Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars returns in January

MOSES LAKE — There will be some fancy footwork at the Wallenstien Theater on Jan. 11, when Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars returns for a second time, according to an announcement from the Central Basin Community Concert Association. 

“Last year’s show raised over $13,000 and we hope to exceed that this year,” CBCCA board member Carol Eidsvig wrote in the announcement. “The show was unique and something Moses Lake hasn’t seen before, we hope to fill the theater and show the community all we have to offer.” 

Six Moses Lake residents will each be paired with a professional dancer from the Utah Dance Company and have a week to perfect their moves, according to the announcement. At the end of the week, the dancers will show their stuff in front of a live audience and three judges, also drawn from the Moses Lake community. The winner will walk – or waltz, or pirouette – away with a mirror ball trophy and bragging rights. Last year’s winner, auctioneer Chuck Yarbro Jr., performed a swing dance to “Danger Zone” from the movie “Top Gun” in a T-shirt with a bare chest printed on it. 

This year’s local dancers are Amador Castro, (UPS Store owner and teacher at Vanguard Academy; Lacey Fitterer, owner of at Ballet Academy of Moses Lake; Dr. Morgan Fife of Moses Lake Community Health; Dr. Logan Mims, also of Moses Lake Community Health; Dr. Tyler Wallace, math professor at Big Bend Community College; and Danielle Boss; Realtor at Windermere Real Estate and one of last year’s judges. 

Julie Johnson will return as one of this year’s judges; another judge, Faith Hemmerling, was one of last year’s dancers. The third judge will be Christian O’Shea, physical therapist for he Moses Lake School District. 

The inaugural performance last year sold 450 tickets, board member Carla McKean told the Columbia Basin Herald in an earlier interview. The theater has a capacity of 650, she added, so there’s plenty of room. 

“I believe the community is going to jump on this really fast because of the excitement that it created last year,” CBCAA Vice President Judy Twigg wrote in the announcement. “It’s a wonderful evening of professional dancing and lots of laughter … It’s so important for the community to continue to provide financial support for the CBCCA so that we can provide the highest quality of musical entertainment available at such amazing prices.” 

The community can go online at www.CommunityConcertsML.com and donate in a dancer’s name, according to the announcement. The winner will be determined by the judges’ scores, the dollar amount raised online, and the audience votes at the show. Each attendee is given a ticket to cast a vote as part of admission and can also purchase additional votes for their favorite dancer. All funds raised stay local and help CBCCA bring live music concerts to our community, according to the announcement. 

“I believe giving back to our community is important because it strengthens the bonds that hold us together and creates a positive, supportive environment for everyone,” Castro wrote in the announcement. “When we contribute to our community, we help improve the lives of others by providing resources, supporting local programs and simply giving up our time, (which I feel we hold on to too tightly). Giving back helps create a sense of shared responsibility and builds a foundation for mutual support, making the community a better place for everyone. Giving back also leads to personal growth and fulfillment. It shows we care for something bigger than just us.” 

    Faith Hemmerling, left, dances the cha-cha to “Barbie Girl” with partner Bannon Frank in last year’s Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars. Hemmerling will return Jan. 11 as a judge, while six other Moses Lake stars vie for the trophy.
  

    Haley Wayt, of the Utah Ballroom Dance Company, presents the coveted disco ball award to last year’s Dancing with the Moses Lake Stars winner Chuck Yarbro Jr., with Yarbro’s partner Abby Comalander on his arm and competitors Faith Hemmerling and Shannon Hintz and UBDC dancer Anthony Whipple cheering behind him. This year’s show is Jan. 11.