm already.”
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What: The Hancock County Women’s Resource Center’s Annual Dancing with the When: 6 p.m. May 11
Where: St. Michael’s Event Center at 519 Jefferson Blvd., Greenfield IN 46140.
Other: $40 tickets are available at: brownpapertickets.com/event/4110234
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