Students, Teachers Will Light Up Stage at Dancing with the Spanish Stars

The High School auditorium stage will be shining bright Tuesday night with students and staff dancing numbers like the Salsa, Samba, Jive and Cha-Cha.

LMHS is hosting its fifth annual Dancing with the Spanish Stars competition next week on March 20. The start time has changed from 7 to 7:30 p.m.

Due to its popularity over recent years, the event continues to get bigger and will have a total of 15 couples this year. 

“We have several student couples and they are really strong,” Renee Van Naarden said. “And then we have three teacher couples and two little couples (Murray Ave.) and a third one that’s a Pine Road student.”

The dances are taught by former Lower Moreland grad, Amanda Spivack, who is now an amateur international dance competitor. She's helped by Val Panyushenko who will also be dancing in the competition. Here is a complete list of the competitors:

• Allen Genkin and Amanda Spivack
• Leah Gonzalez-Greenstein and Connor Bresnan
• Señora Patty Beichert and Jim Horrell
• Melanie Grinberg and Eric Marti
• Señor Edward Tonik and Señora Renee Van Naarden
• Leeza Khalif and Allen Genkin
• Jake Hoffman and Shelby Odhner
• Val Panyushenko and Ms. Ginetti
• Glenn Mahon and Rita Faykina
• Emily Dimant and Dan Elchediak
• Rafael Matlis and Zhanna Bolshakova
• Gabby Natter and Yuriy Zakalyuzhnyy
• Lance Gifford and Bianca Rios
• Michael and Rachel Ratush (9-year-old twins)
• Val and Amanda finale
  * LM students in bold.

Proceeds from last year's event went to Water.org, however, this year, the  Foundation for Lower Moreland Schools will be involved.

“This is a foundation that has fundraisers during the year,” Van Naarden said. “It’s run by people in the community and they raise money through Monte Carlo Night and other events. With that money we apply for grants, and they have given me a grant for Amanda and Val as artists-in-residence.”

At the end of last year’s performance all the couples gathered on stage for a re-enactment of Michael Jackson's Thriller dance. This year there is another special dance planned to end the evening.