The cast of this year’s Dancing with our Stars, alongside performers from previous years, kick off each show with a group dance to “Footloose” by Blake Shelton. (Journal photo by Abby LaForest)

MARQUETTE — The tenth annual Dancing with our Stars fundraiser, put on by U.P. Home Health & Hospice, held its opening night on Wednesday, with this year’s dancers taking center stage and wowing the crowd with their performances.

The fundraiser uses 100% of its donations to cover patients and families who are under the hospice’s care, and community members have been able to donate money on behalf of their favorite pairs for the past few months.

This year’s event was an all-star edition, where performers from previous seasons were invited back as part of a reunion-style cast. Dancers had the help of local choreography professionals to showcase routines and compete for the Mirror Ball Trophy, posting online updates of their progress since practice began back in January.

Couples competing this year included Karen and Ryan Kovacs, Melodie and Travis Alexander, Julie and Ty Hartung, Mariel Morton and John Cappoferri, Alyssa and Pat Digneit, Kaylee and Taylor Birmann, Stacy and Jared Haughey, and Shawn and Chris Owsley. Each couple had a voting link posted on the Dancing with our Stars website since January, where each vote cost $10 and all of the money went to U.P. Home Health & Hospice.

John Cappoferri, when asked about what brought him and his partner Mariel Morton back to compete this year, had a short and sweet answer. “They asked her and she asked me and I said, ‘Yes and why not?'” The couple had won the 2024 Mirror Ball Trophy during last year’s “Barbie and Ken” edition, coming back this year to defend their title.

“There’s a lot of fun, and I can’t pass up a chance to dance,” explained Morton, who works alongside Cappoferri at Congress Pizzas in Ishpeming. The couple were the only participants originally from Marquette County’s west end competing this year.

“She’s got all the talent. I have zero,” Cappoferri included. However, their performance of samba to a glow-in-the-dark party theme may have suggested otherwise, and in judge Doug Garrison’s words, Cappoferri is still the best bartender west of the Carp River.

At 6:30 p.m. on May 21, doors opened to the Forest Roberts Theatre on Northern Michigan University’s campus, ushering in an audience excited to watch the opening night of performances that began at 7 p.m. The show was bookended by two group performances, and special guest dances from 2024 Congeniality winners Sam and Chris Durley and 2024 competitors Corey and Wendy Hanycz added even more magic to an already-spectacular evening.

Hosted alongside commentary from Faye Elder and Rob Shirlin, who have been hosting since the fundraiser’s first event in 2013, the night was full of performances themed after different parties and styles of dance. Unique routines and styles including the Kovacs’ Mardi-Gras-themed hip hop routine, the Alexanders’ slumber party Paso Doble, and the Haugheys’ tailgate party-style Argentine Tango set the stage on fire. A panel of judges consisting of local celebrities Doug Garrison, Maureen McFadden, and Don Ryan gave their initial comments after each couple’s performance. Each couple was scored on various elements of their dances, such as presentation, use of the dance floor, audience engagement, dance ability and technique, and couples chemistry.

Two awards were handed out on Wednesday night as well. Julie and Ty Hartung were the winners of this year’s Congeniality Trophy, described as the couple who was the most supportive to their competition and showed exceptional character. Stacy and Jared Haughey also won an award for being the first couple to rake in $10,000 in donations.

Audiences were able to cast their post-show votes following Wednesday night’s performances. Votes from May 21, alongside online votes and judges’ scores were added together on May 22 for the grand finale.

The Thursday night finale carried over the same vibrant energy that encapsulated Wednesday’s opener, preceded by a Red Carpet event with hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar in the Hedgcock building prior to the finale performances. Audience members were able to witness the dancers grace the stage second time, with the Owsley’s jazzy toga party number and the Hartungs’ pool party Lindy Hop once again lighting up the Forest Roberts Theatre.

Taylor and Kaylee Birmann’s Studio 54-themed Viennese Waltz, choreographed by their dance pro Lauren Culpepper, won them the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy this year and made the Birmanns the 2025 Dancing with our Stars champions. Pat and Alyssa Digneit, who danced the salsa to a murder mystery party theme, won this year’s Fan Favorite Award for collecting the most online votes since voting opened back on January 21.

The finale also took the time to recognize those who had put so much hard work into organizing the event, such as Jill Grundstrom, Director of Dance; Dave Aro, the UPHF Executive Director; and Lindsay Hemmila, the Event Coordinator. Additionally, it was acknowledged that the money raised for hospice care wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the community and the dedication put in by the cast and crew.

“It’s just so exciting, but what is interesting (and) it’s also so humbling because I’m only one of so many people that put their time and energy and their talents to making this a successful fundraiser,” said Kori Bjorne, Director of Community Services at U.P. Home Health & Hospice, who was one of the event’s main organizers. “(The work has included) learning how to dance for some people who have never learned how to dance before, to doing their own fundraiser, (and) just helping spread the message that hospice is around and available for anybody who might need it. It’s just so great to be part of something so big.”

Abby LaForest can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 548. Her email address is alaforest@miningjournal.net.