The Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Company

Company Dancers prepare to dance with the StarsThe second annual Dancing With the Claremont Stars competition, one of the highlights of the first Annual Claremont Dance Festival, is right around the corner.

Following the overwhelming success of last year’s Dancing with the Claremont Stars, the Claremont Colleges Ballroom Dance Company (CCBDC) has been planning this year’s event since early September. "We knew last year that it would be a fun program, yet had no idea it would grow so quickly and with such community support," says Kelly Hewitt, the coordinator of last year’s event and current President of the CCBDC. "Dancing With the Claremont Stars has proven to be a unique event at the Claremont Colleges as few programs bring together students, staff, faculty and administrators from all the Claremont Colleges to work, learn, and have fun together," added Kelly, going on to say, "Dancing with the Claremont Stars really celebrates the community that is the Claremont Colleges."

The charge of putting together this event has been picked up this year by two of the CCBDC’s newest members, Jessica Hurley and Ilona Zbirun, who are doing a great job dealing with all the twists and turns. "It has been a lot of work to organize and coordinate the schedules of 16 stars and all their coaches," said Jessica. "Not to mention finding available practice spaces for them on the 5Cs," added Ilona.

"I don’t think either of us really had any idea when we signed up for this of just how popular the competition had become in its single year," added Jessica. "With such positive word-of-mouth from last year’s participants, CCBDC was overwhelmed with interest in the event, and ended up having to turn potential Stars away simply because we didn’t have enough coaches for all of the applicants," continued Ilona.

The Stars have chosen to participate in one of two dance styles, the Waltz or the Cha-Cha, and were grouped with coaches who have, over the past several weeks, given them instruction in the style of their choice. The night of the event, each Star will dance with one of their coaches, competing against the other Stars for coveted intercollegiate bragging rights. The Stars elegantly waltzing their way across the ballroom floor will be Claremont McKenna’s Andrea Morseburg and Sharylle Tan; Harvey Mudd’s Rachel Levy, Debra Mashek, and Francis Edward Su; and Scripps’ Janet Doty and Gilbert Rodriguez. The Stars dancing the Cha-Cha—a fun and lively Latin dance—will be Claremont McKenna’s Jennier Ward-Batts; Harvey Mudd’s Bob Schaffer; Pitzer’s Lydia Plasencia; Pomona’s Tabea Bruckelt and Pardis Mahdavi; and Scripps’ Debra Wood, LaKisha Tillman, and Chris Towse.

The Stars and their coaches have been working diligently in anticipation of the competition, so be sure to turn out to support your favorites. You can trust that it will, without a doubt, be quite a show.

Dancing With the Claremont Stars is scheduled for this Friday, November 30th, at 7 PM in Pomona College’s Edmunds Ballroom as part of our Formal Black and White Ball evening event. Be sure to go to the event page to register and to check out the other amazing offerings at this year’s Claremont Dance Festival, two days of dance classes, ranging from beginning to advanced, so everyone can dance like a star!