Dancing with the QC Stars competitors with their Utah Ballroom Dance Company partners, left to right: Debbie Huber, Joel Jaress, Miguel Venegas, Jim Nichols and Judy Hays. Congrats to all!
The glitz, the glitter, the mirror-ball trophy – it must be Dancing with the Quail Creek Stars! Yes, on March 15, five of Quail Creek’s finest competed on stage in the Madera’s Crystal Ballroom to capture both the honor of winning and, of course, the coveted mirror-ball trophy. Dancing competitors were residents Jim Nichols, Judy Hayes and Debbie Huber joined by Grill Manager Miguel Venegas and Head Golf Professional Joel Jaress.
Our talented Event Coordinator Colleen Aldridge and most able assistant Nancy Planck, brought the Utah Ballroom Dance Company (UBDC) to Quail Creek to wow us once again. Earlier in the week our competitors were each paired with a member of the UBDC who taught them their dance, calmed their nerves and shored up their courage as needed!
Modeled after the network Dancing with the Stars, the show was complete with videos of our competitors practicing their dances and describing their experiences. The show also included a trio of capable judges (our own Francesca Schelenski, Davey Jones and Sherry Gall) who offered their colorful critiques and scores for each dancing pair. This year’s Dancing with the QC Stars featured a Hollywood theme night, so our dancers did their best to channel their assigned movie character.
First, Jim Nichols and his partner performed the difficult Paso Doble to Pirates of the Caribbean. The Paso is a strong, commanding dance and Jim demonstrated both strength and command in a powerful performance. Next, Judy Hayes played Roxie Hart in a lively Charleston number from Chicago. The judges confirmed that Judy was hot in her red flapper dress. Then Miguel Venegas performed the Foxtrot in a smooth like Buddha Pink Panther piece. Debbie Huber wowed the audience with her Quickstep to a Marilyn Monroe song, Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend and finally Joel Jaress was the new Elvis in a hip shaking Swing to the Jailhouse Rock.
Once our competitors had danced, our emcee, UBDC’s Mark Lowes, announced that it was time for the audience to vote on their favorite dancer. During intermission the audience submitted their ballots, then returned to the ballroom to enjoy the entertainment of the UBDC’s talented young dancers. They were spectacular! Continuing with the Hollywood theme, they danced numbers to tunes such as You Should be Dancing (Disco), I Want to be Loved by You (Broadway) and Footloose (Jive). It was hard to tell who was having more fun – the audience or the young dancers!
After the votes had been counted, the competitors were brought back on stage for the announcement of the winner. Mark announced that the two finalists were Joel and Miguel. He then declared that, by the narrowest of margins, Miguel had bested Joel for the win! Congratulations to both Miguel and Joel and the rest of the competitors for a fine performance! So, planning ahead for the next Dancing with the QC Stars—could you be holding the coveted mirror-ball trophy? Or, maybe, you can just plan to be part of a thoroughly entertained audience!