Õ¬Äи£Àû

April 2, 2026
26-44

Jessica Pope
Communications and Media Relations Coordinator

Õ¬Äи£Àû Announces Dancing Stars, Pros, and Upcoming Scholarship Fundraiser

Õ¬Äи£Àû’s Music Scholarship Alliance and Golden Circle Scholarship and Support Fund Board will present Dancing with the Valdosta Stars 2026 at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center. Eight couples — one local “star” paired with one local “pro” — will dance for the Audience Favorite Award and help raise much-needed funds for music, theatre, and dance scholarships. Early voting has already started, and anyone can participate by text or by making an online donation at . Online voting ends at noon on competition day. Text voting ends after the final dance.

VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University’s favorite dance competition is gearing up for another season of memorable routines and making dreams come true. 

Õ¬Äи£Àû’s Music Scholarship Alliance and Golden Circle Scholarship and Support Fund Board will present Dancing with the Valdosta Stars 2026 at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center. Admission is $125 per person or $1,200 for a table that seats 10 people. Limited $1,500 sponsorship tables are also available.

Eight couples — one local “star” paired with one local “pro” — will dance for the Audience Favorite Award and help raise much-needed funds for music, theatre, and dance scholarships. They are:

• Elisa Ray dancing with Nemo Rico. Text DWTSV9 to 71777 to support this team.
• Amanda Hoch dancing with David Cooper. Text DWTSV3 to 71777 to support this team.
• Debbie Paine dancing with Joe Mason. Text DWTSV7 to 71777 to support this team.
• Carla Holmes dancing with Mattis Ahlgrimm. Text DWTSV4 to 71777 to support this team.
• Chris Jones dancing with Melissa Pihos. Text DWTSV5 to 71777 to support this team.
• Dr. Daniel Bennett dancing with Blair Andersen. Text DWTSV2 to 71777 to support this team.
• Estel Powell dancing with Elinor Fenimore. Text DWTSV8 to 71777 to support this team.
• Kevin Noviello dancing with Carol Berthos. Text DWTSV6 to 71777 to support this team.

During the competition attendees will receive a token to drop in their favorite couple’s ballot box; these tokens are valued at $125. Additional votes may be cast by dropping cash or checks into a favorite couple’s ballot box at the event.

Early voting has already started, and anyone can participate by text or by making an online donation at . Online voting ends at noon on competition day. Text voting ends after the final dance. 

Dancing with the Valdosta Stars has raised more than $575,000 for scholarships since it started in 2012.

Call the Õ¬Äи£Àû College of the Arts Outreach office at 229-333-2150 for more information or visit to purchase tickets or tables.

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