Dancing With The Stars seating may spill over to live stream venue

Last year, it took weeks for tickets to Dancing With the Stars Marquette County Style to sell out. This year, it took only three days.

Due to the high demand, officials from the U.P. Home Health and Hospice Foundation have started to think outside the box to try and get more people to see the event.

“We’re looking at working with Northern’s A.V. Department in order to live stream the event to an additional 150 to 200 individuals if the demand is out there for a live streaming event, and what that would do is then put it on big projectors at the Hedgcock Fieldhouse,” U.P. Home Health and Hospice CEO and executive director Jeff Nyquist said.

He also said that when approaching prominent community members about participating in the event, it takes a certain level of bravery to get up and perform for 600 people. Two of this year’s competitors gave us a little insight into their training.

“Our coach is Camilla Mingay, and she is teaching us the Charleston,” said Jennifer Huetter, who will perform with partner Reed Benton. “She’s going through and teaching us the routine a little bit at a time. Right now we have almost all of it.”

“Just working on the ending; the finish,” Benton added.

Huetter and Benton are reaching out to the community to gain votes, placing donation boxes around Marquette, Negaunee and Ishpeming. They even created a Facebook page to share their progress.

To vote online, go to uphomehealth.org and click on the Dancing With the Stars link.