When it comes to supporting great causes, there is no shortage of superpower in the Lowcountry, and no charity event is more sparkly and star-studded than Dancing with the Local Stars. This shimmering event will celebrate its second annual occurrence March 23 at 7 p.m. at Seaquins Ballroom in Bluffton.
Twelve local celebrities have polished up their dancing shoes and their show-stopping moves with the intent to hit the floor in a winner-takes-all fundraiser benefitting the Bluffton Kiwanis Club. Armando Aseneta and Sandro Virag, owners of Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio, co-sponsors with Paul Ammeen, owner of Seaquins Ballroom, have provided a series of expert dance lessons to help contestants shine.
“Last year’s event was our first, and it sold out the first day tickets went live,” Virag said. “It was such fun and such a huge success that we’ve been very excited to repeat and exceed that success.”
Hilton Head Ballroom co-owner, Sandro Virag, poses with Beaufort County Treasurer, Maria Walls, in a promotional shoot for this year’s Dancing with the Local Stars, a fundraiser for the Kiwanis Club.
This year’s local celebrities include Dr. Kevin Campbell of Optical Solutions; Dr. Cassandra Beard of Dermatology Associates of the Lowcountry; Maria Walls, Beaufort County Treasurer; Logan Cunningham, Beaufort County Council, District 7; Camille Copeland, general manager, Rollers Wine & Spirits; Lindsey Johnson, manager, Coastal States Bank; Brandon Irvin, owner, Bikram Yoga Hilton Head; Natalie J. Osterman, CEO, Greater Bluffton Chamber of Commerce; Dr. Richard Porcelli, DDS/MD Biological Center for Dentistry; Tyler Scantling, fitness manager/personal trainer; Mandy Parsons, president and CEO, Boys & Girls Club of the Lowcountry; and Vanessa Coker, commodore, South Carolina Yacht Club.
The event is produced like the television series Dancing With the Stars, insomuch as the local celebrities are paired with professional dancers with whom they’ve been taking lessons and rehearsing for the past three months. During the competition, the couples will be dancing various styles of dance – salsa, cha-cha, waltz, swing, or rhumba – so the audience will enjoy a variety of dance styles and music, just like on the show.
Each couple will be judged by a panel of celebrity judges, including personalities from WHHI-TV, which airs the competition. Each couple’s score will be combined with the audience votes to determine the evening’s winners.
Back Row: Camille Copeland, Maria Walls, Dr. Richard Porcelli, Mandy Parsons, Dr. Kevin Campbell, Julie Geiger, Meghan Green, Rashad Gadson, and Lauren Kirk Front Row: Lori Price, Sandro Virag, Lindsey Johnson, Monica Bohrer, Armando Aseneta, and Natalie Osterman.
The winning pair will receive a beautiful trophy to commemorate the event, but the real winners are the charities supported by the Kiwanis Club, including the Boys & Girls Club of the Lowcountry, Bluffton Self Help, Family Promise, and the recipients of the Kiwanis Foundation scholarships.
Armando Aseneta and Cassandra Beard
Andrew Davis, news anchor and reporter for WSAV-TV, will oversee the event as the Master of Ceremonies.
Ammeen, a former competitive dancer, has been a member of the Kiwanis Club for many years, and since he joined, he has made it his mission to be the club’s unofficial fundraiser.
“The objective of the Kiwanis Club is to improve the world, one community and one child at a time,” Ammeen said. “And we need money to do that. Because I own a ballroom and because I love dancing and because my late wife and I actually took lessons from Sandro and Armando – whose Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio is right here in my building – us putting this charity event together with Kiwanis just made so much sense. It has been so much fun, not only for us, the organizers, but also for the participants and the audience members. This thing sold out before it was even announced.”
Dr. Kevin Campbell and Meghan Green
Dr. Campbell, one of the celebrity dancers, became a contestant this year because of his association with the Kiwanis Club.
“Paul Ammeen is a patient of mine, and at one of his appointments, he asked me to come speak at a Kiwanis Club meeting,” Dr. Campbell said. “The next thing I knew, I was a Kiwanis member and helped them set up a program with the Boys & Girls Club. Now, every year we are able to give the kids at the Boys & Girls Club an eye exam and free glasses before they start school. Dancing with the Local Stars is a great way to raise funds for Kiwanis events like this, so I was happy to participate. My dancing skills have never been my strong suit, so to learn something new has been a lot of fun.”
Lindsey Johnson and Rashad Gadson
“The Kiwanis Club occasionally meets at our studio, and many times our practice times overlap with their meeting times,” Virag said. “So, out of mutual interest and a shared space, we have been able to create this great Lowcountry experience that involves so many interesting people. It’s not only the different dance styles and the great music that makes it so much fun for the audience, but also the hard work and determination of the dancers, who each really want to win!”
The excitement surrounding this second annual event runs deeper than local celebrities showing off moves in fancy attire with skilled and graceful dance instructors. It spills over into the audience and the energy that surrounds a community of people supporting several beloved community causes.
Lori Price will be dancing with Tyler Scantling a fitness manager and personal trainer.
Ironically, Mandy Parson’s journey to the dance floor this year began with a phone call from Ammeen when he saw the announcement of Parson’s new role as CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs in CB2 magazine.
“The very first call he made to me wasn’t a ‘congratulations,’” Parsons said. “It was to ask me to participate in Dancing with the Local Stars. I couldn’t say no. This event is not just about dancing – it’s about making a difference. Every step I take on that dance floor is dedicated to ensuring kids have a safe, supportive place to grow, learn, and thrive. I’m honored to be part of this effort and look forward to putting my best foot forward for a cause so close to my heart.”
Mandy Parsons and Armando Aseneta
Equally entertaining are the beautiful evening clothes the dancers wear. While a couple of the women competitors had dresses of their own, most of the women’s gowns are supplied by a company called Belle Ame. The company is owned by Rebecca Goodrich, a student at Hilton Head Ballroom Dance Studio for more than 20 years, and Meghan Green, a professional dance associate of Virag, who also teaches at the studio.
“For the women, getting all dressed up in fancy ball gowns is not really out of their comfort zone,” Virag said. “For the men, however, it’s been really fun to see what great sports they have been to put on their dance tuxedos, with the tight-fitting, stretchy pants, the sparkly shirts, and the shiny shoes. It’s been so cool to see them just jump right in and go for it.”
Natalie Osterman and Rashad Gadson
“I’m definitely not a dancer, but I’m here to give it a try,” Logan Cunningham said. “I did a couple of musicals in high school, that was about it. My partner, Julie Geiger, is definitely head and shoulders above me, but she has been patient with me and has shown me a lot of grace as we’re progressing along. We’re dancing a cha-cha to Ed Sheeran’s ‘Shivers.’ I look at this as an opportunity for me to give back and make sure we can raise as much as possible for the kids.”
Last year’s event raised $15,000 and this year, so far, projections are around $25,000.
“I never knew I could dance!” Maria Walls said. “When I was asked to volunteer, I was just happy to help an amazing organization raise money. I didn’t realize how much fun Sandro and Seaquins Ballroom would make the experience.”
Dr. Richard Porcelli and Monica Bohrer
While many of the local celebrities don’t have dance backgrounds, one does: Brandon Irvin studied dance in college, so he is celebrating a return to one of his first loves.
“I love to dance,” Irvin said. “While I haven’t danced in years, it’s been so much fun to learn this ballroom style and reconnect with this form of movement. Even better is the chance to meet some of my fellow community members and have a good time while giving back to the community.”
Vanessa Coker will be dancing the swing to “APT” by Rosé and Bruno Mars with Aseneta as her partner. “I’m beyond excited to be participating in this event,” she said. “Even though I’m not a dancer, I’ve been practicing hard, and I’m so grateful for my professional dance partner, Armando. His patience and encouragement as he works with me through every step (literally!) have made this experience amazing. I can’t wait to see how this journey unfolds!”
Vanessa Coker, commodore, South Carolina Yacht Club, and Armando Aseneta, co-owner of Hilton Head Ballroom, will be performing together.
The journey will play out on the dance floor before the eyes of the audience and the judges, who will all cast their equal votes for the winners. This year’s panel of judges includes Ameen as head judge; Cinda Seamon of Hilton Head Fire Rescue; Jessa Jeremiah, general manager of WHHI-TV and one of last year’s contestants; Bluffton Police Chief Joseph Babkiewicz, another of last year’s contestants; and Debbie Cort, local real estate agent and wife of last year’s winner, Daniel Cort.
“It’s important what the judges say, but every person in the audience will have a ballot on their table and all of the people witnessing the show will vote,” Ammeen said. “That’s really what determines the winner and makes it all so much fun – the audience participation. I’m just so proud of this event and so proud to be able to share it with the community. It makes me happy that I got into dance in the beginning.”
To watch the show live, tune in to WHHI-TV at 7 p.m. March 23. To get into dance, visit HiltonHeadBallroom.com. To reserve the Seaquins Ballroom for your next event, visit SeaquinsBallroom.com.
