Voting begins for local dancers
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on September 14, 2014 10:24 AM
Voting has begun and tickets are on sale for the fourth annual Dancing Stars of Wayne County.
The event will take place on Friday, Oct. 17, at the Paramount Theatre.
Tickets are on sale at the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, for $75 each. The price includes admission and five votes for contestants.
Thirteen dancers and five local studios will be represented in the show, which is a fundraiser for the Wayne Education Network, a Chamber committee. All of the money generated by the event will be used to support various education projects in Wayne County, including scholarships, classroom mini grants, the Junior Leadership program and countywide middle grades career fair.
To date, WEN has distributed more than $119,000 in grants and $30,725 for teacher stipends.
Dancers are assigned to local studios, where they will receive instruction in preparation for the upcoming event. Participating students from the respective studios represent Wayne County public, private and home-school settings.
The Chamber website also includes a bio of each participant and opportunity to cast a vote for them. The following are the list of dance studios and "stars" who will be performing with them.
Artistic Dance
Academy
* Kate Daniels, president of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce, is a native of Kinston. She and husband, Jeremiah, have two children, Grace, 4, and James 2.
* Brandi Strickland, representing Strickland Insurance Group, is a mom of two boys with a passion for dance. She attends Garris Chapel United Methodist Church and volunteers with such organizations as the Soup Kitchen and Meals on Wheels.
A Step of Class
Dance Studio
* Nicole Barnes is chief financial officer of Alta Foods and co-owner with her husband, Donnie Barnes. A native of New Orleans, she is the mother of three, all students at Wayne Country Day School.
* Dr. Shane Hoover, a pediatrician at Goldsboro Pediatrics, is also regional physician liaison for Community Care of North Carolina. He and his wife have two children and are members of St. Mary Church.
* Leigh Tanner is a biology teacher at Wayne Country Day School and independent consultant with Rodan and Fields Dermatology. She and husband, Hal Tanner III have four children, and attend St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.
Center Stage Theatre
* Felicia Brown is the recreation superintendent with the city of Goldsboro Parks and Recreation Dept. She moved to Goldsboro over three years ago with husband, Curtis.
* Dr. Paul Rutter, a Navy veteran, is director of the evening college at the University of Mount Olive and director of the university's campus in Smithfield.
* Sheila Wolfe, principal of Fremont STARS Elementary School, is also president of the Wayne County Principal and Assistant Principal Association. She said she was motivated to participate in this event after having been at schools that were beneficiaries of more than $28,000 in Chamber grants since 2005.
Mrs. Robin's
Academy of Dance
* Selena Bennett is executive director of Communities in Schools of Wayne County. She retired from Wayne County Public Schools in 2011 after 30 years as a classroom teacher and school counselor.
* Dan Ellis, executive vice president at Southern Bank and Trust in Mount Olive. Originally from Charlotte, he relocated to Wayne County three years ago. He and wife, Cindy, have three adult daughters.
School of Goldsboro Ballet
* Sonja Emerson has been in education for 35 years and is currently principal at Dillard Middle School. She is also children's ministry director at St. Luke United Methodist Church.
* Kirk Keller is an instructor and advisor with Wayne Community College's business administration/operations management and mechanical engineer programs. He is active in numerous community organizations and events, including designing the new Veterans War Memorial in Mount Olive and serving on the "Wall that Heals" committee.
* George Lanier, a Realtor/broker with RE/MAX Complete, and wife, Angel, moved to Goldsboro in 2013 when she accepted a position as assistant city manager. A native of Kinston, the couple's blended family includes three children.
Votes can be cast online at http://wayneeducationnetwork.org/site/programs/dancing-stars-of-wayne-county-voting/. Cost is $10 per vote.