Geneva’s ‘Dancing Stars’ prepare for big night
The ladies may cringe a bit when being measured for their costumes, if they are concerned about what those measurements might reveal. The men don’t care about that as much, but they may roll their eyes a bit when asked to get into a fancy dance position with their partner for a photo portrait.
It was all part of the beginning of the “Dancing with the Geneva Stars” journey last Sunday night when the six couples competing in this year’s fourth annual event Feb. 4 at Eagle Brook Country Club met for their first practice session.
They gathered at State Street Dance Studio in Geneva to find out which dance they’ll be trying to master, and who will be teaching them, over the next few months.
The couples found out fairly quickly that this is going to be a lot of fun, regardless of the time commitment and the need to turn into salesmen to garner as many $1 votes as possible to raise money for the Geneva Cultural Arts Commission and the Geneva Academic Foundation.
But this night was about learning a few dance steps from instructor Alex Artega and finding out which dance would be pounded into their minds and feet over the next few months.
Eric and Kari Bartel were assigned the cha-cha, so they’ll want to get those hips loose as soon as possible. Same goes for Jim and Maureen Radecki, who will perform the salsa. Derek Swanson and Laura Rush will have to keep those knees and ankles in good shape, as they were assigned the high-speed jive.
Mike and Heidi Jacoby go for some fiery passion with the tango, while Steve and Beth Olson were assigned the most elegant of all dances, the waltz. Art and Connie Wagner get the dance that you can do to so many different songs — the fox trot.
For now, it’s off to the practice studio for those lessons — and using some muscles they may have forgotten they had.
Speak from experience: Because my wife and I were part of what I will call the “Original Six” couples to participate in the first “Dancing with the Geneva Stars” three years ago, I feel qualified to provide a little advice for this year’s couples.When athletes say the sport they participate in is really just #147;a business,#148; the competing couples can embrace a similar analogy. #147;Dancing with the Geneva Stars#148; is in the business of fundraising, and it has proved to be an excellent tool for that cause.However, it is also a form of entertainment for the hundreds of people who pack the country club hall to enjoy a fun night. And with Linda Cunningham of State Street Dance Studio orchestrating the show, it features quality music, lighting and costumes. So, naturally, the dancers should make an effort to do the same.This means practice. Taking eight dance lessons will provide a foundation of footwork and a sense of timing, but the practice in between is what makes the routines fun to perform and to watch.Don#146;t worry about what happened to Chynna Phillips on the #147;Dancing with the Stars#148; TV show when she blanked out and forgot her routine. She only had a week to learn that routine, and a blank-out is understandable under those conditions. You won#146;t forget your routines #8212; if you practice.Those flying machines: Those who attend #147;Beauty and the Beast#148; Nov. 3 to 6 at Batavia High School#146;s new Fine Arts Centre are going to find out fairly quickly why those in the theater and drama departments hoped for so long that the high school would eventually get its own auditorium.I#146;m being told that some #147;people will be flying around#148; in this first show at the high school, though I don#146;t recall any flying characters in #147;Beauty and the Beast.#148; Regardless, this should be highly entertaining.You can order tickets at bataviafineartscentre.org. If that isn#146;t cool enough, take your kids to one of the character breakfasts at 8 or 10 a.m. Nov. 5 to meet the cast and be entertained for $15. More Goodwill: The newest Goodwill Store and Donation Center in our area opened Friday on the east side of St. Charles. This store at 2750 E. Main St. figures to be a busy place, because the site in Batavia on Randall Road sure draws a steady stream of customers and donations.We need places like Goodwill all of the time, but especially while we are still wrestling around with this recession.Wendy#146;s lured me: My friend was amazed when I shared this bit of personal trivia: I had a Wendy#146;s cheeseburger for first time in 30 years the other night.Let me first say that I was a regular patron of Wendy#146;s in the early 1980s, but for some reason I drifted away from it. I am not a fast-food eater for the most part, and when I do go, it tends to be Burger King.But this new cheeseburger from Wendy#146;s was pretty good. The latest set of TV ads about this new creation lured me. Likely, it won#146;t be another 30 years before trying that one again.Love those banners: Is there anything more eye-catching than banners flying atop the light poles or other locations in a downtown touting an event or an accomplishment for a city?St. Charles has every right to be proud of the banners flying these days, proclaiming the city as No. 1 in the Family Circle magazine ranking as the best city to raise a family.dheun@sbcglobal.net