|
|
|
Written by Donovan Henderson
|
|
Thursday, 24 January 2008 |
|
|
|
|
Jane Sullivan knows a thing or two about dancing.
Sure, she can cut a rug—which makes sense, because she is the president of the Canyon Concert Ballet Foundation—but she’s an expert in the dance of persuasion.
Such expertise proved handy once she decided—while watching “Dancing with the Stars” on TV—that such a gimmick would fly in Fort Collins, too.
“Why wouldn’t it work? Everybody loves the show,” Sullivan said.
And so it is that 10 of Fort Collins’ movers and shakers—recruited by Sullivan using all matter of means—will pair up with a pro, just like in the real show, and move it and shake it on stage come Feb. 1. Proceeds from the event will benefit the ballet company’s April repertory performance and the 2008 Nutcracker production.
Sullivan first sent out emails to all the people she knows in town asking for volunteers, and once she did that, the real dance began.
Take Doug Johnson, director of implementation for UniverCity Connections. Sullivan’s method to coax him into a “yes” was tried and true.
“She plied me with copious amounts of alcohol,” he said with a wink and a smile shortly before practicing his dance with his partner Gretta Smith, a dance instructor at the studio where many of the contestants gathered earlier this week for a practice.
Mike Pierce, owner of LBN Insurance Agency, said he told Sullivan no at least 30 times.
Then, “I had a moment where I lost my mind.” Really, he responded to an appeal to his manhood. “I couldn’t back down from the challenge.”
He described his progress, after more than a month of practices with partner Rikke Liska, like this:
“We started with a block of wood, then cut it down with a chainsaw and chisel, and hopefully in there somewhere is a dancer more like Fred Astaire than Frankenstein.”
Then there’s Bruce Freestone, who owns OpenStage Theatre and Co. with his wife, Denise. His foray into dancing began in a way many husbands will relate to: “Actually, Denise signed us both up.” Just then his wife, whose dance has a country flaovr, walked by and quipped, “We’re not sleeping in the same bed right now.” He smiled—and smiles were as common as pirouettes during the practice session—nodded and said, “She’s very competitive.”
Mike Adams’ mother is a good friend of Sullivan’s, and on a lark a few years back, Sullivan and Adams actually took some swing-dance lessons together. Nothing more had come of it until now.
But really, how can you say no to a friend of your mom’s?
So Adams, manager at Faith Property Management, looked cool in his “zoot suit”—pinstripped pants, black shirt and white suspenders—as he danced to a Big Band Vodoo Daddies tune. He is lucky enough to be paired with Kim Carter, executive director of Canyon Concert Ballet, which has 500 students ages 3 and up.
Although Adams still retains a demeanor as cool as his outfit, he admits that come Feb. 1, he won’t be so calm.
“The day of, I’ll be a wreck,” Adams said. “But, I’ve always been a ham, so now it’s my chance to make a complete...” well, a complete you-know-what of himself.
And lest you think Sullivan is all talk, she too will be part of the show. And if her dancing skills are anything like her diplomacy skills, the other nine competitors should concede the competition right now.
—————
TO GO
• Dancing with the Stars of Fort Collins
• 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 1
• Sunset Events Center, 242 Linden St.
• $50
• Votes will be sold for $1
• For more information or to buy a vote, call 472-4156 or email
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
THE LOCAL STARS
Jane Sullivan, Jessica MacMillian, Linda Fisher, Paula Edwards, Denise Freestone, Bruce Freestone, Doug Johnson, Mike Pierce, Dan Ashbough and Mike Adams. Each “star” will be paired with a local professional dancer.
————— | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
