Dancing with the Green River Stars successful for a third year

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Wyo4News Photo – Emma Marsing

Emma Marsing, [email protected]

GREEN RIVER, WYOMING — Green River High School student-athletes and activity members hit the dance floor Monday night to prove that anyone is able to dance. This is the third year Green River High School Theatre Director, Bradlee Skinner has put on this event and throughout the years, it continues to grow.

 

This year five couples partnered together from different activities and athletic clubs as they learned a dance choreographed from either Bradlee Skinner himself or Katherine Skinner, the 2019 winner of Dancing with the Green River Stars. With the theme “Dancing through the Decades” in mind, the 1950s was remembered with “Jail House Rock” by Elvis Presley, the 1960s with “Happy Together” by the Turtles, the 1970s with “Stayin’ Alive” by the Bee Gees, the 1980s with “Billie Jean” by Michael Jackson, and the 1990s with “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls.

Kyler Bartlett and Charlotte Fowler, kicked off the night by representing the 1970s with the hustle choreographed by Bradlee Skinner. In their metallic silver outfits, they shocked the judges with their talent, chemistry, and showmanship. The second duo to hit the floor was a brother and sister duo who proved that they can indeed work together. Owen and his sister Enna Adams represented the 1980s with the Cha Cha choreographed by Katherine Skinner. With their perfect score routine, the judges complimented their fierce energy and crisp movements. Ellie Taylor and Abigail Smith hit the floor next with their 1950s jive routine choreographed by Katherine Skinner. This duo incorporated the King of Rock and Rolls moves and kept the audience entertained. Next up was Alexzander Hudson and Kaylee Noyes representing the 1960s with the Tango. Choreographed by Bradlee Skinner, this duo had lots of fast footwork and kept things on the spicy side. The last couple to take the floor was Kylee Yugra and Dakota Hudson representing the 1990s. With their Viennese Waltz choreographed by Katherine Skinner, this duo kept emotions high and told a story through their movements.

With 33.33% of the score being judges scoring, 33.33% being the audience votes, and the other 33.33% being sponsors, the couple with the highest score is the winner. This year the title got passed down to brother and sister duo, Owen and Enna Adams.

So, how did this event get started? Skinner explained, “We needed a good fundraising opportunity with little to no overhead or upfront costs. Having seen the success of this event at others schools I have worked at, I knew it was the perfect time to bring it to Green River. We had to take a break from it during the pandemic but we were excited to bring it back last year and again this year.”

With the overall goal this year being $2,000, the event accomplished a grand total of $1,500. All proceeds made by the students go directly toward some of their summer educational camps and training programs. Some of those programs are the Jostens Renaissance Global Conference in Dallas, TX. According to Skinner, “This is the largest educational conference that focuses on improving the culture and climate of your school.” On top of that, some theatre students will be attending a theatre tour of historical locations in London and Paris.

Skinner stated that his favorite part about this event is, “It shows just how talented our students are. Whether they are athletes or student leaders of various activities, they are able to learn a brand new dance style to them in three weeks, while simultaneously keeping up with their school work, their extracurricular responsibilities, and their home and work life. It is truly impressive to see that kind of commitment.”

Any student is allowed to show interest in this event. Many coaches and advisors send their recommendations to Skinner for who they think would be great to represent the activity. With the rate of interest increasing, Skinner is hoping to see ten to twelve couples next year for this event.

Adding a new spin on fundraising, Skinner expressed the fun that this event holds and how they would love for more community members to see it. He adds, ” It is the perfect event to pack the theatre and support these amazing students.”

In terms of next season, they are looking at adding community members or teachers to participate. This year the theme was focused on the types of music and dance throughout the decades, but encourages anyone to bring their theme ideas to him for next season.