Dancing With The Local Stars, 2011 ~ Season 3
Dancers / Emcee /
Choreographers /
Judges /
Special Guest Entertainment / Sponsors
/ Contacts
Return to the Better
World Today Association ~ Dancing with the Local Stars
Dancer Biographies...
| Couple # 1 | Paul Renaud & Nicole Glass |
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Paul Renaud - CAW Local 444 Committee Man Paul was born in Niagara Falls and moved to Windsor when he was 16 and has lived in the city ever since. He graduated from Vincent Massey High School and attended St. Clair College for trade school and became a Construction Maintenance Electrician. He has been married to Julie for 21 years and they have two beautiful daughters, Megan and Alexa. Megan and a partner presented a project for the Youth Philanthropy Initiative in 2008 and won a $5000.00 donation to the Better World Today Association. Paul has been employed by Chrysler Canada as an electrician since 1993, eventually becoming involved with the Union in different aspects, leading up to the position of Skilled Trades Committeeperson. He is also an Executive Board member of the Windsor Essex County Skilled Trades Council and an elected delegate to the CAW Skilled Trades Council, representing members across Canada. Additionally, he has kept active in numerous charity projects in the community through the CAW Local 444. In his spare time, Paul plays ball hockey for the Windsor Tomcat Hockey Team, racquet ball, golf, is a certified Divemaster and can now add dancing for BWTA to the list. He is very excited to be involved with Season Three of DWTLS, “It is a very worthwhile charity which does great work in the community, and the best part is that it was started locally”. |
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Nicole Glass |
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| Couple # 2 | Kyle Reid & Vanessa McCarthy |
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Kyle Reid - Spitfires #1
Fan Kyle is married to Michelle and together they have a 6 year old son named Ewan. He is the Assistant Manager of Bubi’s Awesome Eats. You may have seen his face around town, on billboards, in bus shelters and in various publications, as he was the poster boy (or, Super Fan) for the Windsor Spitfires during both of their Memorial Cup Championships. He has been a season ticket holder for almost 20 years. He also collects autographed sports memorabilia. When not involved with the Spits, Kyle remains involved with the community. He has donated blood 82 times and in April 2009 was able to donate stem cells after being on the registry for 11 years. He has spoken twice at events for the Better World Today Association and will now get to share his story for all of you with the help of his fancy footwork! |
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Vanessa McCarthy Vanessa was born and raised in Windsor. She attended Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Elementary School and graduated from Vincent Massey Secondary School. Graduating from high school with a high average, she was able to receive multiple scholarships to further her education. Vanessa is employed as a staff accountant for BDO Canada LLP (Chatham office) and is presently working towards her Chartered Accountant designation. She took the Uniform Final Examination in December 2009 and passed despite it being a time of great personal loss, having just lost her mother to cancer. She studied the piano for 14 years through the Marie Rose Music School and enjoys playing in her spare time. She has a love of airplanes and flying, first having become interested as a member of The Royal Canadian Air Cadets where she was a Corporal. Vanessa currently studies Ballroom dance with Richard and Claire at Ballroom at its Best and participates in showcases yearly. Looking for a cause to support, she became part of the cast of DWTLS in 2010 and is back again in Season Three, joining her love of giving back to the community with her love of dance. |
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| Couple # 3 | Dr. Corina Velehorschi & Frank Pompa |
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Dr. Corina Velehorschi, MD - Psychiatrist Corina was born and raised in Romania, where she also graduated from medical school. She immigrated soon after, and did all of her postgraduate training in the U.S. As well as having a private practice, she is currently working at Windsor Regional and Hotel Dieu-Grace Hospitals, is an Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Schulich School of Medicine and works in Students Health Services at the University of Windsor. Throughout her student and professional career, she has received numerous scholarships and awards, including the Teacher of the Year Award (Psychiatry) in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Corina enjoys interior decorating, painting and writing and volunteers her time teaching students for their observerships. She has been married for 15 years, and she and her husband have 2 children, a boy and a girl age 11 and 13 respectively, and both quite embarrassed by mom dancing! |
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Frank Pompa Frank was born in Italy and immigrated to Toronto with his family when he was 5 years old. When he was 18, Frank’s family moved to Windsor but he stayed back and found a job working as a dance instructor at South American Dance Studios. He was one of 30 men trying out for one open teaching position and was hired despite having no previous dance experience. During his employment at the studio, not only did he teach clients but was also charged with training the newly hired dance instructors. Frank moved to Windsor and completed his final year of high school education then graduated from the Business Program at St. Clair College. During that time, which was the Disco Era, he and his dance partner competed and won several competitions in and around the Windsor/Detroit area. A trip to Las Vegas was the high point of their dance career. Frank is married and has two sons. When his boys were younger, he devoted all of his spare time to them, including volunteering as their soccer coach. Once the boys reached their teen years, he felt there was enough time for him to return to his first love, dancing. Frank owns and operates Casablanca, a DJ and Video Company. In 2006 he began teaching Ballroom and Latin dance again in the Windsor area. He is also involved in the Mankind Project and is passionate about men’s self-discovery and growth. |
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| Couple # 4 | Kathie McMann & Ned Mladenovic |
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Kathie McMann - Local radio Personality AM800 Kathie was born and raised in LaSalle and graduated from Sandwich Secondary in 1998 before moving and graduating from Niagara College from the Broadcasting: Radio, Television and Film program. She then worked at CKTB in St. Catharine's before moving back home. Kathie got her foot in the door at AM 800 as a call screener for the Lynn Martin Show and began reporting in the news room as well. She was hired as a full-time reporter/news anchor in 2005 and began to co-anchor The Afternoon News in 2009. She grew up listening to AM 800 and it was a dream of hers to work there ever since she was young! Kathie loves spending time wither her son Riley, riding their bikes and playing baseball. Her pug "Boss Hogg" keeps her busy but in her free time she is an avid volleyball player, enjoys hanging out with her friends in this wonderful city of Windsor, driving around in her Explorer named ‘Trixie Fire-Cracker’, hitting the downtown scene, shopping, camping, going to the cottage and relaxing in the sun! |
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Ned (Nenad) Mladenovic Ned is married to Gordana and has two children. In Season Two of DWTLS, he and his dance partner Jackie Regan won 1st place and claimed the Mirror Ball Trophy as their own. Now he’s back in Season Three to defend his championship title. Ned escaped wartime in Bosnia to settle in Windsor and has competed professionally and trained as an instructor at the Troy Dance Studio in Michigan. Ballroom dancing has been a passion of his for the past 17 years and he has been privileged to teach more than 1000 students, sharing his enjoyment of dance with them.Ned is proud to have won first place in the Pro/Am category for Waltz and Tango as an amateur in 1996, First Place in the Pro/Am category in both Smooth and Latin dances as an amateur in 1997, and multiple awards in the Pro/Am category with students as a professional in 1999, all at the Windsor International Ballroom Competition. Ned is a Fire Prevention Engineer, employed as a Supervisor at Simplex Grinnell Fire Protection Company and was a former firefighter in the Sarajevo Fire Brigade. He also has a 2nd Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and is currently an instructor at Chung Oh’s Tae Kwon Moo Do School in Tecumseh. The school teaches children who are affected by cancer. Ned feels honoured to have been named a Bone Marrow Ambassador by Better World Today Association. |
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| Couple # 5 | Desreen Burnett-Curry & Gerry Glass |
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Desreen Burnett-Curry - Educator Desreen was born in Jamaica, raised in Toronto and now lives in the Windsor Area. She received her Bachelor and Master degrees in Human Kinetics as well as her Bachelor of Education from the University of Windsor and has since spent 11 years in the education field in Windsor and Detroit MI. Currently, she holds the position of Department Head of Health and Physical Education and is the Interim Vice Principal for both Massey and Century High Schools. Desreen enjoys volunteering her time to coach basketball and track and field. Physical activity is a natural part of her life and participating in DWTLS will be a great new experience for her. |
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Gerry Glass Born in 1980 with a passion for music and dance, Gerry’s life's natural progression found him here. He is a Harrow High School graduate, after which he spent a few years in the Canadian Navy and working in pest control. Dancing and training in both Canada and the U.S over the past few years has inspired Gerry and his wife Nicole to open a Ballroom and Latin dance school where they share the great art of dance with others. Dance Adventures opened in the Kingsville area just over a year ago. They specialize in private and group lessons in all types of dance for adults and children alike; both social and competition. |
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| Couple # 6 | Kaysandra Curtis & Edward Mulcaster |
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Kaysandra Curtis - Nurse, Literary
Administrator Kaysandra is the mother of two: a son Steven who is an Officer in the US Navy and is now stationed in Hawaii and a daughter Cydney who attends St. Lawrence College in the Musical Theater Program. She is a Retired Registered Nurse who spends her time focusing on her Literary Agency where she plans and schedules authors’ speaking engagements and negotiating their contracts. Her hobbies include reading, going to the theatre and playing golf, of which she is proud of her chip this season. Kaysandra is also an avid community volunteer who sits on several local boards. She is the President of the Multicultural Council of Windsor and Essex County, on the Board of Governors at St. Clair College, a Rotarian who belongs to the Windsor (1918) Club and will be the club’s 95th President from 2012-2013. She has also founded a non-profit organization called Pediatric READ which gives a book kit to every new baby born in the Windsor and Essex County area. Kaysandra's only experience with dance is when she was a little girl growing up in Trinidad. Although she has not danced in years, she is looking forward to the challenge. |
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Edward Mulcaster Edward, a.k.a. Albert, was born and raised in Leamington and still resides there today. He attended Gosfield North Elementary School, Essex District High School and afterward went on to attend St. Clair College and the University of Windsor. As a young man, Edward worked on dairy farms and now he is employed as a Controls Technician and works at various greenhouses in Leamington. In his spare time, he enjoys astronomy, field botany, audio/video editing and of course, dancing! Edward contributes to his community by regularly donating blood and offering his dance skills to DWTLS. He participated in Season Two, making it all the way to the semi-finals and is looking forward to seeing where his fancy feet will take him in Season Three. |
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| Couple # 7 | Zareh Nalkranian & Elizabeth Palotas |
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Zareh Nalkranian - Local Jeweller Zareh is married to Pauline and together they have four children, Bianca, Raffi, Silva and Vatche. He has been serving the Windsor-Essex community as a jeweller for over 30 years and he prides himself in a customer service approach, accommodating all customers with a broad selection of jewellery. When he is not at the store or with his family, Zareh enjoys cars, golfing and cooking. He is looking forward to seeing what he and his dance partner Elizabeth will cook up for Season Three of DWTLS! |
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Elizabeth Palotas Elizabeth is blessed with the greatest daughter in the world, two wonderful grandchildren, a caring son-in-law, a loving sister and brother-in-law and nieces and nephews. She has recently retired as Traffic Manager and Supervisor of Car Accounting from the Railway. Prior to that, she was the Credit Manager of a local department store. Her post-secondary education was in accounting and at the time, she paid for tuition from teaching ballroom dancing. Elizabeth’s renewed enthusiasm for dancing is mostly due to remarkable instructor Gerry Glass (Dance Adventures) who made it easy to enjoy and have fun with it. |
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| Couple # 8 | Matt Ripley & Dayna Fiorito |
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Matt Ripley - Entrepreneur Matt is happily married to his beautiful wife Hiedee and together they have two boys, Noah and Samuel. He is so proud of his kids, he often takes them to the mall to show them off. Matt is a local entrepreneur, successfully operating his companies Matt's Insulation and Pest Zero. A very eclectic man, Matt enjoys playing volleyball, directing music at his church and being the centre of attention at parties, with his never-ending stand-up comedy routines. He has always dreamed of being a star and thanks to the Better World Today Association, that dream has become a reality. He is excited to be a part of this year's cast of Dancing with the Local Stars and can't wait to show everyone his smooth moves on the dance floor. |
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Dayna Fiorito Dayna has been dancing for 25 years. She has experience in all variations of dance; her strongest and most loved subject being Tap. Throughout her childhood and teen years, Dayna was a competitive dancer, performing and competing all over North America. She has taken master classes and workshops from world renowned dance professionals from across the globe. Dayna studied ballroom with Elena Semenov of Windsor at Mackenzie Hall and also took semi-private lessons as her interests and natural ability blossomed. Her love for dance still continues to this day: teaching classes, choreographing and coaching a competitive dance team at the The Catz Meow Dance Centre in Amherstburg of which she is studio manager. Her passion and enthusiasm for dance will always grow as she goes on with her life as a dancer. Dayna has been married to the love of her life for two years. Together they have a nine month old little girl named Ella who will one day follow in her mom’s footsteps. She is very excited to be a part of the 2011 DWTLS cast and can’t wait to “bring it” to the dance floor! |
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| Couple # 9 | Sean Henry & Bailey Soulliere |
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Sean Henry - CBC News and Radio Sean Henry is a reporter and back-up newsreader for CBC Radio and Television in Windsor. He arrived in August 2005 from Quebec City where he was a reporter for Global Television. Sean was born and raised in Montreal and graduated from Concordia University in 2001. He also worked at print and radio stations in his hometown. Dancing with the Local Stars is perfect for Sean because he is always moving. Besides preparing for the show, Sean is learning to become a yoga teacher. He also boxes, runs and does acrobatics… not all at the same time. He gives back to the community as well. Sean recently participated in the Salvation Army’s Annual Kettle Campaign, and serves as Emcee at a number of events. He looks forward to being the performer this time! |
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Bailey Soulliere Bailey is a high school student in the International Baccalaureate program at Assumption College in Windsor. Despite her tender age, Bailey has been a student of various forms of dance for almost 13 years. For the last three years she has been a keen student of Richard Tonizzo and Claire Hansen of Ballroom at its Best. A real triple threat, Bailey is becoming a familiar face around town having appeared in many musical theatre, dramatic, dance and vocal productions in the region. Dancing with the Local Stars marks the first time the student becomes the teacher and Bailey is thrilled to make this transition in support of the Better World Today Association. |
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| Couple # 10 | Mable Cheung & Eagle Arakelian |
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Mable Cheung - Chinese Acupuncturist Mable is an Acupuncturist and Chinese Medical practitioner at her family's business, Cheung's Trading Company here in Windsor. She has been working with her family since the young age of 5 and is passionate about educating and helping people achieve their optimal health naturally. She truly believes that "Health is Wealth" and shares her knowledge as a health and wellness columnist for Windsor Body Magazine, WindsorSquare.com and Asiance Magazine - for Asian American Women. The youngest of 3, Mable was born and raised in Windsor and understands the importance of giving back to her community. Her company donates to various local organizations, and she also donates her time as a co-organizer for the annual Parkinson's Cut-A-Thon and as a 'Book Buddy' for the Windsor Public Library. She is extremely excited for this opportunity to help support the Bone Marrow Registry program through the Better World Today Association and to be participating as a "celebrity" dancer for 2011's Dancing with the Local Stars! |
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Eagle Arakelian Eagle has three wonderful brothers: Leo being the oldest and Christian and Pillar are twins. His mother is Sonia Arakelian, the winner of Season One of Dancing with the Local Stars. Eagle has been dancing since he was 9 years old. He has won 1st place in three dances at the Windsor International Ballroom Dance Association at the Caboto Club, with his dance instructor Suzy Brecht who taught him the art of ballroom dancing. Now he helps his mother teach her dance classes every Sunday at the Puce Sports and Leisure Centre in Lakeshore. Some of his hobbies include, physical fitness, biking, rollerblading, jogging, paintballing, writing poetry and this season, he is hoping to follow in his mother’s footsteps and win the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy. |
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Return to the Better
World Today Association ~ Dancing with the Local Stars
| Dancing with the Local Stars Emcee's... | |
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Glen Bacarro ~ Host Glen Bacarro has been entertaining people since childhood. He won his first lip sync contest in grade six and never looked back. He is an avid guitar player and music producer. His influences include Rock, Pop and Blues mixed with a spicy variety of genres. Glen’s talents also extend to the dance floor as a swing dancer and instructor. He has choreographed and participated in numerous theatre productions in the community. Having earned his Competent Communicator certification from Toastmasters, he is now a master of ceremony for many weddings and high profile events. Along with his wife Sue Bacarro, they have recently launched Bacarro Productions and Entertainment. A full service production company dedicated to producing original content and memorable events. Glen is also a motivational speaker, delivering his powerful message to various groups in the Windsor-Essex County region. His IMPACT presentation focuses on how life can have an impact on us and how we can have a meaningful impact on our lives and the lives of others if we choose to do so. That is why supporting Dancing with the Local Stars has been so important to him.  |
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Kerri Brown ~ Co-Host Kerri Brown (Kay*Bee) is an up and coming singer/songwriter. She has been performing a variety of genres for years, and recently recorded her debut R&B/Pop album. She is known in the area for high-energy performances that feature a classy and sexy style, addictive vibes, intertwined with her originality. You will find Kerri performing on-stage anywhere she can, sometimes with her acoustic trio, her full band, at weddings, clubs, dinner theatres, private parties, and charity events. She is also known for being a highly recommended vocal coach to many young aspiring singers in Amherstburg.  |
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Tina Wells ~ Audience Correspondent Tina Wells anchors the Weekend Action News, hosts "The Storyteller" and occasionally field reports for CFTV34. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia - Tina grew up acting, singing and dancing her way through childhood. After landing a scholarship to attend Florida State University's prestigious BFA Program, Tina went on to become an actress, music director, radio personality and television host in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Louisiana. In 1995, Tina moved to Ontario to raise a family and live "the simple life". By 2002 she was back on the air as "Chazrin Blake" - hosting the mid-day show for CHYR and freelancing as an actress/voice-over artist in commercials and an indie film. In 2008, Tina received a certificate in Addictions Counselling and Community Services, graduated with honours and was named "Spotlight Student of the Year." When not on the air, Tina also enjoys living a fabulous life with her two children, traveling the World and being happily employed with LandMark Canada. |
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Mark Lander ~ Announcer (93.9 The River Jock) Mark Lander has a lifelong passion for music and the joy it brings to many people. Then it should come to no surprise that his love for radio has flourished for almost 30 years. Mark has been on a quest to bring music to the masses ever since his first on-air encounter in 1979 at his home radio station in Sarnia, Ontario. A few years later, he moved to Florida. His love for music had taken him to some remarkable radio stations in Destin, Melbourne and Orlando. In 2000, Mark moved to the Motor City and couldn’t be happier. Detroit is a city that radiates a good vibe which Mark strives to perpetuate everyday at 93.9 The River. “To me, being a DJ at The River is all about being able to affect people in an extremely positive way. Whether it’s through the songs that I play, or meeting people at a River event, music can be a great conduit for emotion. My goal is to bring out the good, positive and happy emotions in those who hear me play the music that I love so much..." |
Dance Instructors / Choreographers...
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Nicole Gagne and Michel Desmarais Nicole Gagne and Michel Desmarais are natives of Montreal, and have been dancing together for 23 years. They met on a dance floor in August 1988 and started taking ballroom dance classes mid-October 1988 in Laval, participating in several showcases. They also demonstrated theirs skills in a Latin dance competition in1995, making it to the semi-finals. In September 1999, they started taking private dance classes in Michigan as well as attending the Intermediate Group class every Friday night at the Giovanni Caboto Club in Windsor for the Windsor International Ballroom Association (WIBA). From the time they moved to Windsor, they have participated in various special events including showcases for the WIBA. In August 2008 and 2009, Nicole and Michel participated at the Michigan Senior Olympics (MSO) for a variety of dances (Intermediate International Style Tango, Slow Waltz and Quickstep, American style Advanced Cha Cha and Rumba). They are proud to have won 2nd place in Tango and 1st place in all the other dances. Since 2007, Nicole and Michel have been teaching Ballroom and Latin classes because of their passion for dance. They are also DJs, using their experience as dancers to keep dance floors packed at various ballroom events in the community. Nicole and Michel have been great supporters of Dancing with the Local Stars since Season One and are looking forward to contributing their dance skills for this worthy cause in Season Three. |
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Sonia Arakelian Sonia was born and raised in Lebanon and is the proud mother of four beautiful sons. The winner of BWTA’s Season One of Dancing with the Local Stars along with her partner Dave Cassidy, she returns in Season Three to explain and introduce the variety of dances that will be seen in the show. Her love and passion for dance is what keeps her smiling. Sonia started dancing at the Caboto Club and has been dancing for the past 16 years. Her favourite dance is the Cha Cha but she also enjoys all of the Latin dances. She has seen how dancing can make people feel good and make a big difference in their lives. Elena is married to Eugene. She and Eugene were both trained as professional dancers in Russia's world famous Ballroom and Latin Dance School since the age of 14. Although each went on to attain professional degrees, (Elena holding a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Masters Degree in Art and Education), it is their love of dance that has been and is their passion in life. Winner of numerous awards in professional international Ballroom and Latin dance competitions, Elena has been teaching both Ballroom and Latin dance courses at St. Clair College, the University of Windsor and MacKenzie Hall for the past 10 years. She also has her own studio where she teaches master classes and workshops at an advanced level as well as choreographs and coaches students for competitions. Elena is an accomplished instructor with 16 years teaching experience in Europe, Asia and North America. She has for years, partnered with her husband Eugene, performed, taught, choreographed, organized, promoted and hosted numerous parties, theater productions and dance functions. They have been frequently featured in local and national radio, newspapers and television including a special documentary about themselves, "From Far and Wide", made especially for Canada Day. |
| Dancing with the Local Stars Judges... | |
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Cindy Pattison-Rivard For the past 32 years, Cindy has taught dancing in Windsor-Essex County. She is the Vice-President of Nancy Pattison’s Dance World Inc. and holds an Honours Degree from the University of Windsor in the Faculty of Human Kinetics. As a member of the Cecchetti Council of America since 1983, she holds her Teachers Intermediate Certificate. Cindy also was a figure skater for 20 years and taught private lessons for a short time. Ten years ago, Cindy co-founded the Encore Performing Arts Company and for the past 30 years has been Artistic Director, teacher and choreographer of the Essex County Dancers Inc. Competition Team. Cindy’s teaching experience has served well both her students and herself. Many students have pursued professional careers in fields such as medicine, law, education, design, business and dance. Some students have opened their own dance schools and many others are dancing professionally throughout Canada and the United States. Cindy is committed to excellence in dance and is compelled to “give back” what so many others have given to her. She has been invited to adjudicate at many competition conventions in Canada and the United States. She is honoured to once again be a part of “Dancing with the Local Stars” for its third season. “We are all here for one common goal. The Better World Today association has helped so many individuals so let’s do our part to support this wonderful organization”! |
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Sir Victor Green Sir Victor was born in London, England in 1954 and is married to Carol. He joined the HM Armed Forces, Royal Navy in 1969 and served until 1975. Sir Victor has been a Financial Advisor since 1978 and was the area manager for Laurentian Financial Advisors in the United Kingdom. He immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom in 1994 where he became the Regional Director for Imperial Life Financial in Windsor. From 1997 to present, he has been the Regional Director at GTS Financial Advisors. Sir Victor highly believes in community involvement, having volunteered his time in both the United Kingdom and Canada. He is the Grand Chancellor and the Director of the Canadian Priory of the Order of St. George. He is also a founding member of the NATO Veterans Association. Having spent 6 years as an instructor with the Royal Naval School of Dance at the world famous Top Rank Suite in Plymouth, England, Sir Victor is well qualified to be a part of the panel of judges for this year’s Dancing with the Local Stars and is happy to be a part of its third season. |
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Mike Foster Mike is retired from Chrysler Corporation, after 30 years of service and is happily married to the love of his life, Sandy. He is a dance instructor at Xtreme Danceworks Performing Arts Academy in Old Walkerville and has taught beginner Swing dance classes and beginner Salsa classes at the Optimist Community Centre for several years. Not only does he keep himself active on land but Mike is also an internationally certified Aqua Fitness instructor, currently working at Lifestyle Family Fitness. He learned the value of volunteering through the Community Services Committee of CAW Local 444. He sat on the board, chaired committees, and has been a general volunteer for organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, The Homeless Coalition of Windsor and Essex County, Harmony in Action, the Better World Today Association and the Special Olympics. For the last 2 years, he has appeared on Dancing with the Local Stars as one of the show’s judges and is back, looking forward to more entertaining dance numbers in Season Three. |
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Catherine Cristofaro Catherine has been dancing locally for 20 years. She is experienced in performing, choreographing and teaching various styles of ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical and modern dance. Catherine performed in The Nutcracker with the Pennsylvania Ballet and danced for the Beach Boys when their tour reached their Windsor destination. With Ballet being the main focus of her training and studies, she moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba at the age of eighteen to train at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet of Canada in the Professional Development Division and the Teachers in Training Program. She assisted some of their most esteemed teachers and built a solid foundation as a dance educator while she was there. Catherine has attended many conventions and workshops throughout North America and coached local competitive dance teams for the past 11 years, leading them to 11 National Championships. She was also the assistant artistic director for a local performing arts company for four years and is a proud member of the Cecchetti Council of America, with 5 teachers’ examination certificates. As a busy mother of two daughters, Catherine is entering her sixth year as the studio owner, teacher and choreographer of the Catz Meow Dance Education Centre in Amherstburg, Ontario. She is excited about expanding her career as a dance educator and is ambitious as always to find out where else dance can take her. She is thrilled to be welcomed back to the 2011 cast of Dancing with the Local Stars. |
Official Photographer...
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Gordana Mladenovic Gordana is a driven and devoted photographer, always up for a new challenge. Through her own artwork and education, she has developed a strong hand for craftsmanship, attention to detail, creative thinking, problem solving, and self-motivation. As a result of continuous learning and professional development, she has focused more on people photography and if given a choice, her goal in people photography is to link her subject to his or her life, work or activities. By setting a person in context of what they do, the photo gives more information and becomes a truth-telling passionate mini-story. Gordana is an introvert when unarmed by her camera but put that magic wand in her hands, and she feels free to walk up to strangers, compliment them, trespass in their yards, sneak in their grass, offer unsolicited opinions. The camera in her hands becomes a bridge that connects, a prompt to share what is similar in us, any given stranger and herself. And that connectedness is a little seed of universal love. She grew up in Sarajevo (ex Yugoslavia, now Bosnia) and is still growing up in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. Gordana’s previous history with BWTA’s Dancing with the Local Stars is taking the promotional photos for advertising and online publications while following her dancing wonder of a husband Ned in his performances. "A good dancer is one who makes you see the music." -Unknown. That is why as a photographer, trying to see and share what she sees, dancing is a pleasure to witness. |
Special
Guest Entertainment...
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Kim Schultz & Kristin Fotopoulos perform at Series # 1 on
Tuesday, March 1, 2011 Kim is a local singer and songwriter. She is currently recording her first CD and is successful in the vocal competition circuit all over South-Western Ontario. One of her most recent accomplishments includes winning 1st place in the Blues Fest Idol in 2009. Kim is very special to BWTA, having supported the organization for several years. She is excited to give her gift of song to the show, this time, bringing a friend along with her. Kim will be accompanied by Kristin Fotopoulos on piano. |
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Dancing with the Local Stars Sponsors...
For more info please contact...
Ron Giles
519-945-8888
Liana Berry 519-792-9745
Website :
Website Contact...
Phil Dallaire
Return to the Better
World Today Association ~ Dancing with the Local Stars
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Tecumseh Tribune
