The Fieldhouse was packed with excitement on January 22 as students, faculty, and staff gathered to witness the highly anticipated return of Dancing with the Stars: RWU Edition. Featuring campus celebrities paired with ballroom dance students, the competition showcased five weeks of preparation, dazzling performances, and audience participation.
Among the standout performances was Associate Director of Student Programs, Leadership, and Orientation Adrianne Harris, who took on the rumba alongside Ballroom Dance Club President Gabriella Wade. Harris, a dancer since she was young, was a newcomer to ballroom, she found the experience both challenging and rewarding.
“It’s interesting because there are so many different ways that the rumba can be interpreted, so that has been really cool to learn,” Harris said. When asked about the toughest part of the rehearsal process, she admitted, “Realizing how long a minute and 30 seconds of dancing is.” Despite the challenge, Harris credited Wade for keeping her on track. “Gabby has been really great to whisper to me, ‘We’re doing this next,’ and before you know it, you’re just having so much fun. You stop worrying and just keep going.” Harris and Wade were dynamic on stage and had the audiences eyes glued on them the whole time.
Associate Vice President for Students and Dean of Students Derek Zuckerman also embraced the competition, performing the rumba with Eden Frantz. Zuckerman spent the past five weeks practicing every Sunday, learning the basic steps before gradually refining his routine. “Each time, Eden really helped introduce me to additional steps to get to the point we were at,” Zuckerman said. When the night of the performance arrived, he was thrilled to see the hard work pay off. “It was the culmination of all the effort we’d put in, and I know everyone was looking forward to the opportunity to show off.”
Zuckerman’s partner, Frantz, described his adaptability throughout the rehearsal process. “He was an excellent sport. I think I changed something about the dance every single week, and he had such a great attitude about it.” The two partners did a comical yet impressive dance to Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet. The dance started out with them relaxing in beach chairs reading books. Zuckerman himself has been lucky enough to attend some Jimmy Buffet concerts, “I’m a big Jimmy Buffet fan, and Margaritaville is where it’s at”.
Tabitha Maffucci, Recruitment and Retention Chair of the Ballroom Dance Club, explained the unique format of RWU’s take on Dancing with the Stars. “Instead of the star being a celebrity, our dancers are paired with a faculty or staff member from RWU. The audience gets to vote for their favorite, and we also have a panel of judges scoring out of ten.”
Maffucci performed a swing dance to Man! I Feel Like a Woman with Anne Mitchell, a nurse practitioner from the Health Center. “She has been an absolute delight to work with,” Maffucci said, expressing excitement about the event’s return. “This is the first time we are doing the event since 2018, and the first showcase that ballroom has done in five years.”
Another memorable routine came from Henley Ballou, Assistant Director of Queer and Trans Initiatives, who performed the foxtrot with Cyrus. “Cyrus is a treat to dance with, and they have been so patient in teaching me all the moves. It’s been great,” Ballou shared. Although slightly nervous before the performance, they remained mostly excited: “It’s all good energy.”
After a night filled with stunning performances, the judges tallied their scores and crowned Henley and Cyrus as the winners of the 2025 RWU Dancing with the Stars! Meanwhile, audience votes named Adrianne Harris and Gabriella Wade as the fan favorites.
“I feel absolutely amazing,” Harris said after receiving the fan-favorite award. “I had so much fun, and I’m glad that everyone enjoyed it.”
With its long-awaited return, Dancing with the Stars of RWU proved to be a night of unforgettable performances, and celebration of dance. As the ballroom club continues to grow, students and staff alike can look forward to more dazzling showcases in the future.
