A ItOUbfO TO*jk»J
Athens Stars Prepare
to Dance for Local
Nonprofit Project Safe
'My fnend Pat Priest came op with the
idee,* Project Salt faecwtive Director Joan
Pnttw me alts '"We talked it about ove? a glass
of wine on# Friday afternoon back in POD?,
end th# res* ** hrtlery - Initiate* th# plan ter
Dancng with th# Athens $Un was for it to
be a small scat# production, but ahe? team
•«0up with th# Clastic Center, rtt organizers
recognized jest how grand th# event had th#
potential to baton*
In its hnt three yean of operation,
Dancing with th# Athens Stan has flatted
WJVOOC ter Project Sal# tanging horn eme*
fKty shatter* and counseling to special reed
«Hvsces such as Superheroes, a support gmup
tec chdd •dints*#*. Projact Safa t multitude
of services assist victim* of domestic abuse in
starting o##c after leaving atxrww Matson
ships. 0*90*09 projects also me iude a job
tramwig program and transit***#! housing
initiatives *1 lee* ho# tbn event Has ra«*ed
awareness abm*c domestic vsehensa * general
and th# msownas available through Project
Sate,* Prittte says
this year's lineup of dancers includes 10
pain of familiar facts from around town,
including Ashley f ptiog. film producer and
CfO of f prtng Cvants; ACC Commissioner
Mike Hamby; Dan Magitt, legendary UGA ten
nis coach and chairman of th# ITA Man's
Collegiate Tennis Hail of fame; and Jamshad
(Jaamy) Zarnegar, to owner and general man
age? of Last iesort Gntt. for a complete listing
of stars and instructors, shuffle on over to
niww. projact-sate.org.
The majority of participating danctn
are selected by an organizing committee.
"He look ter people who an» well known or
standouts in their hail and we also strive to
represent a cross section of the commurntyi"
Prmie says, teu don't have to be a dancer or
celebrity to gat on the stage, however. Project
Sate s People * Choice contest it an annual
fundraising competition hi which the con
testant who rate the most money receives
a spot on the b*U. r bn year's winner n Marta
Giona Cardaraiii. / realtor with Prudential
•teuton Property*
Pertsoponts were matched with then-
instructors CM* past tel and have been held
responsible ter scheduling private lessons
and coming up with then own routines. One
of Pnttte s favente parts of organizing the
competition has been working with the pro
duction team, 'Our Instructors are really the
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backbone of the event,* she observes; *obw
oust* we couWnt do d without them , They
give so much time and effort to the event, tfs
amazing/*
Mike Hamby says fits instruct##, UHu
fiasco, 'has been able to help me overcome
my two-Mr teat' problem and And my inner
coolness, which I, and others, never knew
armed.’ With the*? work surety cut out ter
them, the Instnrtors provide the teaming am!
motivation necessary to get the dancers into
tip (op shape and needy ter the Mg mgtvt
•adte talk show host lit Dalton and ACC
Superior Court Judge Uwton Stephen* «ntt
emcee as the contestants compete te* two
diftemrnt sets of trophies. A panel of eapert*
mending Pb*g# Carmichael (assocMe dean
«P the UGA vet school, and a 'star* hem year
Natalie Co* (attorney and three-rtme
*mtructor ter tee event) and Mark Wheeler
(profess## of ba&eem dance at UGA) wtft
award omt e ought *rth the m$e of Judges
favorite, A second Http. Audience Nwbnte,
wdft be awarded to wter.hever couple mu# the
most rotes feeding up to and during the shew
tetes can be submitted te# |i each m advance
at the Project Sate website or the mght 0# the
performance at the event's donation stations.
f rom ballroom to Mp Hop, and salsa to
stepping, a wide variety of dance styles will
be trotted out m th** year's competition With
musk, costumes and videos all leading to
such close competition it's important ter the
participants to distinguish themselves hom
then competitors Hamby wtU be showcasing
a new set of dance moves that writ come te
be known a* ’The Hambster, ’ he says. 'People
who am uncoordinated and clumsy w»tt h«d
the Hambste* dance steps easy. If you can
do The Hambste? youll either mpttL over
•helm or injure (and perhaps all of those)
whomever ft ** yourn dencmg with.. r ' he
esplarns. trfftdeil pf each participant'* level
of skit) or experience Ml aim te ran# the ba?
m prevsmrt years' pertevmanr es, which can be
viewed as rtdees on Project Sate s website
lb# event starts at ? t*. Sunday Mar 9,
at the Classic Center Tic ket* «n# WO and con
be purchased at the Class*# Center bw» ofhc#
or at wwmuia**kt#«te* com
Jeesrca Smdb
Public Radio
far Atkan aad Nartkaatt 6aar|ia
tew Oa»« for Idaas and tha firta
20! I HACmi CCM S
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