VSU Announces Dancing Stars, Pros, and Upcoming Scholarship Fundraiser

Valdosta State University's Music Scholarship Board and Golden Circle Scholarship and Support Fund Board will present Dancing with the Valdosta Stars 2024 at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, 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. Pictured, from left to right, are Blair Anderson, Nemo Rico, Laura Walker, Dean Brooks, Elinor Fenimor, Melissa Pihos, Herb Reinhard, Joe Mason, Mikki Hudson, Bill Slaughter, Suzie Puckett. Not pictured are Al Leyva, Trey Harrell, Tim Goins, Margaret Anne Cosper, and Cody Radney.

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

VSU’s Music Scholarship Board and Golden Circle Scholarship and Support Fund Board will present Dancing with the Valdosta Stars 2024 at 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 23, at the James H. Rainwater Conference Center. Admission is $125 per person or $1,200 for a table that seats 10 people. Sponsorship and VIP 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:

• Mikki Hudson, owner of Jessie’s Restaurant and Catering, dancing with Joe Mason, associate professor of theatre at VSU;
• Dean Brooks, Valdosta native and longtime supporter of VSU College of the Arts and VSU Athletics, dancing with Nemo Rico, musical theatre student from Bogota, Colombia;
• Suzie Puckett, registered nurse with SGMC Health’s Smith Northview Campus, dancing with Al Leyva, owner of Al Leyva Construction;
• Laura Walker, VSU alumna and longtime supporter of VSU College of the Arts, dancing with Trey Harrell, musical theatre student from Opa-locka, Florida;
• Tim Goins, Brooks County High School drama and dance teacher and Performing Arts manager, dancing with Margaret Anne Cosper, adjunct dance faculty at VSU;
• Herb Reinhard, director of VSU Athletics, dancing with Melissa Pihos, associate professor of dance at VSU
• Cody Radney, owner of The Cody Store, dancing with Blair Anderson, adjunct dance faculty at VSU; and
• Bill Slaughter, chairman of the Lowndes County Board of Commissioners, dancing with Elinor Fenimor, musical theatre student from Macon, Georgia.

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 or by making an online donation at https://community.valdostastate.org/dancing-with-the-stars-donations. Online voting ends at noon on the day of the competition.

Dancing with the Valdosta Stars has raised nearly $400,000 for scholarships since it started in 2012.

Call the VSU College of the Arts Outreach office at 229-333-2150 for more information, or visit https://community.valdostastate.org/dancing-with-the-stars to purchase tickets or tables.