The 7th annual Dancing with the Stars, hosted by Jacksonville’s Pilot Club, is taking on a new theme this year. Routines for this year’s event will be “Totally 80s” according to event coordinator Shelle Allen.
“This year is actually our first year putting a theme to Dancing with the Stars. It was the seventh year, it was time to maybe put a fresh look on it. So we decided to add a theme, and of course I love the 80s, and we asked our dancers to come up with a routine to an 80s song,” says Allen.
Contestants will dance in pairs like in years past. Many of this year’s dancers include local teachers, such as Barbara Hobrock and Drew Comstock from North School, Bill and Jennifer Pool from Turner, and another Turner group made up of Tiffany Hickox, Erin Grimsley, Rachel Antle, Dawn Murphy, Jill Alexander and Kristen Shepard.
All proceeds from the event will benefit the Art and Music Departments of Jacksonville’s Elementary schools through the Jacksonville Public School Foundation. Allen talked about why they chose the foundation as their beneficiary.
“We just felt that with Turner getting the new look and Lincoln school getting a new facelift, we just thought the music and arts through the school district … not a lot of things go to them. And I know with budget cuts, we just felt that was a good cause (for the proceeds) to go to,” Allen says.
Dancing with the Stars takes place in Hamilton’s Ballroom tonight with doors opening at 6 pm and the event kicking off at 7. To purchase tickets in advance, contact Karla Stice at (217)-370-2329 or Vickie Austin at (217)-370-0414. Tickets will also be available at the door.