Dancing with the Plymouth Community Stars

Dancing with the Plymouth Community Stars

Emily Holleran 

For The Clock 

ejh1002@plymouth.edu

This Sunday, April 10, some familiar community figures will battle it out on the dance floor in a “Dancing with the Stars" themed fundraiser to benefit Voices Against Violence. The competition starts at 2 p.m. in the Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center. 

Voices Against Violence is a crisis services agency located in Plymouth, NH. Their mission is to end the cycle of violence by providing support and services for all victims and survivors, their family and friends, community members, and professionals around domestic violence, children who witness domestic violence, sexual violence and harassment, stalking, and bullying.

The Dancing with the Stars event is not only a source of entertainment. It's a way to offer support to the community members in need of services provided by Voices Against Violence. Ashley Kilstein, PSU’s women’sice hockey coach, said she is excited to dance because it has created a nice rivalry with her in-rink foe Craig Russell, a fellow dancer and PSU’s men's ice hockey head coach (whom she intends to defeat).

“I'm excited because we have the support of so many, my team in particular, who have been really supportive of myself in this process,”said Kilstein.“It's great to be in a position where they can maybe get a laugh out of my attempt to dance.”

Russell has also been enjoying this process. “There was no way I was going to turn this down, and I've had a lot of fun working with my partner Noelle [Ferris] on this,” he said. “I'm always on the dance floor at weddings, but there's obviously no choreographer there. So this has been fun, being coached through it, and learning how subtle certain things are within the dance.”

White Mountain Jazzercise has been a long supporter of Voices Against Violence. Suzanne Banister opened the present center in Plymouth in January, 2003. Though recently retired after teaching there for 14 years, she still remains a customer. Now recruited as a dance instructor to her partner, Matt Thornton, she is excited to showcase her passion for Jazzercise while supporting a notable cause.

“I haven't had time in the past to participate in DWTS as a contestant, so I was excited that I finally could,” said Banister. “I am personally looking forward for my dance partner. I heard he was a little reluctant to be one of the stars, but he has been doing so well, and he seems to be having a genuinely good time.”

At the other end of the competition is one of the judges, Terri Dautcher, who works in PSU’s business department. Although her knowledge of dance is admittedly limited to the Hokey Pokey and dancing around the living room when no one is watching, she vows to do her best Sunday, and be fair and enthusiastic in her evaluation of the performers.

“We live in a wonderful community. Attending this event is a wonderful way to show our support for good causes, and the good people who support those good causes,” said Dautcher.“In the words of Elvis, this is the perfect time to have ‘a little less conversation, and a little more action’. I hope people don't just talk about showing up, and we see some action in the ticket sales and attendance.”

Tickets are $15, and can be purchased at the Flying Monkey box office or online at http://www.flying- monkeynh.com.

Voices Against Violence can be reached at their website, http://www. voicesagainstviolence.net.

CLOCK PHOTO/ALEX CROSSLEY