Local celebrities dance-off for kids

The Christian Youth Theater of Spokane is holding a dance competition, sponsored by Gozzer Ranch, which mimics one of televisions hottest programs, “Dancing with the Stars.” What makes this fundraiser unique is the celebrities are locals seen on television or whose bylines are in newspapers every day – and most of them have absolutely no idea how to dance.

Each celebrity has been paired with a professional dance instructor who has three weeks to choreograph and teach them a dance routine. The couples were asked to learn a dance, such as salsa, tap, swing, tango and more.

Celebrities include Joe Shogan, Spokane City Council president; Janet O and Kjerstin Ramsing, reporters for KLXY Channel 4; Lee Stoll, reporter for KREM 2; Linda Ball, of the Coeur d’Alene Press; Jennifer Kim, reporter for KHQ 6, and participants from the Spokane County Sheriff’s Department and area chambers of commerce.

The voting will be conducted differently than on the TV show. That is, after several couples perform their dance, the Hype kids of Spokane will come out, each representing a dance couple. They’ll go through getting the crowd pumped up, collecting money for the dancing couple the audience likes best. Every dollar counts as a vote and you can donate as much as you like – a $20 bill in one couple’s basket is 20 votes from the donor. After the “votes” are collected, the next few dancers will perform and once again votes will be taken until all have danced.

The dancers and their partners may be excited about learning new dances and choreography, but everyone agrees this is all about the kids.

“This is all to benefit the Spokane Christian Youth Theater,” said Laura Little, CYT’s executive director. “It’s a good wholesome environment where they do normal theater productions. They’re not religious fanatics, but keeping the word Christian in the name keeps bad language out.”