Athletic Director Mike Dubard dances pasa doble with Dreher dance student, Liza. Dreher High School Dance Company will hold their third annual dancing with the teachers fundraiser Thursday, January 29, 2009 at 7 pm. (in the Dreher auditorium). The dance competition features 11 teachers and 10 students paired together in an effort to raise money for the dance program and an educational dance trip to New York City. Each couple will perform a ballroom or contemporary dance piece in an attempt to win the title of "Dreher's Favorite Dance Duo."

The fundraiser is a spin off of two television shows - Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. The event includes three group performances by DDC (Dreher Dance Company), ballroom numbers performed by student and teacher pairs, and commentary by a panel of guest judges (Larry Hembree, Executive Director of the Nickelodeon Theatre; Terrance Henderson, Artistic Director of Vibrations Dance Company; Jayne Darke, Former South Carolina Arts Commission Director of Public Information; and Ned Nance former Dancing with the Teachers participant. Guest performances by Vibrations Dance Company and Columbia Ballet School, as well as a faculty finale to Thriller, will close the show.

"This event has changed our school climate. It's become a highly anticipated event that has brought school spirit back to our halls," said Kathleen Lee, Dreher dance teacher. "I have never seen the auditorium filled to its capacity as it is with this event. It's an exciting quality dance show involving our entire school with just the right amount of comic entertainment."

This year Dr. Chris Lee, former artistic director of Borena West African Drum and Dance Company, will join the show providing live drumming for a West African piece. Other dances will feature: hip hop, chemistry teacher Ben Holladay; the waltz, math teacher Andy McNeice; pasa doble, athletic director Mike DuBard; disco, engineering teacher Chris Wormley; the quick step, math teacher Jeannette Wallulius; contemporary, english teacher Kinsley Wentzky; jazz, geography teacher English Morgan; african, media specialist Lena Lee; tango, vice principal Roy Blakeney; and asian, science teachers Alan Sunday and Judy Ray.

Admission is $5 and tickets can be purchased at the door the evening of the concert as early as 6:15 pm. Each vote casts for a couple costs one dollar. Every dollar an audience member casts in a teacher ballot box is a vote towards a couple becoming the winner.

Proceeds from the production will contribute to the codance intensive trip to New York City the first week in April. Dreher dance students are trying to raise $10,000 toward program and trip expenses.

For more information about attending the performance or making a donation to Dreher's dance program, please contact Kathleen Lee at (803) 253- 7000 ext 2132 or email: klee@richlandone.org.