DANCING FOR THE STARS 2011 Announces Winners

Dr. Tracey Skale (chief medical officer, Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health Services) and her dance pro J. Patrick Clements (Dare To Dance Studio - Blue Ash) scored a PERFECT 10 from the four judges on Saturday, April 9 at the Music Hall Ballroom, taking first place at the Cincinnati Arts Association's fifth-annual Dancing for the Stars fundraiser. With an audience of more than 650 guests (a new attendance record), the sold-out event raised $70,000 to benefit CAA's Overture Awards and Academy - the nation's largest locally run high school arts scholarship competition.

Patty Brisben (CEO & founder, Pure Romance & The Patty Brisben Foundation) and her dance pro Brian McNamee (Cincinnati Ballroom Company) took second place; and Sean Parker (manager, Ohio government & community relations, The Procter & Gamble Company) and his dance pro Leigh Bradshaw (Cincinnati Ballroom Company) placed third.

The remaining five dance pairs included:
Richard Boehne (president & CEO, The E.W. Scripps Company) & Doreen Beatrice (Step-n-Out Studio - Covington)
Carri Chandler (external affairs specialist, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.) & Jeremy Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio - Blue Ash)
Sue Gilkey (community volunteer, ballroom dance enthusiast) & Doug Reynolds (independent dance professional)
Andy Holzhauser (founder, Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance) & Mandy Franceschina (Dare To Dance Studio - Blue Ash)
Mike Wong (restaurateur, Oriental Wok Restaurants) & Desiree Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio - Blue Ash)

Inspired by the hit ABC-TV show Dancing with the Stars, Dancing for the Stars featured eight Cincinnati celebrities paired with some of the area's finest professional dancers in a competition program, at which the audience vote propelled the winners to victory. The competitive dance for the evening was the Foxtrot, and each dance pair had 90 seconds to woo the crowd and the judges.

Event emcees were Chris O'Brien and Janeen Coyle ("Married With Microphones," 103.5 WGRR-FM), and the four competition judges were Douglas Beal, Phil Heimlich, Eleanor Lachman, and Special Guest Celebrity Judge, Drew Lachey (ABC-TV's Dancing with the Stars Season Two champion).

The Dancing for the Stars 2011 committee included: Phil Schworer, chair (Dancing for the Stars 2009 winner); Christina Bolden; Terry Foster; Sue Gilkey; Jim Howland; Ginger Loftin; and Rosemary Schlachter.

In addition, Dancing for the Stars featured:
· Silent auction and raffle
· The swinging sounds of Sound Body Jazz Orchestra
· Popular ballroom DJ Tony Rimkus
· Pre-event VIP Patron reception and wine tasting
· Open dancing before and after the competition

Event highlights included:
· A perfect 10 from all four judges for the elegant Foxtrot by the first-place dance team of Dr. Tracey Skale and J. Patrick Clements.
· A sensuAl Foxtrot by Patty Brisben (stunning in a feathery boa) and her dance pro Brian McNamee was "pure romance" and wowed her legions of family, friends, and fans.
· A special raffle for the chance to win a dance with Special Guest Celebrities Drew and Lea Lachey. The lucky raffle winner of the dance with Lea was her husband Drew, and the two shared a romantic dance after the competition.
· "Wok Star" Mike Wong began his dance to the popular song "Kung Fu Fighting." At the end of his dance, his many fans rang authentic Asian gongs and cymbals to celebrate his dance routine.
· At the end of Carri Chandler's Foxtrot with her pro Jeremy Mainous, her fans stormed the dance floor and stuffed real money into the clothes of both dancers. Carri later donated her 'earnings' to the event proceeds, which benefit CAA's Overture Awards program.
· Constructive and humorous comments from the competition judges, including ABC-TV's Dancing with the Stars Season Two champion, Drew Lachey.
· The sold-out event had an exceptionally responsive, raucous, and energetic audience, which included large cheering sections of fans for the various stars and dance pros. The fans held signs with various messages (such as that perfect number 10) and made a loud racket with a variety of noise-makers (including blow horns, stamping feet, etc.).
· After the competition, the dance floor at the Music Hall Ballroom filled with the evening's guests (including some children), who danced the night away.
· A showcase contemporary dance routine by the 2011 Overture Award winner in dance, Hannah Brenneman, wowed the audience.
· Emcees Chris O'Brien and Janeen Coyle ("Married With Microphones," 103.5 WGRR-FM) kept the crowd entertained between the stars' dance routines.

THE OVERTURE AWARDS / ACADEMY
The Overture Awards Scholarship Competition is the largest locally run arts scholarship competition in the country. The program annually provides a $2,500 scholarship to six area high school students for education and training, with 18 finalists each winning a $500 scholarship. Each year, more than 450 students are nominated by their schools to compete in one of six artistic disciplines: Creative Writing, Dance, Instrumental Music, Theater, Visual Art or Vocal Music. There are three levels of competition: Regional, Semi-Finals, and Final.

The Overture Awards was developed to recognize, encourage and reward excellence in the arts among Tri-state students in grades 9-12. It also provides students an opportunity to share their talents and interests among their peers in a supportive environment outside of their individual schools. All former and potential competitors are also given the opportunity to study with professionals in their discipline at the Overture Academy, scheduled annually each Fall. Now in its 15th year, The Overture Awards was launched in 1996 by the Cinergy Foundation and Leadership Cincinnati (a Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce program).

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