After 4-year hiatus, Lakes Region Dancing with the Stars returns

MEREDITH — Over a period of four years, Lakes Region Dancing with the Stars held six events, with local talent showing off their grace and rhythm to raise money for good causes. In total, more than $75,000 was raised, until organizers Laura Brusseau and Ashley May Halsey decided to direct their energies elsewhere. There hasn’t been a local DWTS event in four years.

That hiatus ends this November, as Brusseau and Halsey are bringing their event back, and they’ve got the goal of bringing their cumulative total to more than $100,000 this year.

Halsey and Brusseau held their first event in 2011. They succeeded in raising around $5,000, which was used to help send Inter-Lakes students to Denver for a Habitat for Humanity trip. That first event proved that there was local enthusiasm for such an event, which pairs family-friendly entertainment with support for local charities. The 2015 show raised $35,000, but Brusseau and Halsey decided to take a break from organizing the fundraisers so they could focus on personal and professional achievements.

“Every year since, we kept getting phone calls,” Brusseau said, from people who wondered when the next show would be. Finally, she has an answer: Nov. 15, 6:30 p.m. at the Inter-Lakes Community Auditorium.

Patterned after the reality television show, Lakes Region Dancing with the Stars pairs novices with expert dancers, and each pair choreographs, rehearses and performs their routine in front of a live audience. There’s more on the line than just bragging rights, as the winning team will pull in a windfall for the charity of their choice.

The panel of judges includes Lea King, owner of Lakes Region Dance, as well as three veterans of previous LRDWTS: Sarah Gray, Eric Proulx and Dan Fife. They will be judging eight teams, and each of their selected charities will receive at least some benefit from the event.

Casey Hannon said she and her dance partner picked a nonprofit that is close to home for both of them. Hannon is a dental assistant at Interlakes Family Dental in Moultonborough. She is dancing with Mary Norton, who teaches at Lakes Region Dance and also works at Interlakes Dental as a hygienist.

Hannon said she and Norton will be competing for Interlakes Community Caregivers, which has their office in the same business complex as the dental practice.

“We see them being utilized in the community, we wanted to sponsor something that meant a lot to us, too,” Hannon said. Hannon grew up in Gilford and was still in college when Lakes Region Dancing with the Stars was started, and said she never went to see the event. Norton, however, is an old pro, having participated in four previous events.

Hannon’s only dance experience was years ago, when she was a girl. They had their first practice last weekend, and, after searching for a while, she found her chops again.

“It’s been a long time. It took a good hour for it to come back, but Mary made it fun, I was surprised by how well I did,” she said. The two are working on a tap routine, she said, and even if they aren’t the best dancers, they’re aiming to put smiles on audience members’ faces.

“Mary is like the comedian in our office, we’re going to make it funny,” Hannon said. “We’re excited as a practice, Interlakes Family Dental, to connect with the community and sponsor Interlakes Community Caregivers.”

Tickets for the show, which is expected to sell out, cost $20 for adults and $15 for children age 10 and younger. They can be purchased through www.eventbrite.com.