Moves mastered, unlikely friendships formed in ‘DanceWorks with the Stars’
For "DanceWorks with the Stars," the club's members, or “pros,” were paired up with “stars,” or students representing campus organizations. The winning pair gives the monetary prize to the organization they represent. Zoe Xixis | Staff Photographer
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With the lights dimmed and music queued, Syracuse University students were excited to dance like the stars she always watches on Tuesday nights.
“I would never get to use my TV on Tuesday nights because we would always watch ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ so when she told us she was doing it we all were really excited,” sophomore Charlie Raibman said.
On Saturday, SU’s DanceWorks hosted its first-ever “DanceWorks with the Stars,” a competition where DanceWorks members, or “pros,” paired up with students representing campus organizations, or “stars,” to compete against each other for prize money.
During the two weeks leading up to the show, students voted for their favorite couples as many times as they wanted to. The final winners were chosen based on preshow votes, in-show votes and the judges’ scores during the show. The winning pair gives the monetary prize to the organization they represent.
The couples rehearsed up to a month before the event, with the pros being the main choreographers for each routine.
Junior Molly Rojas, a representative for SU Club Boxing, found that there were more similarities between being in the ring and being on the dance floor than she originally thought.
“When you’re sparring, staying light on your feet is one of the most important things,” Rojas said.“You’re constantly moving and adjusting around the person you’re fighting. Dancing is the same way, I’ve learned I need to stay light on my toes.”
Not only did Rojas want to make her teammates on the boxing team proud, but she wanted to make her pro, Sami Carnahan, proud too, she said.
When it came to choosing the style of dance the pairs wanted to do, some of the pros left it up to the stars’ discretion. Caitlin Bailey let her partner and star Mia Jordanich take the lead in choosing a contemporary dance routine. They danced to “Cosmic Love” by Florence + the Machine. She said they thought other groups wouldn’t think to do contemporary, so they wanted to do something outside the box.
Luke Welch and his partner Sophia McVige, representing CitrusTV, landed in third place. The couples rehearsed up to a month before the event. Zoe Xixis | Staff Photographer
Not only did the preparation for the show help the stars to perfect their dances, but it also fostered friendships with the pros that taught them along the way, Bailey said.
“DanceWorks aside, we just became friends so naturally,” Bailey said. “We were always so excited to meet and rehearse or even get lunch to talk about logistics. My partner is amazing so it all worked out great.”
Pro Lena Madonick and star Nora Kapp have been best friends since freshman year, making it easier for them to communicate and be comfortable dancing together. The rehearsals only grew them closer together and made the experience more fun, Madonick said.
“(Kapp) was really committed. She went out of her way to make sure we would rehearse and overall put a huge amount of effort,” Madonick said.
The pair went on to receive a 40/40 for their jazz routine to “Hot In It” by Tiësto and Charli XCX. The judges said they were impressed with all of the stars’ abilities to keep up with the complex routines.
The show consisted of two acts with 10 pairs performing in each. Each pair performed a one-minute dance, with judges handing out their scores immediately after, in addition to being presented with some form of recognition. They ranged from “most in sync” and “most fierce” to “crowd favorite” and “best energy.”
After the first act, there was a performance from the a cappella group Oy Cappella, featuring some of the stars. DanceWorks also hosted a giveaway for members of the audience, where they could win prizes announced at the end of the show.
Mario Esteb, representing First Year Players, and Zoe Abrams were crowned the winners of the event. The final winners were chosen based on votes and the judges’ scores during the show. Zoe Xixis | Staff Photographer
After the judges deliberated and counted the votes, “Syrvivor Syracuse” member Colin Harkins and Hayley Shukiar placed second and Luke Welch and his partner Sophia McVige, representing CitrusTV, landed in third place.
Mario Esteb, representing First Year Players, and Zoe Abrams received the first perfect score of the night and were crowned the winners of the event.
Bailey said growing up in a dance studio that valued service within their community made the event more special. She learned about Jordanich’s organization she represented, Kesem, which is a group that offers free summer camps and year-round programs for children who have parents with cancer.
“I really hadn’t heard of Kesem before so I learned something new and I’m looking forward to getting involved with it myself,” Bailey said.
Jordanich said getting to represent Kesem at this event was incredible because it’s a cause she’s worked for firsthand.
Members in the audience, like Raibman and Ellie Shuck, were just as invested in the causes the performers represented. Raibman previously helped Jordanich get involved with the nonprofit last year, where Raibman was a counselor alongside her over the summer.
“It’s definitely more fun that the prize isn’t going to random people but to a good cause,” Shuck said. “It’s cool to see how many different clubs and organizations there were.”
