Dancers “turn out” for upcoming competition

MARQUETTE — A bit of Hollywood glamour will soon be gracing the Marquette area, as tonight, U.P. Home Health and Hospice presented the upcoming Sixth Annual “Dancing with our Stars Marquette County Style” Competition.

Eight couples are each paired up with a local dance expert, and will shimmy their way to earn the coveted mirror ball trophy. The couples have until May 23rd, the opening night of the competition, to master their assigned dance styles, ranging from Country Quickstep to the Paso Doble. It was announced tonight that this year features an “Epic Movie” theme.

“I thought about it on the way here, and I guess I don’t know what to expect, said an excited Tia Rodda, a competitor. “I don’t want, like, the “boogy” – I don’t want those.”

“The UP Hospice foundation is very unique in that 100 percent of all monies raised goes back to patients and their families – it’s never used for overhead and other expenses,” said event organizer, Lindsay Hemmila. “The things that we can use that for might be medications, equipment, or supplies that a family or patient can’t afford.”

The performances are on May 23rd and 24th at 7:00pm at the Forest Roberts Theatre. The winner is determined from the combined audience vote on opening night, and the judges scoring over the two performances.