January 23, 2018
CONTACT: Lindsey Wiles
Communications Manager
lwiles@mariettaga.gov
770.794.5509
Celebrity Emcee Announced for GA Metro Dance Theatre’s Annual
“Dancing With the Stars of Marietta” Competition
Award-Winning TV Reporter and Cobb County Communications Director
Ross Cavitt To Host GMDT’s Largest Fundraiser of The Year
MARIETTA – GA Metro Dance Theatre (GMDT) is thrilled to announce the celebrity emcee for the company’s biggest fundraiser of the year, GMDT’S Dancing With The Stars of Marietta. Ross Cavitt, esteemed TV news reporter and Cobb County Communications Director will host the annual event that gets Marietta dancing.
The fourth annual fundraiser event to benefit GMDT will be held on January 27th, 2018 at 7 p.m. at the Earl & Rachel Smith Strand Theatre on the Historic Marietta Square. Online voting for dance teams is open at gmdtdwts.com. Tickets for this event can be purchased at earlsmithstrand.org.
Award-winning Host to Emcee Event
A Marietta resident, Ross Cavitt will host the annual GMDT’S Dancing With The Stars of Marietta, entertaining and engaging the audience as emcee. Currently Cobb County's Communications Director, Ross retired from his illustrious TV career of more than three decades as a news reporter. He spent most of that time at WSB in Atlanta where he was Cobb County's Bureau Chief, a Breaking News reporter, and - for a time - an on-air meteorologist.
Ross won multiple awards during his time at WSB, including several regional EMMY awards for spot news and live reporting, Associated Press and Georgia Broadcasters Association awards, and a regional Edward R. Murrow award for his coverage of the 2015 Adairsville tornado.
“I am excited to host GMDT’s Dancing With The Stars of Marietta this year,” commented Ross. “It is such a highly-anticipated and important event for GMDT, the dancers, and the community, because it garners needed financial support for the arts, our young dancers, and the dance company dedicated to the next generation of artists and leaders. As a result of the largest fundraiser of the year, the whole community benefits from a season of inspiring and entertaining GMDT performances, right here in Marietta.”
Exciting Line-Up of Celebrity Judges and Dancers
Twelve “celebrities” from Marietta have been paired up with choreographers to perform high-energy dance numbers on-stage in this exciting competition. On the night of the event, our celebrity dancers will show off their best dance moves and compete for the People’s Choice and the Judge’s Choice mirror ball trophies. To raise funds for GMDT, the public can help their favorite celebrity team win the People’s Choice mirror ball trophy by voting early at gmdtdwts.com (as well as by voting on mobile devices during the actual event). The People’s Choice award goes to the team that receives the most enthusiastic voter response. After viewing the performances, the judges will select the performance that merits the coveted Judge’s Choice award.
GMDT’s Dancing with the Stars of Marietta 2018 celebrity dancers are:
Amber Byrd (Owner of MarKay Gallery)
George Warren (Realtor with Sotheby’s)
Jan Galt (Director of Operations at Marietta History Museum)
Joseph Goldstein (Incoming Councilman/Ward 7 for Marietta City)
***Our third team will not be performing this year due to unforeseen work circumstances. You can still vote for this team!***
Katelyn DeRuyter (Assistant Solicitor General for Cobb County)
Allen Aschwege (Cobb County Firefighter)
Cassie Mazloom (Director of Cobb Emergency Management Agency)
Ken Johnson (Clinical Director and Licensed Professional Counselor for East-West Psychotherapy)
Paula McVicker (Administrator for Marietta High School)
Thomas Sherrer (Pharmacist/Owner of Poole Pharmacy)
Kristin Moffett (Lower School Counselor at The Walker School)
Elizabeth Nesmith (Physician at The Kaufmann Clinic)
Complete bios of each dancer can be found on our event Website at gmdtdwts.com.
GMDT’s Dancing with the Stars of Marietta 2018 judges are:
Joanne Feldman (FOX 5 Storm Team Meteorologist, Good Day Atlanta - FOX 5 Atlanta)
- Victoria Hill (Miss Cobb County 2018)
- Earl Reece (Former Director of The Strand and the Cobb County Center for Excellence in Performing Arts)
Support Local Arts by Voting for Celebrity Dancers, Attending Performance
Community support via ticket sales, voting, and donations is vital to help make this fundraiser event a huge success. Patrons can support the arts locally, while helping GMDT continue to provide quality dance performances, such as Dracula, The Nutcracker, and The Wolf, The Swan, and The Princess, to the community throughout the year.
To vote for your favorite dancers with a donation to GMDT, please visit our event Website at gmdtdwts.com.
To purchase tickets to GMDT’s Dancing with the Stars of Marietta fundraiser event on January 27th at 7 p.m., please visit the Earl & Rachel Smith Strand Theatre’s Website at earlsmithstrand.org. Tickets range in price from $20 to $55.
About GMDT
GA Metro Dance Theatre (GMDT) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, student-based dance company housed in the studios of Georgia Dance Conservatory on the Marietta Square. Founded in 1956, the company was formerly known as Ruth Mitchell Dance Theatre. Now under the artistic direction of Ashleigh Whitworth, GMDT educates, cultivates, and inspires young dancers to become the next generation of artists and leaders through rigorous dance training and performance opportunities in a challenging and professional environment. GMDT strives to be a positive contributor to the community via diverse performances and engaging experiences that celebrate life through the power of the arts. For more information, please visit GMDT’s Website at georgiametrodance.org or our official Facebook page at Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre. For tickets to GMDT performances, please visit georgiametrodance.tix.com.