Reed Nelson, aka “Nelson Loguasto,” (front) provides a “smoking” half-time performance during the Champions of Dance to benefit the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, Nov. 8 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
From left: Judges Billy Urbanik, Kelly Sasso and Dave Wodoslawsky score dancers during the Champions of Dance to benefit the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, Nov. 8 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Event emcee Aubrey Worek-DeStephen (on pole) and her FitnessEnvi students did an opening routine for the Champions of Dance to benefit the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, Nov. 8 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Trooper Stephen Limani, Pennsylvania State Police public relations officer, was emcee for the Champions of Dance to benefit the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, Nov. 8 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Emcee Aubrey Worek-DeStephen, owner of FitnessEnvi, welcomes guests to the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance to benefit the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Mariah Thoma, of Sanctus Spa and Salon, performs a solo tap dance at the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Adam Ferri, of Ferri Land Co., and his wife, Khrystal Gresko Ferri, dance a contemporary Argentine tango during the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Cente.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Michael Lorenze, of Irwin Anytime Fitness, lifts his dance partner Laura Johnson, the director of the Evening of Champions, during a contemporary freestyle dance at the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Leslie Schupp, of RE/MAX Heritage, and her dance partner Bruce Meyer dance the samba during the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Maria Lavelle, of PHEPLE Federal Credit Union, and her dance partner Harold Barrett dance the tango during the Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held Nov. 8 at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Westmoreland County Treasurer Jared Squires and wife Eve Squires dance the West Coast swing during the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Andrea Bortoluzzi of FirstEnergy and her dance partner, Addison Whetzel, do a swing dance during the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Claudia Komondor of Jim Shorkey Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and her dance partner, David Mileski, do the cha cha at the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance benefit for the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review
Daniel DeStephen and Ginny Clara, of Clarabella Beauty Bar, dance the cha cha at the Nov. 8 Champions of Dance to benefit the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior, held at the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center.
The Champions of Dance competition proves that age is just a number when it comes to cutting a rug.
Held Nov. 8 in the Ramada by Wyndham Greensburg Hotel & Conference Center, the annual event benefits the United Way’s Open Your Heart to a Senior companionship program.
Competitors Leslie Schupp and Bruce Meyer were introduced as having an average age of 70, and Meyer quipped, “I’m not only a dancer, I’m also a potential customer.”
Not to be outdone by the youngsters, Schupp and Meyer samba-ed their way to three perfect 10 scores and took second in the judges’ scoring.
The judges awarded first place to a contemporary freestyle routine by Michael Lorenze and Laura Johnson, who also topped the people’s choice voting. Third place from the judges and second place in people’s choice voting went to swing dancers Andrea Bortoluzzi and Addison Whetzel.
People’s choice third place went to Adam Ferri and Khrystal Gresko Ferri for their contemporary Argentine tango.
Also competing were partners Ginny Clara and Daniel DeStephen, cha cha; Claudia Komondor and David Mileski, cha cha; Maria Lavelle and Harod Barrett, tango; and Jared and Eve Squires, West Coast swing.
Prior to the competition, co-emcee Aubrey Worek-DeStephen and students from her business, FitnessEnvi, performed a freestyle routine and Mariah Thoma did a solo tap dance.
OYHS program director Melaney Hegyes and United Way Westmoreland Region director Alyssa Cholodofsky introduced a video about senior services OYHS provides.
During intermission, Reed Nelson and his Nelson Loguasto crew wowed the crowd with a hip-hop dance, complete with stilt walker, glow sticks, smoke and fireworks.
Sharing emcee duties was Trooper Stephen Limani, Pennsylvania State Police public relations officer. Judges were Billy Urbanik, Kelly Sasso and Dave Wodoslawsky.
Laura Johnson served as event director, while Jerry and Judy Gresko of TDI Gresko Ballroom Dance handled logistics on the dance floor.
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