Dancing with the Shuswap Stars is back for 2021.

As with many other activities, this year’s event will be slightly different than the traditional gala.

Continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic has led our organizing committee to change things up with our event. We needed to ensure that we can hold a spectacular fundraiser for the Shuswap Hospice Society with minimal risk of financial losses.

Cancelling the 2020 Dancing with the Shuswap Stars event was a difficult financial blow for Shuswap Hospice, as this event it the single biggest source of community fundraising for the society.

So this season, we can promise the same fun and excitement of dancers stepping forward from our community to put on an entertaining show. There will be food options available. There will be spectacular dancing from our contestants and the instructors from City Dance, who continue to contribute their time and talents to choregraphing and training all our dancers. And this year, for the first time, there will be a Junior Dance Category to feature some of the Shuswap’s amazing young dance talent.

So what’s up?

This year’s event will be held November 19, 2021. It will be a live-streamed video event that can be watched from the comfort of your own home, or depending on the current health restrictions, you may decide to gather in groups to enjoy the performances. To add to the experience, a variety of special take-out food packages will be available, so you can enjoy some of the Shuswap’s excellent restaurant cuisine while watching the show. Our organizers know that many local food establishments have had a difficult time during the pandemic, so purchasing a meal package is a way to support both Shuswap Hospice and the food service community.

This event will be streamed from the brand-new Song Sparrow Hall (formerly the Living Waters Church), located on Lakeshore Drive. A studio audience will be part of the live event, with numbers dependent on the health restrictions in place. Information about tickets to view the performance in-person will be available as the date of the events gets closer.

Watch the show and help Shuswap Hospice

The show will be modelled closely to the format of the Hollywood Dancing with the Stars television show, with the same excitement (and nerves) of the participant dancers, witty comments from our judges, and the audience participation of voting for your favourite dance couple through the purchase of stars. It will be a snappy, fun event available for anyone who purchases access to the streaming link. The winner will be the couple who generates the most star-votes.

And remember, all proceeds go to support Shuswap Hospice programs in our area. The process of palliative care and grieving has been seriously altered by the pandemic. Hospital and care home visits have been restricted and traditional grieving rituals have been disrupted. All of this has added to the stress and anguish of loss. This has also meant an increasing need for Shuswap Hospice’s services.

You can help by purchasing access to the show and making online contributions that will ensure your favourite dance couple takes home the trophy!

NEW! Junior Dance Competition

The 2021 event will crown our first-ever Dancing with the Shuswap Stars Junior Dance Champion.

Many of the Shuswap’s talented dancers have continued to train during COVID-19, but haven’t been able to have an audience view their hard work. Now, they will have a place for everyone to view their talents!

Dancers under the age of 18 can submit a dance video, which will be posted for viewing on the Dancing with the Shuswap Stars website. Fans will be able to vote on which video performance is their favorite by purchasing stars for a $5 donation to Shuswap Hospice.

Before the Dancing with the Stars event in November, the video performances will be tallied by the number of votes and the three performances with the most votes will move forward. These three dances will be featured as part of the live-streamed show and viewers will again be able to purchase votes for their preferred dance performance. The total number of votes from pre-show and the live show will be added together and the winner will be the junior dance performance with the most votes.

Entry to the Junior Dance Competition is free and open to all dancers in the Shuswap aged 18 or under. All dance styles are welcome, and dancers may perform solo or in groups.

Deadline for submitting video is the end of September. Videos will be posted in August or sooner get them in early for more votes.

Completed entries can be emailed to dancer@shuswapstars.ca

Please see below for the competition rules and to obtain an entry form.