Dancing With the Stars Chattanooga

Friday, June 24, 2011

IF YOU GOWhat: Dancing With the Stars Chattanooga.When: 5:30 p.m. VIP reception, 8 p.m. show.Where: VIP reception at Mountain City Club, 729 Chestnut St.; dance at Tivoli Theatre, 709 Broad St.Admission: $21 to $125.Website: www.dancingwiththestarschattanooga.com.THE DANCERSJimmy Adams: Owner of Nell's and Ark Pet Spa and HotelRhonda Catanzaro: Former field representative for Tennessee Education AssociationRobin Derryberry: President of Derryberry PRWade Hinton: Corporate counsel for Volkswagen Group of AmericaSara Mingus: Owner/director of North Shore YogaMark Ramsey: Attorney/partner at Spears, Moore, Rebman and WilliamsStephen Ratterman: Private client relationship manager at First Tennessee BankTahnika Rodriguez: Senior adviser at TVA

Stephen Ratterman says his only previous dance experience has been "recreational." Rhonda Catanzaro learned some dance fundamentals during her college years in UTC's Singing Mocs, then in musicals at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

Neither is a professional dancer, but each will be center stage Saturday night, dancing a foxtrot for the approval of a live audience.

The fourth Dancing With the Stars Chattanooga starts at 8 p.m. in the Tivoli Theatre, with eight Chattanoogans putting their best feet forward to raise money for Partnership for Families, Children and Adults.

Based on the hit ABC dance show, the competition pairs each local dancer with a professional from Fred Astaire Studio. The eight are given 15 weekly lessons to learn a dance they will present to the audience in the Tivoli as they vie to win a mirror-ball trophy.

In addition to the local competitors, Maksim Chmerkovskiy, one of the stars of the ABC show, will be on hand to perform for the audience. He will attend the VIP reception at the Mountain City Club before the event and a small after-party in the Tivoli lobby for general ticketholders following the show, according to Cassie Womack, Partnership development manager.

Catanzaro said she is dancing the foxtrot to "All That Jazz" from the hit musical "Chicago."

"Lots of Bob Fosse moves and jazz hands," she said. "My partner, Kyle Barels, is wonderful."

Catanzaro, who retired just last week as field representative for the Tennessee Education Association, said she agreed to dance after attending last year's fundraiser.

"I just had so much fun as an audience member last year. It was fabulous entertainment. The Partnership does such great work that I said yes when I was asked.

"The audience will have a ball," she predicted. "They'll get to laugh at us in our sparkly costumes and overly made-up faces."

Jimmy Adams, who claims previous dance experience "on the dance floor in some bar," is dancing the cha-cha-cha to Katy Perry's "Fireworks."

Adams may be the oldest contestant, but the guy's got a lift with partner Irene Sewell choreographed in his routine.

"It's more a drop than a lift," he joked.

"Irene's so elegant and fluid with her movements that I hope she garners a lot of attention and takes the focus off me, because I'm not nearly as beautiful. I just hope I can keep up with her," he added wryly.

A limited number of tickets are available online at www.dancingwiththestarschattanooga.com.