Dancing with Local Stars

Posted on Wednesday April 28

Eight local celebrities will take the stage at the Camden Opera House next Friday, May 7 at 7PM in what’s sure to be the most talked about event of the season, Dancing with Local Stars.  From the cha-cha, waltz, foxtrot and tango to that old 1970’s favorite, The Hustle, Dancing with Local Stars promises a night of talent, showmanship and over the top fun for everyone.

This year’s line-up of dancers is impressive, and includes Camden Fire Chief Chris Farley, Camden National Bank Vice President Jane Dagley, YMCA Executive Director Troy Curtis, HAV2 owner Caroline Morong, Samoset Resort General Manager Connie Russell, Graffam Brothers Seafood owner Kim Graffam, Republican State Senator Chris Rector, and Democratic State Representative Joan Welsh.  All dancers will be transported to the Camden Opera House in style via limousine service donated by All Aboard Trolley & Limousine of Rockland.

The competition will be fierce, but the dancers are taking it all in stride, thanks to expert instruction Swing and Sway Dancing of Rockland.   Instructors Christian Clayton, Kathryn Vaughn, Bruce Olson and Alysa Jackson have been hard at work with their “stars”, and excitement is brewing as they prepare for the big night.

Just a couple of our dances will include, Morong dancing to “Time of my Life” from the “Dirty Dancing” soundtrack, while Russell will dazzle the crowd with his moves to “Play that Funky Music White Boy.”  Graffam, who is a huge fan of the television show Dancing with the Stars, said she is very excited about the event, and all the dancers said they are excited to be dancing for a good cause.

Morong summed up the sentiment of most of the dancers when she said, “I have always wanted to take dance lessons, but more importantly, The Community School is a very important part of our community and reaches out to kids state-wide.”

In addition to performances by these eight local stars, Friday’s event will also include special numbers by professional dancers and dance troupes, including The Step in Time Cloggers,  Katie Thompson’s Hip Hop Fusion,  Rockport Dance Conservatory, Korinn Scattoloni’s Zumba Fitness Group, Shalimar’s Studio of Oriental Dance, People to People Dance Center and Atlantic Ballet Company.

Also this year, Swing and Sway Dancing co-owner and instructor Christian Clayton will dance his heart out with fellow professional dancer Kea Tesseyman of Rockport Dance Conservatory. In a new twist, The Community School students will put on their own special performance of The Cha-Cha Slide.

Master of Ceremonies Terry Bregy will be on hand again this year to entertain the audience between acts, and refreshments will be available during intermission.

This is the second annual Dancing with Local Stars event, to benefit the Community School in Camden.  The Community School is Maine’s oldest alternative high school, and has helped hundreds of Maine teens realize their dream of graduating with a high school diploma.

This year’s generous event sponsors are Richard and Barbara Russo, VillageSoup, Tom and Joan Sabatino and Ask for Home Care.

Dancing with Local Stars will be held Friday, May 7 at 7:00pm at The Camden Opera House.

Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children under age 12 and are available at HAV2, High Mountain Hall, The Owl and Turtle, TheGrasshopper, or by calling The Community School at 236-3000.

C-School Honors Supporters

Posted on Wednesday April 7

Barb Russo presents Bruce Gamage's award

Over 50 people gathered at The Rockport Opera House on Wednesday night to honor long-time Community School supporters Bruce Gamage, Doug Felton and Elizabeth Biddle. 

In addition to honoring Gamage, Felton and Biddle, fourteen volunteer tutors were celebrated for their enormous dedication of time and skill to the school.  

Volunteer tutors meet with students at least once a week, and often much more frequently, to help them reach their personal and academic goals.   Some of the subject areas in which tutors provide assistance are: math, science, social studies, English Language Arts, S.A.T. prep, culinary instruction, developing personal care and goal plans, and even extra-curricular skills like knitting, crocheting and sewing.

Residential Program Director Joseph Hufnagel, Passages Program Director Martha Kempe and Lead Teacher Carrie Braman introduced each of the volunteers, to much applause from the crowd, and particularly from the students themselves.

One student shouted out that his tutor had provided “the best math class ever,” and many in the crowd were teary eyed as each tutor took the floor to accept a rose and a certificate of appreciation.

Hufnagel also had significant praise for his staff and for the students, while school co-founder Dora Lievow thanked the students for helping those in the room build a strong community.  Fellow co-founder Emanuel Pariser could not be at the event, but sent a poem, read by Head of School Dottie Foote, thanking the students and letting them know he’d be at their graduation ceremony in May.

One of the highlights of the night was a short film created by media maven and part-time staff member Carolyn Horn, who paired music, still photographs and video clips to create a compelling narrative of life at the school. 

Featured were Passages students and their children, including footage from a recent music class they participated in, and a short clip of a graduation Passage that occurred over the internet, using technology that allowed the student, who is currently living in Japan, to see and talk to her teachers as they presented her with her diploma.

Participants also saw a glimpse of residential life at the school and witnessed students preparing food, rock climbing, camping, studying, working with tutors, and even visiting New York City.  They were also treated to a voiced over video of one student performing an original poem using sign language, and another video of students learning to compost as part of the school’s new environmental education initiative with the Newforest Institute.

Participants also heard about the student’s internships in the community, about their new partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters, and about the many community service projects they’ve participated in since September.

The highlight of the video was recent footage of the students at The National Toboggan Championships.  It was thrilling to see the students zip down the chute on their five dollar yard sale sled, and even more thrilling as the girl’s team, “C-School Ya Later” took home the National Toboggan Championship prize for fastest high school.

The crowd burst into applause as the student’s championship status flashed on the screen, and it would be (mostly) safe to say there was hardly a dry eye in the house.

After the video, Foote spoke of the enormous contributions of long-time volunteer Biddle, who has served the school in many capacities, including as board member and long-time policy advisor.  Hufnagel spoke fondly of Felton, who has dedicated thousands of technical assistance hours to the school, and most recently spent many months volunteering to help create the school’s new web-site. 

Board President Barbara Russo introduced Gamage, and his wife, Becky, and they took the floor together to accept a wood-framed plaque honoring their years of service to the school.  Gamage has run the school’s highly successful fundraising auction for close to thirty years, and Russo said, “I don’t know what we’d do without him.”

Russo spoke of Gamage’s other volunteer service as well.  Over the years, he has helped raise over one million dollars for local charities, so the crowd was particularly pleased when Gamage said that the Community School has a special place in his heart.