Local stars will be shining bright at upcoming dancing events

The stars will be out in Medford on May 18 as Feet-NMotion Dance Studio holds “Dancing with the Stars” at the Medford Curling Club.

The sold-out event pairs 12 local celebrities with dancers from Feet-N-Motion to determine who a panel of local celebrity judges pick to be the best. The event will help support the dance team at Medford Area Senior High School.

When Erin Wojcik of Feet-N-Motion Dance Studio began planning for the Dancing with the Stars event she tried to keep her expectations in check, unsure of how well an event of this type would go over in the Medford area.

“We were hoping for 150 people,” Wojcik said of their initial projections. “Literally as soon as Father Patrick was announced as one of the dancers it sold out.”

“Tickets went on sale at 4 p.m. on a Thursday and by Friday evening it was sold out,” she said, noting they have a waiting list of people seeking tickets if any become available.

She explained they quickly ordered more tickets and worked on arranging the event space to accommodate as many people as possible while still keeping an intimate setting for attendees to view the show. She said her goal is to keep the feel as close to the popular television show.

“Who would have thought it would be this big?” Wojcik said of the outpouring of support she has seen for it.

The event is being held in the ice arena area at the Medford Curling Club and will include 30 8-person tables which will include a meal catered by BS Bar as well as additional general admission seats for those just coming for the show.

Wojcik said she chose the Medford Curling Club as the venue to highlight what can be done in that space. She said it allows for ample space for tables and spectators while still retaining an intimate atmosphere with the tables and chairs surrounding a central performance area.

The idea of holding a Dancing with the Stars type event in Medford began about about five years ago with a conversation between Wojcik and Medford district administrator Pat Sullivan. The timing wasn’t right to hold the show at that time but this fall Wojcik saw Sullivan at Marilyn’s in Medford and decided to bring the idea up again. “He said, ‘Let’s do it,’” Wojcik said.

With a large group of sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth grade dancers, Wojcik said they had just the right age group to do it. The participating Feet-N-Motion dancers asked community members - the local “stars” to participate. Wojcik said the community members have been working with the girls on their dances in preparation for the show. Each of the dancers picked their own songs for the performance.

“The stars have been very appreciative of what the girls go through,” Wojcik said. While dancing may look easy, there are challenges in choreography, coming up with the counts, and beats and working with the music and singing.

She said the stars have been finding out the dancers are doing more work than they thought in preparing for a show.

“The purpose of this is to show what Feet-N-Motion is all about,” Wojcik said. “We take pride in dancing and performing.” Local celebrity dancers and their Feet-N-Motion partners are: Jeremy Zenner with Eve Wojcik; Mandy Haenel with Paige Lissner; Pat Sullivan with Citori Gebert; Marilyn Frank with Naomi Thomas; Sam Klinner with Avery Stork; Hannah Loertscher with Rylan Kraschnewski; Justin Hraby with Maddie Brandner; Father Patrick McConnell with Payton Neitzel; Chad Fronk with Emma Fronk; Ben Gelhaus with Riley Lingen; Dan Miller with Macy Athanasiou; and Officer Nick Berger with Addison Brahmer. Local celebrity judges for the event are Adam Rodman, Julie Thums, Emily Balsis, and Jake Emmerich. The event will be emceed by Bryce Kelley with Scott Woller providing the music. Also featured are local celebrity mixologist bartenders Vince Wojcik, Karyn Gebert, Ryan Thomas, and Beth Wilson.

While the Dancing with the Stars event is sold out, Wojcik said they will be drawing for two dinner tickets for Dancing with the Stars during the annual Feet-NMotion dance show on Saturday, May 13 at the Simek Center.

The studio’s dancers will showcase their talents with shows that weekend on Friday May 12 at 7 p.m., and on Saturday May 13 at 11 and 2:30 p.m. Tickets are available for those shows through the “Feet-N-Motion Dance Studio Medford Erin Wojcik” Facebook page or by texting 715-560-0999. The drawing for Dancing with the Stars event will take place during the 2:30 p.m. show and people must be present to claim the tickets.

Wojcik praised the many sponsors, parents and individuals who came forward to purchase tables and help support the event and the dancers.