Dancing with the Spanish Stars Features Pros, Teachers and Students

For the last five years, Dancing with the Spanish Stars has become a must-see event at Lower Moreland.

Based on the hit TV show on ABC, student pairs and teacher pairs, as well as a professional dancer from the show, will perform at Lower Moreland High School on Wednesday, March 20 at 7 p.m.

Lower Moreland alumna Amanda Spivak has played a vital role in the event that has really taken off at Lower Moreland over the years. She has dedicated her time working with students to choreograph traditional Latin dances to be performed before an audience of almost 1,000 people.

Each year new students practice for up to six months before an audience-vote determines the best performance. Due to time constraints in an effort to pursue her career, this marks the final year for Amanda in Dancing with the Spanish Stars. The former Lower Moreland graduate was awarded a grant from the Foundation for Lower Moreland Schools last year for her dedication and contribution to the performance.

Watch last year's performance

Spivak has brought professional dancers to assist in the past. One of them is Allen Genkin, who won ABC's 2012 Ballroom Battleon Dancing with the Stars. He will appear in three performances at Lower Moreland’s event next week.

LM student Lance Gifford will try and defend his title from last year’s competition. This year  marks the final performance of Spanish teacher Señor Tonik, who is retiring at the end of the school year. This year also marks the 6th year that Spanish teacher Señor Tonik and Señora Van Naarden have danced together.

The show will feature five student couples and five teacher couples dancing in the show’s competition. There will also be a “junior couple” made up of students from Pine Road and Murray Avenue, as well as other performances. The dances include the cha-cha, samba, tango, rumba, jive and a finale to Adele’s “Skyfall” featuring professional and student dancers.

"The student and faculty pairs have challenged themselves to reach outside of their comfort zone in order to learn and perform these difficult dances. “We hope that their example will inspire others to take a similar risk accepting  challenges in their lives,” Van Naarden added.

Due to Spivak’s unavailability next year, they are looking into ways to continue the annual competition.

“Perhaps next year we’ll do ‘Lower Moreland’s Got Talent’, said Van Naarden as she looks to the future. "Lower Moreland certainly has great potential for an event like that."

Tickets cost $2, and all proceeds will go to the Foundation for Lower Moreland Schools. The entire event is sponsored by the LM Spanish Club. The officers and co-presidents Ali Shain and Danny Gulko are the masters of ceremonies.

Order of appearances:

1. Val Panyashenko and Amanda Spivack
2. Patty Beichert and Jim Horell  
3. Glenn Mahon and Olga Shleyfer
4. Dasha Goykman and TJ Stanton
5. Allen Genkin and Erica Ginnetti
6. Sunny Kim and Leah Gonzalez Greenstein
7. Leeza Kalif and Sammy Gulko cha cha (Murray Ave. and Pine Rd. students)
8. Señora RenéeVan Naarden and Señor EddyTonik
9. Lance Gifford and Rita Faykina
10. Allen Genkin and Amanda Spivack
11. Sue and Bob Barnhart
12. Stas Khokhlov and Sabrina Olah
13. Ralph Matlis and Jamie Dorotov
14. Craig Freeman and Andrea Wadsworth
15. Yuriy Zakalyuzhnyy and Gabby Natter
16. Daniel Tsarik and Susan Arnopolin
17. Finale: Amanda Spivack, Val and Allen and ensemble of student dancers