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Dancers Get Ready to ‘Rumba at Stambaugh’
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio -- Hearing the trash talk between Bob Hannon and Eric Ryan, the casual listener might think they were two prizefighters headed to the ring for a championship match.
“Eric can talk a good game. Let’s see how he performs,” says Hannon, president of United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. “He’s talking a lot of smack. With all the talking he’s doing, he’d better win.”
Beat Hannon? “That’s going to be easy. Let’s get something straight,” scoffs Ryan, president of JAC Management Group LLC and executive director of the Covelli Centre.
Instead of boxing gloves, the two friendly rivals will lace up their dancing shoes for a competition that’s less “Rumble in the Jungle” and more “Rumba at Stambaugh.” Both will join three other noted Mahoning Valley figures for the second annual Black & White Gala: Shoot for the Moon, Dance with the Stars (CLICK TO WATCH video report).
Joining in the competition for the $1,000 prize awarded to the charity of the winner’s choice are Alexa Sweeney Blackann, business manager for Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC; Holly Clouser, director of business development at National Fire & Water Repair; and Trish Hrina, vice president for marketing at ValleyCare Health System of Ohio. A sixth competitor, Ken Kollar, manager of the Eastwood Mall Complex, had to drop out because of a recent injury.
Presented by the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber and the American Red Cross of the Mahoning Valley, the gala is set for Oct. 26 at Stambaugh Auditorium. The Business Journal is the media partner for the event held to benefit the chapter of the Red Cross.
The Regional Chamber, which stages several events annually, decided last year to do something “not only a little bit more fun” but to help a nonprofit organization as well, says Kim Calvert, its vice president of marketing and business services. Beginning with the idea of an auction, a component that remains with the event, “as we were planning the event we knew we needed an entertainment component,” she says. So the chamber decided to capitalize on the popularity of the ABC series “Dancing With the Stars.”
“We knew that we, among our membership, have some daring, fun people out there who we could engage as dancers. So we thought it would be a great way to put entertainment out there and have a great event at the same time,” she says.
Approached earlier this year, the competitors entered with varying levels of experience and, at last initially, varying levels of enthusiasm.
Being able to participate in something to benefit a worthy cause – in Hrina’s case, Beatitude House – “made this something I was intrigued to consider doing,” she says. Her dance background includes 10 years in tap and jazz as a child. “So for me, I thought maybe I wouldn’t be too bad at it,” she says, plus she was a cheerleader. “But it’s a different ballgame when you’re dancing with a partner,” she confesses.
Cheerleading in high school in Defiance was the extent of Clouser’s dance experience, she reports. “I’m always up for a new challenge. I thought it would be a fun experience to learn how to dance,” she says. Because it is for charity, “I couldn’t say no,” she adds.
If others had to be coaxed, Hannon remained adamant, telling Calvert, “Absolutely not,” he recalls. The former sports broadcaster who still does play-by-play for Youngstown State University games, protested he would have a scheduling conflict because the gala is during football season.
Informed that Saturday Oct. 26 is an open date for the Penguins didn’t soften his reluctance in the least.
“This is way out of my comfort zone. This is very hard for me to do and I didn’t want to embarrass myself,” he admits. Since he is always asking people to support United Way – unsurprisingly, that will be the beneficiary he chooses if he wins – Hannon realized he couldn’t turn down the offer to compete. Knowing it was the right thing to do, he relented.
Hannon practices three or four nights a week, sometimes two hours per session, and he says his partner is “very patient” with him. “I don’t know if I’m good but I think I’m getting better,” he observes. He also concedes he’s having a blast.
And, like Ryan, he is competitive when it comes to his friend and sole remaining male rival. To hear Hannon tell it, Ryan should be on the national “Dancing With the Stars” TV show. “If I don’t win, I just don’t want Eric to win,” he says.
“We want to beat each other. We’re both very competitive,” he adds.
Like Hannon, Sweeney Blackann, who also is competing on behalf of United Way, saw the competition as out of her comfort zone. “I was a little bit nervous because I had just had a baby in July so I thought it might be a little bit tricky,” she says. Although she had dance experience, it was in ballet, not ballroom. “It’s not something I thought I could do really,” she remarks. “It’s really fun” but also “much harder than it looks.”
Her co-workers laughed when they found out, she says. “They think it’s hilarious,” she reports. Her sister is flying in for the gala “because she can’t believe it’s really happening,” she adds.
Ryan, who will compete in behalf of the Boys & Girls Club of Youngstown, was approached last year but unable to participate, so he agreed this year when Calvert asked. Although he and his wife enjoy dancing, the kind required for this event, less on rhythm and heavy on technique, was something new to him.
“I thought it would be a fun event,” he reflects. “It was for a good cause, and anytime I can beat Bob Hannon’s butt in anything I’m happy to do it.
“I can’t lose to Bob Hannon in dance. It’s as simple as that,” he says with a wide grin.
When initially planning the event, chamber officials considered whether the dance competition should be an annual feature or a one-time event to keep the fundraiser fresh. “But last year the response was so positive,” Calvert says, and the dancers and audience had such a great time that the dancing was retained.
This year, the routines are based on popular movies that feature famous dance numbers. It should come as no surprise that one selection is based on the Patrick Swayze film, “Dirty Dancing.” Rather than try to reproduce the dances performed in the movies, the routines are “loosely taken” from the originals and the couples are “putting their own little stamp on it,” says Travis Manero, one of the judges for the competition. He is co-owner of Fred Astaire Dance Studio that is providing the professional dance partners for the event.
“I’m excited to see how it comes together,” he remarks, noting that he allows himself only an occasional peak at the practices. He also notes the men are “highly competitive, adding a little drama” to the event. “Bob is really enjoying the dancing more than he thought,” he adds.
Just make sure Hannon and Ryan check the Everlast gear at the door that night.
EDITOR'S NOTE: First published in the MidOctober edition of The Business Journal, published this week.
Copyright 2013 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.
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