Judy Harrison

Sept. 28, 2008

When was the last time you put on dancing shoes to do community service? SwingShift and the Stars pairs six local celebrities with six local dance instructors to get footloose this Friday, Oct. 3 at the Traverse City Opera House.
A “Dancing with the Stars” style competition, the show features live music by Judy Harrison and SwingShift. This event brings a charitable twist to the TV dance-off model by supporting local charities. Dance-offs include everything from the waltz to the Charleston and will help the Women’s Resource Center, House of Hope, Traverse Health Clinic & Coalition, Safe Harbor, Bethany Christian Services, and the American Cancer Society.
Offering an extra dash of fun for the audience is a chance to learn the dances for an hour prior to the show. Patrons are also free to dance throughout the evening.
Known for her country-western band, High Impact, Judy Harrison launched SwingShift in May 2007, performing three-part harmonies with a blend of Swing-era sounds, jazz and Latin music.
“We decided we just wanted to do music we loved that was great to dance to,” says Harrison. As lead vocalist for SwingShift, she is backed by band leader and keyboard player Mindy Rohn, Clark Harner on drums, Larry Avery on guitar and Marshall Cronican-Walker on bass. The singer-dancers include Carey Owens, Susan Hatt Johnson and Kristina Godfrey. They also have Interlochen Arts Academy professors Laurie Sears on saxophone and Tom Riccobono on trombone. The horn section rounds out with Rick Stewart on trumpet.

THE DANCERS
The first show was held Aug. 30 at the Leelanau Sands Casino, featuring a mix of local celebrities. Auto dealer Bill Marsh Jr., singer/song writer Miriam Pico, media personality Marilyn Taylor, Mike Anton, CPA, Pastor Lou Grettenberger, and philanthropist Brenda Biederman all strapped on their dance shoes for their favorite causes. They were paired with local dance professionals, Jody Brown, Jennifer Howard, Tom Morrell, Kat Brown, Philip Leete and Liz Reincke.
SwingShift and the Stars consists of five events before a panel of four judges. Three of the four judges score performances at all of the events, including Korin Drilling from the Dance Center, Diana Bolander from the Dennos Museum and Rick Fowler, a local dance enthusiast. The fourth judge is a rotating position that changes at each show.

GRAND FINALE
The scores of the judges are announced at the end of each show. During the performance, audience members can vote for their favorite couple for a minimum donation of $1 to go towards one of the six charities of their choice.
At the end of the season, the audience votes will be combined with those of the judges to determine the winners. The winning couple and the charity grand totals will be announced at the Grand Finale Charity Celebration and Award Ceremony on December 31 at the Leelanau Sands Casino Showroom.
Tickets are $17, and are available at
www.swingshiftandthestars.com, or at
the City Opera House. Table seating is also available for $25. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., optional dance lessons are at 7 p.m., and the show begins at 8 p.m.

Upcoming Dates
SwingShift and the Stars:

October 3: City Opera House

November 7: City Opera House

December 5: City Opera House

December 31: Leelanau Sands
Casino Showroom