Mary Byrne
Ten local celebrities will lace up their dance shoes on Friday, April 5, with the return of Dancing with the Belmont Stars, hosted by the Belmont Woman’s Club.
“Dancing with the Stars started [locally] in 2014 in Watertown, and in 2019, while chairing our (Rotary Club of) Watertown event and looking for a fundraiser for the Woman’s Club, I brought it up, and they all thought I was crazy to think we could do it,” recalled Woman’s Club Co-President Maria Papadopoulos.
Papadopoulos accepted the challenge, resulting in an “extremely successful” event in 2019. Altogether, the event raised $12,000 to benefit the ongoing restoration work at the historic William Flagg Homer House at 661 Pleasant St. COVID and family matters delayed Dancing with the Stars’ return until now.
The fundraising event will take place on April 5 at the Beech Street Center. Hors d’oeuvres will be served, and there will be a cash bar. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the competition begins at 7 p.m. After the competition, the dance floor will open to all guests.
Viewers of the hit television show “Dancing with the Stars” will recognize the competition format.
The 10 contestants — including Select Board Chair Roy Epstein, Belmont Media Center Executive Director Jeff Hansell, and Assistant School Superintendent Lucia Sullivan, among other notable residents — have been paired with dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studios’ Belmont location. Over the last few weeks, they have rehearsed with their partners at the studio on Common Street.
“It’s fascinating to see who steps up to the plate to be a dancer because invariably some of them have never danced before, and some of them are already taking lessons or did it when they were young,” said Woman’s Club board member Juliet Jenkins. “It’s a little peek inside some of these people who are pivotal in town that you may not know otherwise.”
Town Clerk Ellen O’Brien Cushman (the 2019 winner), Frankie “Fish” Celi, and fashion icon Yolanda Celluci will judge the dancers.
“One thing that’s really cool and really fun that we’re trying to emphasize this year is that people who attend also get to participate in the judging,” Jenkins said. “We call them fan favorites. You’ll be able to buy the equivalent of a ticket and you’ll be able to — if you happen to think that Star A was the best — you can stick your ticket in their bucket. We’re going to have the judges’ winner, but we’re also going to have a fan favorite.”
Proceeds from the event will benefit the restoration of the Homer House, the historic property owned by the Woman’s Club since 1927 when the club purchased it to spare it from demolition.
According to Jenkins, restoration needs include repainting the exterior. Recently, they began installing new windows, revealing rotted wood that was replaced. So, the repainting will include priming and painting raw wood.
Additional areas of work include addressing water in the basement and improving the heating system.
“We’re also trying to do a few things that bring us back into the 21st century, but the house has basic needs,” Jenkins said.
Building on the success of the 2019 event, Papadopoulos said the club hopes to raise closer to $20,000 this year.
“We’re hoping this is the beginning of post-COVID activity at the house and post-COVID fundraising,” Jenkins said. “The full use of the home has not fully come back since COVID. We see it as a good launching point.”
Tickets can be purchased in advance online at tinyurl.com/DWTBStickets.
