On Saturday night at the Four Seasons Hotel in downtown St. Louis, an entire audience was seeing stars—literally! Dancing With the St. Louis Stars, presented by Stifel Nicolaus and benefiting the Independence Center, was an evening to remember.
Guests arrived at the Four Seasons Hotel around 6:00pm for conversation and cocktails, which was followed by a delicious sit-down dinner at 7:00pm. After the meal had been served, the real fun began.
Six couples competed against one another for a chance at being crowned the winners, and tried to win over the hearts of their audience and judges.This year's Dancing with the St. Louis Stars event—emceed by KMOV's Claire Kellett and hosted by co-chairs Arnold & Hazel Donald—impressed all who attended with bold moves on the brightly lit dance floor.
Steve Lipstein, president and chief executive officer of BJC Healthcare, and dance professional Lucy Fitzgerald were the star-studded dancing duo that was crowned the 2013 Dance Champions! Steve and Lucy received a fabulous applause from the audience and a gift from Tiffany & Co. The other couples who impressed the crowd with their dance skills included:
- Suzanne Sitherwood, president and CEO of The Laclede Group and Michael Fitzgerald
- Laura Kathleen Planck, fashion designer and cast member of Project Runway All-Stars Season 2, and David Nyemchek
- Terri Hodges, Independence Center member, and Steve Brockman
- Mary Ann Srenco, president of Kranzberg Family Foundation, and David Nyemchek
- Joe Brinker, president and chief executive officer of Bethesda, and Angie Brooks
Those judging the competition included:
Ron Kruszewski, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stifel Nicolaus
Leslie Tunney, Publisher of St. Louis Magazine, St. Louis Family, and St. Louis AT HOME
Agnes Gioconda, Chief Talent Officer of Fleishman-Hillard International Communications
Reggie Van Derson, Owner, Artistic Director, and Producer of Pure Entertainment Company
David Diener, Vice President of Relationship Management for The St. Louis Trust Company
After raising an outstanding $288,265 for the Independence Center, the dance competitors accomplished their goal —and had fun doing it. To see pictures from the event, click HERE.
