Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre (GMDT) has announced its dancers for its biggest fundraiser of the year, GMDT’s Dancing with the Stars of Marietta. This fundraiser event will be held on February 25 at 7pm at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre on the Historic Marietta Square to benefit GMDT.

“This super fun event completely sold out two years in a row, and was the talk of the town for several weeks. We are very excited and hope people will join us again, and help us take our third annual fundraiser event to a whole new level,” says Jill Hanke, chair of this year’s Dancing With The Stars.

Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre is a nonprofit, student-based company housed in the studios of Georgia Dance Conservatory on the Marietta Square. Formally known as the Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre, Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre’s passion for the performing arts remains the same as it strives to provide Georgia audiences with dance performances that entertain, educate and delight audiences of all ages.

Under the artistic direction of Ashleigh Whitworth, GMDT has become a name in dance synonymous with high quality dance performances where students and professionals dance together on stage, and where the arts are celebrated through a range of diverse dance programs and community involvement.

Dancing with the Stars of Marietta is an exciting fundraiser event to benefit GMDT, where twelve local celebrities have been paired with each other and each will perform their dance number. On the night of the event, celebrity dancers will show off their best dance moves and compete for the People’s Choice and the Judge’s Choice mirror ball trophies. Select a favorite celebrity couple win the People’s Choice mirror ball trophy by voting early at www.gmdtdwts.com as well as voting using a mobile device during the actual event. The judges will select the Judge’s Choice award.

Dancing with the Stars of Marietta 2017 judges are Meg Gillentine, dancer, singer, actor; Chari Guzman, Miss Cobb County 2017; and, McCree O’Kelley, dance faculty at Kennesaw State University and dance faculty at Cincinnati Ballet SDP.

Patrons and supporters can support the arts locally, and help GMDT continue to provide quality dance performances, such as The Nutcracker and The Wolf, The Swan and The Princess community throughout the year by attending GMDT’s Dancing with the Stars of Marietta on February 25, and by voting for a favorite celebrity dancer by visiting the event website www.gmdtdwts.com. Dancing with the Stars of Marietta 2017 celebrity dancers are:

  • Couple 1: Mamie Doyle, Owner of Miss Mamie’s Cupcakes, and Andy Gaines, Facilities and Events Director at Earl Smith Strand Theatre;
  • Couple 2: Cynthia Rozzo, Founder and President of EAST COBBER, and Carlos Viela, Staff Attorney for Cobb County State Court Judge Jane Manning;
  • Couple 3: Katie Arjona, Theatre Faculty at The Walker School, and Michael Arjona, Head of Upper School at The Walker School;
  • Couple 4: Brittney Gray, Director of Visitor Information Centers at Georgia Department of Economic Development and Vaughn Williams, Athletic Director, Kennesaw State University;
  • Couple 5: Connie Carlson, CEO and Broker at Live Love Atlanta, Dan Olah, Principal Designer, Owner of Olah Design Group;
  • Couple 6: Tracey Atwater, Owner of Bridges Atwater Solutions, and Stephen Vault, Vice President of Business Development, at WellStar Health System.

To learn more about Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre (GMDT) and to vote for a favorite dancer in the form of a donation, please visit its website at www.georgiametrodance.org.

To purchase tickets to Dancing with the Stars of Marietta fundraiser event, visit www.earlsmithstrand.org.