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Cha-Cha for a
Cause! 6th Annual Dancing Stars of Greenwich Charity
Fundraiser for Abilis to Dance the Night Away on
September 21
Charity
Dance-Off by The Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Greenwich
Features Celebrity Judges and Dancers — Competing for
the Coveted Mirrorball Trophy
Get ready for an
evening that brings the glamour and glitz of legendary
dancer Fred Astaire to Greenwich! The sixth annual Dancing
Stars of Greenwich charity dance-off, hosted by The
Fred Astaire Dance Studio of Greenwich to benefit Abilis, showcases
the thrill of the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars with
a celebrity dance-off right in Greenwich, Connecticut,
featuring local celebrities and professional dance
performances by the Fred Astaire dancers. Dancing
Stars of Greenwich is taking center stage on Saturday,
September 21, 2024, at the Tamarack Country Club in
Greenwich. Tickets to this fabulous event, full of
incredible dancing, live music, a VIP champagne
reception, silent auction, dinner, and celebrity judges,
sell out quickly every year, so it is recommended to
reserve a table today by calling 203-340-2760.
This year’s
event features celebrity judges Brendan Fraser, a
celebrated and award-winning actor; Paulina Porizkova,
a renowned model and actress; Frederic Fekkai, a
famous hair stylist and entrepreneur; and is emceed by Ali
Wentworth, actress, comedian, producer, host of her
podcast Go Ask Ali and New York Times bestselling
author.
“Dancing
Stars of Greenwich is one of our favorite events of
the year,” noted Amy Montimurro, CEO and president of
Abilis. “The glitz and the glamour is incredible! We are
especially thankful to Afton and Brendan Fraser, parents
of one of our Abilis community members, who originally
brought the idea of Dancing Stars to Abilis six
years ago and have supported it and Abilis ever since.
It’s really wonderful to see the community come out and
support us through this fun event and we are very
appreciative to The Fred Astaire Studio of Greenwich who
continue to hold Dancing Stars each year in
support of Abilis."
Funds raised at
the event this year will go toward the development and
renovation of Abilis Gardens & Gifts, Abilis’ retail and
garden center training site located in the Glenville
section of Greenwich. Abilis Gardens & Gifts provides
much needed retail job skills and training to adults
with disabilities and helps provide meaningful
employment opportunities. Abilis Gardens & Gifts is one
of seven businesses owned and operated by Abilis, each
playing a pivotal role in empowering individuals with
disabilities to achieve greater independence and
self-sufficiency. The support of Dancing Stars of
Greenwich will directly impact the lives of
individuals with disabilities by creating a vibrant new
space where they can learn, grow, and thrive.
Dancing Stars
of Greenwich mirrors the hit TV show and features a
Dancing with the Stars dance competition where community
and business leaders are paired with Fred Astaire Dance
professionals to perform their own personalized routines
with their own dance style of their choice. The
celebrity panel of judges determines the winner of the
coveted Mirror Ball Trophy. A People’s Choice Award is
given to the dancer who raises the most in donations for
Abilis.
Dancers at the
event include: Afton Fraser of Greenwich,
Connecticut; Heather Rosenstein-Sarachek of
Scarsdale, New York; Robin Arnold of New York
City; Carly Samalin, age 15, of Greenwich,
Connecticut, who won the Greenwich Dancing Stars dance
competition and the People's Choice Winner award in
2022; Isabelle Vanneck of Greenwich,
Connecticut; Danny Clarke, an Abilis community
member who lives in Greenwich, Connecticut; Sara
Keller of Riverside (Greenwich), Connecticut; Shari
Aser of Greenwich, Connecticut, who won last year’s
Mirrorball trophy; Daniella Claroni of Greenwich,
Connecticut; and Elaine Madonna of Greenwich,
Connecticut, who has participated for several years in a
row and previously won the People's Choice Award.
Each dancer is
paired with a professional partner from The Fred Astaire
Studio of Greenwich and include: Elmar Schmidt and Clemens
Lengenfelder, co-owners of The Fred Astaire Studio
of Greenwich, Matthew Ames, Carol Koutouvides,
and Christian Perry.
“Dancing is what
we do and hosting Dancing Stars of Greenwich is
just one of our most favorite events ever,” noted Elmar
Schmidt, co-owner of The Fred Astaire Studio of
Greenwich. “Local stars and leaders in the community
have been training for months to compete just like on
television. Our panel of celebrity judges, along with
the audience, selects the winner who will win the
coveted Mirror Ball trophy. The dancers who raise the
most for Abilis also win the People’s Choice award. It
is so exciting!”
Brendan and
Afton Fraser have been long-time supporters of Abilis
and Dancing Stars of Greenwich throughout the
years and are once again co-hosting the event. They are
also parents to a son with disabilities and know
personally how crucial programs and supports like Abilis
offers are to families with children and adults with
disabilities.
“It’s been
wonderful these past six years to support Abilis and Dancing
Stars of Greenwich,” noted Afton Fraser. “We know
first-hand how much it means to a family to have an
organization like Abilis that can help provide training,
education, social and employment opportunities for
individuals and their families. It can mean the
difference between living an isolated life and one full
of friends and with meaning. They are really a great
organization, and we are happy to help in any way we
can.”
Abilis is
a 501c3 non-profit organization that supports more than
800 individuals with disabilities and their families
from birth throughout their lives. Founded in 1951,
Abilis is a leader in providing meaningful supports to
the community in Fairfield County, Connecticut, in towns
including Darien, Greenwich, New Canaan, Norwalk,
Ridgefield, Stamford, Westport and Wilton. The
organization has a long-standing reputation for
individualized, high-quality care. For more information,
visit www.abilis.us,
or follow on Facebook @Abilis,
Inc., Instagram @abilis_us
or Twitter @Abilis.
Fred Astaire
Dance Studio of Greenwich provides ballroom and
Latin dance lessons to all ages and attracts
participants from the Greenwich, Stamford, and New
Canaan, Connecticut, areas, and Armonk, Harrison, White
Plains, Port Chester, Rye, Mamaroneck, and Scarsdale,
New York, areas. There is no partner or experience
necessary to enjoy ballroom dance lessons. Fred Astaire
Dance Studio has made it its personal mission to touch
as many lives with a passion for ballroom dancing. The
Fred Astaire Dance Studio is one of the happiest,
friendliest spots in town due to the welcoming and
encouraging staff and atmosphere. Fred Astaire’s mission
is to enrich the lives of everyone and anyone with
dance. The organization genuinely strives to make dance
a daily practice in the dance studio. Fred Astaire
doesn’t just teach someone how to dance, they invite
them to become their personal best - in their dancing
and in all areas of their life. Fred Astaire Dance
Studio of Greenwich is co-owned by Elmar Schmidt and
Clemens Lengenfelder, along with their wives Isabell
Schmidt and Jessica Lengenfelder. To learn more, visit fredastaire.com/greenwich.
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