On March 11th, 2011 I had the distinct pleasure of photographing the 6th Annual “Dancing with Chicago Celebrities” benefiting Susan G. Komen for the cure. I was thrilled to be asked to photograph this amazing night! The main attraction of the night was the celebrity dance-off featuring Chicago television, business & sports personalities. Each celebrity was paired with a professional dancer from the Arthur Murray Dance Center in Chicago. Jill DeMarlo and the Aurthur Murray dancers were truly incredible to watch!! The celebrities included Jason Knowles of ABC 7, Marti Jones of WLS, Nancy Loo of WGN 9, Zoraida Sambolin of NBC 5, Mike Puccinelli of CBS 2, Whitney Thorpe-Klinsky (Miss Illinois) & Valerie Warner formerly of WGN TV and soon to be host of the new show “Morning Rush”! The alumni dancers included Ginger Lee of WMAQ, Dina Bair of WGN, Lisa Aprati of Comcast Newsmakers, Amy Jacobson of 560 WIND & Chicago Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless.
There was also a panel of celebrity judges, led by US Smooth champion and ABC “Dancing with the Stars” alum, Nick Kosovich, Snow Urbin, a fan favorite from “So You Think You Can Dance,” and performer with ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” tour, and Chicago’s own celebrity chef Rick Bayless. Rick was the 2006 inaugural year grand champion.
The evening also included professional shows, a live auction and an open dance floor for all the guests to enjoy. It was a fun-filled & emotional evening and I was truly honored to be a part of it! I want to give a shout out to my sister, Laura Black of Laura Black Makeup, who worked on the celebrities and dancers. She originally told me about the event and I would not have been there without her doing so! Here are some amazing highlights! Enjoy!
