By Jordyn Martin and Aiden Cote

SANFORD, ME—Sanford High School will host the annual “Dancing With the Stars” event in the Partners Bank Competition Gym on Dec. 23. Doors will open at 6 p.m., with a $10 entry fee. 

Sanford High School’s “Dancing with the Stars” is a dance competition featuring 14 representative athletes from each fall/winter sport, paired with a partner of their choice. Each pair competes to see whose dance routine will come out on top, judged by a panel of judges along with the audience. The winning duo will each receive a ticket to the upcoming SHS prom. 

This year’s event features the following judges: Teacher Lauren Roy, Special Education Teacher and Girls Basketball Coach Rossie Kearson, Jazz Tappin’ Dance Academy Owner and Instructor Kendra O’Connell and Choral Teacher Ryan Geary. 

Audience members will have the option of spending additional money to vote for their favorite pair of dancers. All proceeds from fan voting will go to the Chace the Joy Give a Toy charity in memory of Chace Fromweiller. 

Duet Andrew Boissonneault and Matt Ouellette are looking forward to their upcoming performance. The duo, who call themselves Tom and Larry, plan on performing a variety of dance styles. In an email, they stated, “We are excited to display not only our passion for dance, but our versatile skill set as well.”

Sophomore Genna Deschambault and senior Bella McCall will be performing a hip-hop dance to the song “Fire Burning” by Sean Kingston. “I am excited to dance with [Deschambault] as she knows a lot about hip hop, and we have a lot of fun when we practice!” said McCall.

Wren Trivilino, a junior here at SHS who’s partnered with sophomore Genevieve McInerney, is excited to share what they’ve been preparing. The duo is scheduled to present a lyrical dance style. When asked about their upcoming presentation, Trivilino stated, “I can’t wait to show you all what we’re cooking up for this! Hopefully, you love it as much as I do.” 

Junior and sophomore dance duo Jack Van Gieson and Logan Hamblin are also thrilled to compete in this event. “I feel confident about our dance,” said Van Gieson when asked about how he and Hamblin are feeling about their routine. “Logan and I have been hard at work learning our routine, and we’re excited to show it off.” 

Don’t miss out on a fundraiser with a great cause for a fun way to celebrate the last day before Winter break at SHS.