I’m sharpening my pencils in preparation for this year’s Dancing With The Shuswap Stars event set for Friday night at the SASCU Recreation Centre.
Coming off my big Pro-Am win last year with my partner, City Dance instructor Orlando Robertson, I got invited into the coveted position of judging this year’s contest. It comes with one of the best seats in the house.
And while I enjoyed dancing last year, it was far, far outweighed by the anxiety of performing in front of 450 people. Thankfully the cha cha went off without a hitch and I went home with a trophy that still sits on my mantle.
But it was so much more than a trophy. Just getting up on the dance floor was a personal victory for me, taking me out of my comfort zone, and throwing in the high risk factor of not knowing a single cha cha step before I started practicing. I’m proud I made it through.
I enjoyed the experience so much that I have continued to take lessons ever since, and dance has become an amazing addition to my life. It’s the kind of thing that requires total concentration and gets me out and moving, where before I might have sat on my couch shoveling potato chips down my gullet.
But it wasn’t easy. There was the gamut of emotions — embarrassment, shyness, self-doubt, but also excitement, pride and joy. Volunteering to participate in this charity event is a roller-coaster ride – a bigger whirl than you’d ever get at Disney. It’s true that I know exactly how it feels to be in their dancing shoes.
Somehow, the organizers felt this qualified me to critique this year’s batch of stars.
So this year, I will sit and stress a heck of a lot less than last year – although public speaking isn’t without its own set of worries.
And I’m proud to have been a part of an event that was so phenomenally successful that this year’s show was sold out in minutes. But there is an added element of excitement, and likely angst, for this year’s crop of dancers. Due to the extreme demand for tickets and in the absence of any other suitable venue (barring the Shaw Centre, which is not well suited for this type of evening entertainment) the event is going to be live streamed. So they will have to contend with not only the 450 people in front of them, but the knowledge that their every move is being captured on video.
However, for those who didn’t get the golden tickets, it also means viewers will be able to vote online for their favourite couples online via Pay Pal. Viewers can access it at https://shuswapevent.com/shuswapstars/.
Remember, the ultimate purpose of this event is to raise funds to get that chalet expansion at Larch Hills completed. The foundation is in for the building and the framing is taking shape. With the community’s support of Dancing with the Shuswap Stars, there will soon be a warm, inviting community space at Larch Hills that can be enjoyed by skiers, snowshoers and any visitor to the popular recreation venue.