RUTLAND—In front of a sold-out crowd at the Paramount Theatre, Praveen Keshava, ophthalmologist and owner of Central Vermont Eye Care, and Sam Ho, a dance instructor at Cobra Gymnastics and Dance Center, were presented with the Mirror Ball Trophy as the Judges Choice at the eighth annual Dancing with the Rutland Stars. Mike McClallen, an attorney at McClallen & Associates, P.C. and Katrina Werbinski, of Miss Lorraine’s School of Dance, were voted Fan Favorite.
Since 2011, the event has paired dance professionals from the greater Rutland community with a broad spectrum of individuals in the community for a one-night-only dance performance in support of Kids on the Move, a pediatric rehabilitation program and pediatric high-tech services, both programs of the VNA & Hospice of the Southwest Region (VNAHSR).
“Caring for the health and welfare of children is an important part of VNAHSR’s mission,” said Carrie Allen, president of the board of directors at the VNAHSR and chair of the event. “We are thrilled that this event has become a signature event for the agency and most importantly has raised critical funds for these pediatric programs.”
“Since the second year of the event we have sold-out because the dancers, stars, event committee, and the community have supported our mission of inspiring children to gain the skills and confidence to reach their full potential,” Allen added.
The couples included: Matt Cataldo, co-owner/partner of Carpenter & Costin and Tracy Tedesco, owner/instructor of Fitness Made Fun; Gordon Dritschilo, staff writer at the Rutland Herald and Kylee Lawrence, owner/instructor at Studio 15; Jody McIntosh, MSN, RN, manager of RRMC Women’s & Children’s Unit and William Kelley, founder and practitioner at Pyramid Holistic and Wellness Center; Andy Paluch, executive director of Come Alive Outside and Sheila McCutcheon, assistant vice president, store manager of TD Bank in Manchester Center and instructor at Miss Jackie’s Studio of Dance; Lisa Ryan, program manager of the Rutland County Community Justice Center at BROC Community Action and Adam King, account executive at Kinney Pike Insurance and instructor at Studio Fitness; and the Judge’s Choice winners Kesheva and Ho and Fan Favorite winners McClallen and Werbinski.
“The amount of preparation our dance couples spend is evident in their creative, entertaining dance routines,” said Allen.
The event was emceed by Eric Mallette, programming director of the Paramount Theatre and past Fan Favorite winner and Root’s bartender, Karri Barrett, who also danced for the event in the past.
Judges were Dave Correll, general manager at Best Western Inn & Suites Rutland-Killington; Bernadette Robin, marketing and business development director for the Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice of the Southwest Region and Claus Bartenstein, an electrical engineer and principal at Engineering Services of Vermont.
