2022 Dancing with the Piqua Stars crowns champions

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PIQUA — Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock walked away with the mirror ball trophy as the winners of the 2022 Dancing with the Piqua Stars competition.

After months of fundraising, many dance lessons, and generous donations by voting for this year’s cast, the grand show finally took place at Romer’s Catering in Piqua on Saturday, April 23. The five dancing couples performed early in the afternoon for a dessert matinee at 1 p.m., and ended the night with a dinner performance at 6 p.m.

The event, sponsored by Hartzell Propeller, showcased the talents of this year’s couples: Jeremy and Kat Weber; Jim and Shellie Drake; Fred and Lynn Labs; Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock; and Scott and LeeAnn Foster.

Judges for the event were Jim Oda, executive director of the Piqua Public Library; Rick Bowerman, dance instructor and owner of RJ Ballroom in Troy; and Amy Kiser, dance instructor at Dance Expression Studio in Dayton.

After each performance, the judges tallied their scores and the votes came rolling in. At the end of the night, Fred and Lynn Labs took home the Most Entertaining Award, and Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock earned the Technical Merit Award as well as the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy for raising the most money for the Piqua Arts Council.

Kicking off the dancing portion of the evening were Jeremy and Kat Weber, performing a lyrical jazz routine to a mashup of “Let’s Hear it for the Boy” by Deniece Williams and “Footloose” by Kenny Loggins, choreographed by Liz Maxson.

Following that, Jim and Shellie Drake took to the dance floor, performing a hip-hop routine to “The Time (Dirty Bit)” by the Black Eyed Peas, choreographed by Liz Maxson.

Next up were Fred and Lynn Labs, performing a theatrical style dance with a hint of cha cha to a mashup of “Hernando’s Hideaway” by Archie Bleyer and “Another Cha Cha” by Santa Esmeralda, choreographed by Michael Shepherd.

Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock were the fourth competitors to dance this year, performing a stylized ballroom routine to “Love You I Do” by Jennifer Hudson, choreographed by Amanda Horn and Orion Gullett.

The final pair of the night was Scott and LeeAnn Foster, performing a hip-hop routine to a mashup of a wide variety of songs that was kept secret until their performance, choreographed by Tammy Bellamy Chaney.

The judges determined Fred and Lynn Labs had the most entertaining routine, but claimed that the award could have been awarded to any of the dancers. The Mirror Ball Trophy for most votes raised went to Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock, as well as the technical merit award, which was most apparent in their fancy footwork.

In total, the dancers were able to raise more than $34,000 to support the Piqua Arts Council, making the 2022 competition an outstanding success.

This year’s performance can be found on the Piqua Arts Council’s YouTube and Facebook pages, as well as the Indian Nation Station YouTube page soon. Photos from the event, taken by Ganger Images, will also be available on the Piqua Arts Council’s Facebook page.

To be a part of the 2023 Dancing with the Piqua Stars Cast, visit www.PiquaArtsCouncil.org/dancing.

Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock, one of five couples competing in the 2022 Dancing with the Piqua Stars, were crowned the winners of the competition Saturday, April 23 and awarded the mirror ball trophy.
https://www.sidneydailynews.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/47/2022/04/web1_Mullenbrock_Mirror-Ball-Trophy.jpgCraig and Nancy Mullenbrock, one of five couples competing in the 2022 Dancing with the Piqua Stars, were crowned the winners of the competition Saturday, April 23 and awarded the mirror ball trophy. Courtesy photo

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