- Mel B (Spice Girl) paired with Maksim Chmerkovskly;
- Sabrina Bryan (Cheetah Girl) paired with Mark Ballas;
- Hello Castroneves (race car driver) paired with Julianne Hough;
- Mark Cuban (businessman) paired with Kym Johnson;
- Jennie Garth (former 90210 actress) paired with Derek Hough;
- Josie Maran (supermodel) paired with Alec Mazo;
- Cameron Mathison (All My Children) paired with Edyta Silwinska;
- Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (boxer) paired with Karina Smirnoff;
- Wayne Newton (singer) paired with Cheryl Burke;
- Marie Osmond (singer) paired with Jonathan Roberts;
- Albert Reed (supermodel) paired with Anna Trebunskaya;
- Jane Seymour (actress) paired with Tony Dovolani.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Dancing With the Stars Cast Announced
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Wayne Newton to Join Dancing with the Stars
Although ABC hasn't officially announced the Dancing with the Stars celebrtities, there is a rumor going around that Wayne Newton will be joining the cast for the coming season.Judge Carrie Ann and Season 4 winner Apolo Ohno will announce the next lineup Aug. 29 on Good Morning America.
Stayed tuned to our blog for the rest of the cast list!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
NY/NJ Dance Sport Championships, Verona, NY,August 2007
Congratulations to Patti Williams-Gorman and Georgi Kanev of the Upper Montclair Fred Astaire. Patti and Georgi danced a showcase to "I AM ALDOLFO", a wonderful musical number from the Hit Broadway Show THE DROWSY CHAPERONE. Patti received 2 98%'s and was thrilled that "Tony Dovolani gave me 100%." Not only did Patti and Georgi win the highest score for top showcase and get a standing ovation, they were invited to dance their show again the following evening during Tony Dovolani and Eleana Grinenko's Professional Show, and with the winners of the professional events. Charlie Penatello, co-organizer, said it was the first time a student was asked to dance in the Professional showcase in years. Special Thanks to Bruno Collins for his award- winning choreography for this truly spectacular show.
Monday, August 13, 2007
Fred Astaire and Variety Charities
We are pleased to announce that FRED ASTAIRE DANCE STUDIOS has partnered with Variety to raise awareness, as well as dollars, for Variety’s National Mobility Program. Through the creation of a special edition Top Hat pins available for purchase at Fred Astaire Dance Studio, local area children with mobility challenges will receive the wheelchairs, walkers, and prosthetic limbs they so desperately need.
National Mobility Program
Variety has been serving children with special needs for over 75 years, and we have found that what these children want most is to be active members of their communities. In order to achieve this, they need what most of us take for granted: access. For children with disabilities, this means having the freedom to go where they want to, either on their own, or if they need assistance, reducing the impact they make on those helping them. With the advent of many new mobility technologies, this access is becoming available to more and more children.
Many of the local Variety chapters have seen this need, and have already been focused on providing children in their communities with prosthetic limbs, walkers, wheelchairs, and specially design adaptive bikes. In the coming year, these diverse efforts will be unified into a single national program, Variety’s National Mobility Program. And while it is a national program, it will still be true to our roots: enabling local communities to better serve their children with special needs.
Variety's Gold Heart Campaign
The Gold Heart Pin Campaign is Variety International's signature fundraising endeavor worldwide. Chapters throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Israel, Barbados, France and Canada participate in the campaign that begins in November and goes through the end of March, with the crescendo of sales revolving around Valentine's Day.
Like Variety itself, the Gold Heart campaign started simply and has since grown to become our signature fundraising initiative. It all began in England in 1991 with an idea from Variety International board member Marsha Rae Ratcliff, based on a children's storybook she had written. In 1999, through the dedication of Los Angeles Board member Clark Woods, who is now with MGM Pictures, the Gold Heart campaign was brought to the motion picture industry and has become a multi-million dollar campaign that raises money for children in need around the world.
To promote the Gold Heart campaign in the United States, Variety partners with major motion picture theater chains. More than 2000 theaters around the country sell the pins and display promotional posters, counter cards, in-theatre slides, film trailers and other materials. During the 2005-2006 campaign, the in-theater promotional materials were seen over 440 million times. This partnership between Variety and the motion picture industry has raised $95 million dollars worldwide. Additionally, many local radio stations and cable channels support their local chapters by airing Gold Heart pin public service announcements.
National Mobility Program
Variety has been serving children with special needs for over 75 years, and we have found that what these children want most is to be active members of their communities. In order to achieve this, they need what most of us take for granted: access. For children with disabilities, this means having the freedom to go where they want to, either on their own, or if they need assistance, reducing the impact they make on those helping them. With the advent of many new mobility technologies, this access is becoming available to more and more children.
Many of the local Variety chapters have seen this need, and have already been focused on providing children in their communities with prosthetic limbs, walkers, wheelchairs, and specially design adaptive bikes. In the coming year, these diverse efforts will be unified into a single national program, Variety’s National Mobility Program. And while it is a national program, it will still be true to our roots: enabling local communities to better serve their children with special needs.
Variety's Gold Heart Campaign
The Gold Heart Pin Campaign is Variety International's signature fundraising endeavor worldwide. Chapters throughout the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, Israel, Barbados, France and Canada participate in the campaign that begins in November and goes through the end of March, with the crescendo of sales revolving around Valentine's Day.
Like Variety itself, the Gold Heart campaign started simply and has since grown to become our signature fundraising initiative. It all began in England in 1991 with an idea from Variety International board member Marsha Rae Ratcliff, based on a children's storybook she had written. In 1999, through the dedication of Los Angeles Board member Clark Woods, who is now with MGM Pictures, the Gold Heart campaign was brought to the motion picture industry and has become a multi-million dollar campaign that raises money for children in need around the world.
To promote the Gold Heart campaign in the United States, Variety partners with major motion picture theater chains. More than 2000 theaters around the country sell the pins and display promotional posters, counter cards, in-theatre slides, film trailers and other materials. During the 2005-2006 campaign, the in-theater promotional materials were seen over 440 million times. This partnership between Variety and the motion picture industry has raised $95 million dollars worldwide. Additionally, many local radio stations and cable channels support their local chapters by airing Gold Heart pin public service announcements.
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Fred Astaire National Dancesport Championships
Celebrate the magic of dance at our National DanceSport Championships held in Orlando, Florida on October 24-28. At this annual competition, you’ll dance with the best while being just steps away from the #1 tourist attraction in our country – Disney World! Don’t miss this great opportunity to challenge your dancing skills, strengthen your confidence and focus, and form life long friendships with other dancers! With its mix of fun social events, high-level competitive heats, and dramatic performances, the NDC is the perfect event for any dancer.Professional Night
See top-rated professional dancers whirl into action during Friday night’s Professional Division performances. You’ll be captivated by their daring choreography, dazzling technique, pitch-perfect musicality, and exceptional movements.
Awards
On the last night, a variety of awards and trophies will be presented to competition participants. In addition, a minimum of $15,000.00 will be rewarded to the top overall teachers from the three national competitions this year.
Disney Resort
Experience a world of fun at the Hilton Walt Disney Resort. The Hilton has 2 lavish swimming pools, 7 restaurants and lounges, and 5 championship golf courses. In addition, it’s located just steps away from Downtown Disney!
Local Attractions
When you’re not dancing, you can enjoy the Hilton’s complimentary transportation to the parks and the exclusive Extra Magic Hours when parks are opened early or closed later for Hilton guests. Other areas you might want to visit include:
- Disney's Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
- Magic Kingdom® Park
- Disney-MGM Studios
- Epcot®
- Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park
- Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
- Downtown Disney® Area