By: Dale M. King
I know I frequently talk about my wife in these columns. Sometimes, it’s just to kid her while at other times, she is an integral part of what the column is about.
This time, she is very integral. Years ago, she became a follower of the TV show, “Dancing with the Stars.” The program has caught fire with millions of TV viewers over the years, becoming to dance what “American Idol” is to song.
Four years ago, as part of Boca Festival Days, the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce created “Boca’s Ballroom Battle,” a local production patterned after DWTS. It was, and still is, a fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund.
My wife has been encouraging me to get tickets every year since the program began. She is not just a fan of dancing, but was a professional dancer and teacher for the Fred Astaire Studios. Coincidentally, the professional dancers for the local event were also provided by that organization.
Well, when I told my wife I got the tickets this year, she was ecstatic. Since we had never attended, we didn’t know what to expect. What we saw was as terrific as we expected – probably much more so.
We were sitting with Flossy Keesely who remembered that during the first Boca Ballroom Battle, only about 100 people showed up. The event last Saturday at the Boca Raton Resort & Club drew a crowd of some 750. It was a wonderful showing, particularly because this is still summer and “season” is a ways off.
I particularly enjoyed the fact that the organizers were able to bring one of the professionals from “Dancing with the Stars” to be a judge at the contest. Chelsie Hightower, who has been part of the on-stage troupe in Hollywood for about five seasons, was there in Boca Raton Saturday night. She joined other judges Babette Brown, Ioana Grigore and Dan Guin.
Those who put their feet on the line for the Snow Scholarship Fund were philanthropist and businesswoman Yvonne Boice; plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Rafael Cabrera; Ralph Mesa, executive manager of Mercedes-Benz of Delray; Pat Thomas, a local “volunteer extraordinaire”; Ingrid Fulmer, an executive VP with Coldwell Banker Commercial; Bryan Tindell, co-owner with his wife of a fitness salon in Boca Raton and South Florida director of disposal for Waste Management Inc.; Jackie Reeves, managing director of Bell Rock Capital and Jay DiPietro, president/COO/general manager of Boca West Country Club.
Training the novices were Patrick Alonsagay, Pam Casanave and Mariya-Khristina Shurupova, Ivan Rivera and Sayra Vazquez from the Fred Astaire Dance Studios Boca Raton.
Mesa and Shurupova proved it takes two to tango. Boice and Alonsagay offered up a fine and fancy foxtrot. Thomas cha-cha’d with Rivera and Fulmer (who brought along her daughter, Kendra, a remarkable singer) held the audience spellbound as she waltzed with Alonsagay.
Next came Tindell, buff from his business, who joined Casanave for a jive that made the floor come alive. Reeves was ready to rumba with Rivera.
Then came Cabrera, who proved he was truly a cutup. He appeared on stage in a shirt open to the waist. His sexy salsa with Shurupova had the audience on their feet.
Then came the suave Mr. DiPietro, whose top hat and cane cabaret/quick step with Casanave brought raves from all sections of the audience.
There were winners that night in the Mizner Center at the Boca Resort. But the real winner was the George Snow Scholarship Foundation. Just the eight community leaders who danced their hearts out that night raised more than $211,000.
It was truly a night of excitement. It should hold my wife over until “Dancing with the Stars” begins its new season next month.