Putting on their dancing shoes: Gonzaleses join Dancing For A Cause
Dr. Kelley Gonzales and her husband Marc Gonzales put the final touches on their dance
routine for Dancing For A Cause.
A Meridian Community College administrator and her husband are steppin’ up – for a good cause.
Dr. Kelley Gonzales and her husband, Marc, have put on their dancing shoes and are getting the steps down in preparation for Dancing For A Cause, a community dance competition hosted by Elegance Ballroom Dance Studio. The fundraiser is for the domestic violence shelter, Care Lodge.
Dancing For A Cause has brought a Dancing With The Stars-style contest where community residents dance and raise monies for charity for more than a decade. This year, 10 teams are participating on Feb. 18 and 19 in the Temple Theater Ballroom.
Last year, the Gonzaleses watched other dancers perform, and they thought, “we need to do that because it’s for a really good cause,” Kelley said.
The theme for this year’s Dancing For A Cause is OldSkool, and the Gonzaleses will perform an East Coast Swing dance to Another Day in LA. They’ve been preparing four times a week in advance for the big dance.
“They have a very good chance of winning,” said Erin Richardson, MCC instructional design specialist, who has helped with the dancing event in the past. She noted three judges award points and audience applause contribute to determining the top couple.
Kelley said dancing is a passion of hers. “I’ve been dancing all of my life. My parents were dancers, ballroom dancers, too, who did the Jitterbug, Lindy Hop, and Two-Step,” she said.
Marc, who is retired from the Army and the aircraft mechanic industry, enjoys dancing, too, but he admits he dances to make his wife happy. “I like to bowl and motorcycle. I’m enjoying life.”
They both enjoy community events, including theater, concerts, outdoor festivals. For the Gonzaleses, joining in Dancing For A Cause is another way of getting into the swing of things. “At the end of the day, we just want to have fun,” Marc said.
Kelley added, “It’s great if you can have fun and do it for a good cause.”