Local stars cut a rug, Broadway-style
Decked out in fancy costumes, local dancers showed off skilled moves Sept. 12 at the Willowbrook Ballroom in Willow Springs. They cut loose on the cha-cha, rhumba, two-step, foxtrot and more during the Chicagoland Fred Astaire Showcase.
More than 300 people attended the event to watch the "Give My Regards to Broadway"-themed show. Nearly a dozen dancers hailed from Northwest Indiana.
Dancers performed with instructors and, in some instances, with their significant others. There also were open dance segments allowing anyone to step up to the floor.
A definite feeling of excitement permeated the air as couples performed to tunes from shows such as "Phantom of the Opera," "Cabaret," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Mama Mia" and "Moulin Rouge."
Those watching the show also were treated to a performance by professional dancers. The showcase was held at the perfect time -- since ABC's "Dancing with the Stars" new season debuts Monday.
"There's no age limit when it comes to dancing," said Schererville resident Bill Davy, owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Schererville and Tinley Park.
Davy, who's been in the business for 30 years, said he's noticed the demographics have changed in a big way in ballroom dancing.
"Thirty years ago, you'd see people 60 years of age and older interested in ballroom dancing. As time has progressed, the ages have gotten younger," he said.
At his studios, he's taught everyone from teens to students 80 years old.For mother and daughter Donna and Diana Gescheidler, of Hammond, dancing provides them with an activity they can enjoy together.
During the showcase, daughter Diana performed to "Annie Get Your Gun," with instructor Jake Thomas, of Lansing. Her mother Donna delivered two dances, entertaining the crowd with the lyrical pirate-themed number titled "Pirates of the Caribbean" and a sweeping dance to music from "Phantom of the Opera."
Diana said she got interested in ballroom because of her mother's interest in dance."I took beginner's lessons and fell in love with it," Diana said, adding her mother gave her a gift certificate for lessons at the Schererville studio."I leave everything else behind when I dance." Donna said. She's also immersed in another type of dancing as a performer with the Indiana Ballet Theater in Merrillville.
Former teacher Rae Ann Ostenberg, of Crown Point, became so enamored of the craft she now owns a Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Burr Ridge."I was a public school teacher in the Crown Point school system for 23 years," she said. After a dramatic change in her life circumstances, Ostenberg decided to pursue her interest in dance.Maggie Cole, 14, of Munster, got bit by the dance bug after watching "Dancing with the Stars" on TV.
Cole, who performed to the soundtrack from "Mama Mia," said her mother, who is a personal trainer and diabetes educator, encouraged her to take lessons. "When I dance, it makes me feel happy," Cole said.
Other region ballroom terpsichoreans who performed at Willowbrook include:
* Charlene McCormick, Crown Point, is thrilled to trade in her business attire whenever she takes to the dance floor. A real estate agent dolled up as a flapper, McCormick pulled out all the stops during the showcase with her "Sweet Charity" number, which she performed with instructor Keith Clinton, of Valparaiso.
* Debbie Davy, Lansing, is sister to Bill Davy, who owns the two Fred Astaire dance studios. Davy, who is a nurse in the plastic and reconstructive surgery department at University of Chicago Hospital, started taking lessons four years ago at her brother's behest.
* Michael and Tamra Kenney, Schererville, decided to take ballroom dance lessons as a couple. She is a first grade teacher who "always loved to dance," and he is an executive compensation consultant who said taking lessons has given them a chance to enjoy the activity as a team.
* Madeline and Donald Casson, Dyer, performed a Viennese waltz to the lilting "Edelweiss," from the "Sound of Music." They started dancing two years ago -- and have been married for two years. Madeline is an accountant in Tinley Park, and Donald is a commercial garbage-truck driver for Allied Waste in Crestwood.
* Rick Strohl, Schererville, started to dance to "call my wife's bluff" when she hinted he ought to try it. Strohl said it's good exercise, a great stress reliever -- and fun.
* Becky Lovall, Highland, has only been cutting the rug in class for the past four months and says "it's a blast."
FYI: Fred Astaire Dance Studio, 121 E. Joliet St., Schererville (219) 322-5880 or 7901 W. 159th St., Tinley Park (219) 444-0123.
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