If you follow me on social media you may have seen that I have agreed to be a celebrity dancer for Mad Hot Ballroom 2022. This event will take place on August 20th, 2022. I am very excited to participate in this fundraiser which supports the Whistle Stop and their 2-fold mission with Visitation Programs and DanceSport SWLA. The Whistle Stop provides support and visitation programs for children experiencing critical situations such as high-risk custody, divorce litigation, foster care, and cases of estranged parents.
I am dancing and fundraising for this non-profit organization and the kids that benefit from these programs! I’ll be talking more about the mission of The Whistle Stop in upcoming blogs but you can watch my announcement video HERE to find out more now.
A Little History
You may be surprised to find out this isn’t the first time I’ve donned a dance costume. In fact, I was quite the dancer back in the day. Check out this picture of me in my best dancer pose, circa 1967.
Not only that, but I also danced a surprising choreographed dance with my son at his wedding in 2017. I’m not talking about a normal mother/son slow dance. Nope. We did a dance to It’s Tricky by Run DMC. Will Mad Hot Ballroom include a repeat of something similar to It’s Tricky? I guess we will have to wait and see.
How I’m Preparing
I’ve been paired with a wonderful dance coach and partner, Reginald Larkins. Reginald began dancing in the 5th grade through The Whistle Stop’s DanceSport Academy. He has also competed professionally and taught ballroom dance. He’s actually a former winner in Mad Hot Ballroom so I feel like our chances are good. He’s putting me through my paces and helping me learn to move in sync with him. I can tell this is going to be a lot of effort but also a lot of fun.
While my dance training is important, I’m in need of more than just a dance coach. I’ve got a team of support coaches helping me improve behind the scenes with dancer stretches and strength training! I like to call the Pilates Reformer the rack of torture. I’m a short person working on my Long legs reach. This looks easier than it is.
How You Can Help
This is the 13th year of Mad Hot Ballroom and it’s always a sold-out event. If you want to attend you should purchase a table soon. Your business can purchase a table as a corporate sponsor that comes with perks, or you can purchase a table of 8 for you and your friends to attend, but they go fast so don’t wait.
You can also support me by voting for me as People’s Choice. Each celebrity dancer has a minimum Peoples Choice fundraising goal of $5,000. This comes from supporters contributing money to vote for the dancer. Contributions are collected from now through the night of the show and a final count is done during intermission to determine the Peoples Choice Champion. I’d love to be the People’s Choice Champion this year but more than that I’d love to help support the children that will benefit from these funds.
I Couldn’t Do This Without You
Thank you for following my journey to Mad Hot Ballroom 2022. Keep an eye on my social media for more information on how you can vote for me for the People’s Choice Champion of Mad Hot Ballroom 2022! I will also come pick up your donation checks in person and make sure you get the tax credit documentation.
