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Published Friday, April 24, 2009 in Local

Photo by Jeffrey Leo

Coweta’s Dancing Stars Judge’s Award champion Thursday was Sherry Warren, of the Coweta County School System, and her dancing partner, Wayne Wilson. The two performed the County Waltz to the song “I See it Now.”

Coweta's Dancing Stars put on show

By Elizabeth Richardson

The Times-Herald

Dancers dazzled Thursday at the Centre for Performing and Visual Arts for the second annual Coweta's Dancing Stars.

It was a night filled with sparkles and fringe along with a wide range of dances -- including the samba, waltz and swing.

Spectators packed the Centre for an evening of entertainment benefiting the Community Welcome House, a shelter for battered women and children.

The judges -- James Stone, Gina Weathersby and Walt Gutierrez -- crowned education administrator Sherry Warren the queen of the night.

Warren waltzed her way to Judge's Champion with her partner, Wayne Wilson. The two sashayed around the stage -- the second competitors of the night -- to "I See It Now."

"You can't fake the waltz, and they didn't make any mistakes," said Stone.

"With a smile as bright as Sherry's, we don't need lights in here," Weathersby said.

Gutierrez called the performance graceful and admitted he'd wanted to cut in.

Aaron King, of Shiloh Chinese Christian Church, and his partner, Peggy Bern, wowed the audience with their Carolina Shag. The performance -- along with the amount of money he raised for Welcome House -- made him the People's Champion.

"For me, this is welcome to America," said King, who's lived in Coweta County for approximately six months.

The night began with a spirited jive to "Shake, Rattle & Roll" from last year's champions, Kevin Pullen and Beverly Ferguson.

The first on the floor of the 2009 contestants were Tuan Truong and his partner, Kristi Fenninger. They danced to the classic hit "Rockin' Robin." Truong "set the standard for a fun night," according to Gutierrez.

Monica Millians danced a fiery Samba with her partner, Bill O'Keefe. The performance rocketed the duo to First Runner-Up in the judge's choice competition.

"Ay mami!" said Gutierrez. Stone noted the samba's physicality -- and said Millians handled it with grace and good technique.

Jenny Fritz and her instructor, Ed Desmond, performed the triple step swing to "Boogie Shoes." Stone called the exuberant performance a "boogie waltz" and complimented the blend of swing with disco.

Cable TV cooking show host Mike Hutcheson blended humor with his waltz Thursday night. He danced with Carol Carlson to "What the World Needs Now." Following the performance, he called his partner the "taskmaster," and she quipped that he was instructed to leave his knives at home during rehearsals. When Weathersby listed Hutcheson's accomplishments -- "cook, chef and dancer" -- he jested, "My wife's very fortunate."

Gutierrez suggested Hutcheson host a new show -- "Dishing and Waltzing with Mike."

Kelly Hines and instructor Bill Watson danced a two-step to "Except on Monday." The performance was complete with belt buckles, a cowboy hat and cowboy boots. The two twirled around the dance floor and received uproarious applause for their big finish. The choreography impressed Stone, who admitted they'd done steps he'd never even seen. The judges called the dance "amazing" and "fun to watch."

Lisle Millard and dance instructor Rachel Ferguson performed a rumba that earned him nothing but praise from the judges. Stone said Millard had "excellent Latin motion and footwork."

Zoe Beavers and her partner, Guy Garrison, did a Cha Cha Cha that "burned the floor," according to Stone. Weathersby thought Beavers was "very graceful." The performance secured Beavers and Garrison's place as First Runner-Up in the People's Choice competition.

Newnan's up-and-coming musical star and recent "American Idol" participant, Alan Jackson, pulled off a show-stopping salsa with his dance partner, Beverly Ferguson. The performance was the most physical of the night.

"Hot!" Weathersby said of the performance. Gutierrez admitted he was tired just watching the routine. Stone was "quite amazed" with Jackson's timing and technique.

"Give me a guitar and a mic and I'm ready to go -- but I don't know about dancing," said Jackson, who spoke about his plans to move to Nashville after graduation to pursue a country music career.

Jackson later performed three songs while the judges tallied the final scores.

Rachel's Dance Connection led a "reunion dance" to "Old Time Rock and Roll" with some of last year's dancers -- Candace LaForge, Weathersby, Pullen and Vicki Kaiser.

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