Dancing stars ready to eclipse records

By Ethan Hartley
Posted 4/19/18

By ETHAN HARTLEY It's a show unlike any other around here, and it's all to raise money to benefit kids in need of caring mentors - so it's no wonder everyone beams when talking about Mentor RI's annual Dancing with the Stars event. It's just about"

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Dancing stars ready to eclipse records

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It’s a show unlike any other around here, and it’s all to raise money to benefit kids in need of caring mentors – so it’s no wonder everyone beams when talking about Mentor RI’s annual Dancing with the Stars event.

“It’s just about pulling the community together to rally around the cause of making a difference for kids,” said Jo-Ann Schofield, executive director for Mentor RI. “The event is so much fun and I think everybody who has ever attended will tell you that there’s a reason they come back.”

For the 12th consecutive year this high-energy fundraiser will take eight inexperienced dancers and turn them into stars, thanks to the efforts of professional dance instructors from Warwick’s own The Dancing Feeling. They will then face off at Rhodes on the Pawtuxet in Cranston on April 26 to compete for the distinction of various bragging rights. Schofield estimated a record number of about 600 attendees will attend this year.

“For most people it’s a night of a lifetime,” said Kathy St. Jean, co-owner of The Dancing Feeling. “For some people, to not only be dancing like this but to be doing it in front of hundreds of people, it’s something they will never forget and it can be incredibly exciting, or incredibly scary, depending on their perspective.”

Nodding in agreement was St. Jean’s dancing partner, who you may know better as NBC 10’s (WJAR) news anchor Mario Hilario. Although Hilario has consistently volunteered as a judge and host for the event stemming back to his first time as a contestant in 2008, and he reports live to thousands of people each day, he still understands the trepidation people feel before stepping onto the dance floor.

“People think because I’m on TV every day that this comes so easy, but it doesn’t,” he said. “This is still totally out of my comfort zone.”

Hilario and St. Jean will open the night with a showcase dance, a tradition going back to 2011 when Hilario’s then-partner Glen Badessa thought it would be cool for a bunch of people to coordinate together to perform Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” dance.

This year, the showcase number will be dedicated to Badessa, who recently passed away. Hilario and St. Jean were not inclined to ruin the surprise, but did hint that the approximately 25-person dance team will perform a “star-themed” number this year.

The stars of the show come from all over Rhode Island, and have a range of experience in dancing from “absolutely none” to “a little bit here and there.” However none of the contestants have danced recently. This adds a challenging element, for both the amateur contestants and the professional dance instructors, who only have about 10 lessons to whip their partners into dancing shape and learn their routine.

“It started out as something I thought would be fairly easy and straightforward – how hard could it be?” recalled Kurt Harrington, owner of Something Fishy in Warwick. “But the first couple of weeks we kept adding more length to the performance, and I couldn’t imagine how I would get through it all.”

Thanks to his Dancing Feeling partner, Rachael Capodanno, Harrington went from flabbergasted to actually having fun learning their routine, which he hinted may incorporate some fun “fishy” elements. He learned a couple other things during his training as well.

“One thing I have learned is that you shouldn't practice your dance moves out in public, especially these days where everyone has a camera,” he said.

To become a dancing star you have to commit to raising at least $2,500 and bring 20 people the event. To date, the event has raised about $750,000 for Mentor RI and Schofield said that their goal this year to is surpass $100,000 in contributions – which would account for about one seventh of the organization’s operational budget.

“You can imagine how huge this is for us to continue our mission,” Schofield said.

That mission is what drives people to volunteer, even though a majority of the contestants aren’t directly involved with Mentor RI.

“My father was a mentor at Davies Vocational School in Lincoln. He started a baking program in the 70s,” said Debbie Rich, who has worked at City Hall in Warwick for then-mayor Lincoln Chafee before also working on his gubernatorial and presidential campaigns. “His students really admired him and looked up to him and he was an inspiration. In his memory I wanted to do this.”

“There were times I said why did I do this?” said Harrington, who mentors for another program in the Chariho Regional District in Charlestown. “I thought about the program Mentor RI does and that led me through to surviving it. Once all the moves got finished and we were rehearsing it, it actually became fun.”

Having fun is what everyone involved in the event, since former MentorRI (formerly the RI Mentoring Partnership) director Arlene McNulty dreamed up the concept in 2006, has guaranteed for those who attend. Although the window to buy tickets has officially closed, Schofield said that “a limited number of tickets are still available” for those interested, just call 401-732-7700 to inquire.

“We’re psyched,” Schofield said. “Every year we say it’s going to be the best ever, and every year it is better than the last.”

The full list of dancers includes:

Joe Bradlee – Pawtucket Red Sox; Dr. Angela Ciresi – Ciresi Chiropractic; Dana Goldberg – Textron; Meredith Gregory – Amica; Kurt Harrington – Something Fishy; Debbie Rich – SAG/AFTRA; Douglas Schobel – Delta Dental of CA; and Linda Warren – Bank of America.

Comments

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  • richardcorrente

    Because I respect this program and Debbie Rich (who I have known for over fifty years) I made a modest donation.

    Because I respect this program and Debbie Rich I didn't bring my total lack of dancing ability any where near the event.

    Congratulations to all involved in this HUGE success.

    Happy Spring everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Friday, April 20, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    And yet the make-believe "mayor" does not respect honest, taxpaying Warwick voters enough to keep his uninformed and unqualified campaign away from them.

    Friday, April 20, 2018 Report this

  • Scal1024

    Way to make it about you, Rick. Not only do you inject yourself into a story you are once again not a part of, you couldn't help but include the fact you made a "modest donation" in your comments as well. Its always about you and how you're a better person than most. What a pathetic attempt by this empty suit to make himself part of the story. Let it go Rick the voters are tired of your snake oil salesman act.

    The voters weren't buying your BS last election, and they certainly won't be fooled by it this election. For the few voters that think "how bad can he be?" Look at his record of unpaid bills, late tax payments and his long history of litigation and losses in court. It should terrify each and every one of you what this uninformed blowhard would do with the cities finances, while his own finances have been nothing short of a train wreck.

    This city is smarter than that and I look forward to this years election when they prove it.

    Monday, April 23, 2018 Report this

  • CrickeeRaven

    Nailed it again, Scal. The make-believe "mayor" is clearly counting on some number of voters being uninformed about his many defects as a candidate. And yet he continues to comment on this site and give other commenters every opportunity to disprove his statements and show him to be completely unfit for office.

    Like you, I look forward to joining honest, intelligent, taxpaying voters overwhelmingly in rejecting his candidacy again this November.

    Monday, April 23, 2018 Report this

  • richardcorrente

    Dear Scal1024 and CrickeeRaven,

    Wow! You got all that from me "respecting this program" and making a donation to it?

    You are amazing.

    Happy Spring Scal and Crickee.

    Happy Spring everyone.

    Rick Corrente

    The Taxpayers Mayor

    Tuesday, April 24, 2018 Report this