Fundraiser comes through for young dancers

Readers may recall your faithful social scribe opined that wine must have been involved — how else to explain my commitment to participate in the inaugural Dancing With Calgary Stars competition three years ago? Bill “Tango Terror” Brooks had lots of fun, but it was not nearly as easy as it looks on television.

The second annual event was a resounding success and the third annual, held Sept. 11 in the BMO Centre, was the best yet, continuing to raise funds to help cover the expenses of young Calgary dancers vying for a position on the podium at the 2015 Canadian Ballroom Dance finals.

Stars taking to the floor this night with their well-trained partners included: Rick Titan and his partner Jeannelle Nisperos; Debra Ross and her partner Winston Gaqui; Michael Bailey and his partner Jacqueline Petrohay; Pat Moore and her partner Andrew Nguyen; and Maureen Mannix Eberts and her partner Denis Lvov. Friends and family cheering on their favourite celebs included: Calgary Dance Foundation and event co-chairs Dawn Litzenberger and Dan Moraru; past competitors Nairn Nerland, Kathy Hays and Olympian Michelle Cameron Coulter; Marion and Gordon Dixon; Sen. (ret’d) Dan Hays; Brooks and Dodd Consulting’s Tom Dodd; Sherrold Moore and his daughter Cynthia Moore with her husband Mike Kennedy; Calgary Stampede honorary life director Larry O’Connor and his wife Patti O’Connor, director, Valour Canada; MLAs Kent Hehr and Darshan Kang; Avinash Khangura; Avi Sekhon; Accenture Salon’s Marcella Maxwell, Jaimie Rankin and Stephanie Hopkins; coemcees Linda Olsen of Global fame and Jean Marc Genereaux, choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance Canada and U.S. and host of the version in France; Roxanne McCaig; and Rocky View Development Council’s Nancy Calvin.

Congrats to all the stars and their partners. You were amazing!

Photos: Bill Brooks/for the Calgary Herald Dancing With Calgary Stars competitors and their partners pose with event organizers and Calgary Dance Foundation students.

Guests in attendance cheering on the competitors included, from left, Cynthia Moore and her husband Mike Kennedy with Rocky View Development Council member Nancy Calvin.

From left, Sen. (retired) Dan Hays and wife Kathy with Marion and Gordon Dixon. Kathy Hays competed at the inaugural event.

MLA Darshan Kang, centre, with Avi Sekhon, left, and Avinash Khangura at Dancing With Calgary Stars.

Event organizers Dan Moraru and Dawn Litzenberger of the Calgary Dance Foundation.

Pat Moore and Andrew Nguyen’s tango garnered a standing ovation.

Calgary Stampede honorary life director Larry O’Connor and his wife Patti, director of Valour Canada, attended the event.

Maureen Mannix-Eberts and dance partner Denis Lvov flash their pearly whites.

Professional speaker Rick Titan poses with dance partner Jeannelle Nisperos.

Debra Ross brought the house down with her dance partner Winston Gaqui.

Michael Bailey competed in Dancing With Calgary Stars with Jacqueline Petrohay.

Global’s Linda Olsen and choreographer Jean Marc Genereaux co-emceed.