For the Miami Valley Today
PIQUA — Piqua Arts Council’s celebrity fundraiser, Dancing with the Piqua Stars, is back for the 11th season, featuring a new and thrilling cast for 2022. This year’s dancing cast includes partners Jim and Shellie Drake, Scott and LeeAnn Foster, Fred and Lynn Labs, Craig and Nancy Mullenbrock, and Jeremy and Kat Weber. The 11th annual Dancing with the Piqua Stars will be held on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at Romer’s Catering in Piqua with a dessert matinee at 1 p.m. and the dinner performance at 7 p.m. Dancing with the Piqua Stars is sponsored by Hartzell Propeller.
The dancers will test new skills as they dance for charity in this season of Dancing with the Piqua Stars. The couples will receive expert instruction from Liz Maxson, Tammy Bellamy Chaney, Michael Shepard, and Arthur Murray Ballroom-Dayton.
Jim Drake, physical therapist and center manager for Novacare Rehabilitation in Piqua and Troy, graduated from Troy High School. He and his wife of 10 years, Shellie Drake, have a daughter and two dogs. Shellie is a first grade teacher at Washington Primary School in Piqua. Shellie danced all throughout high school and is excited to participate in this year’s Dancing with the Piqua Stars. She said, “I have missed it [dancing] so much since becoming an adult and was excited for the opportunity to do something I love and have fun with, while giving back to the community that I grew up and currently teach in.”
Scott Foster, director of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Operations) and Network Sales at Hartzell Propeller, is a 2001 graduate of Piqua High School and 2012 Piqua Athletic Hall of Fame inductee. He and his wife of six years, LeeAnn Foster, have three “… crazy boys that constantly keep us on our toes.” LeeAnn, former office manager and estimator at Piqua Carstar, recently took a new role as director of Operations with SouthTown Sports and Recreation, a new and upcoming sports facility located in Piqua. Additionally, the couple runs the Piqua Youth Football Association, with the help of their board and volunteers. The two agreed upon stepping out of their comfort zone to give back to the community where they work, live and raise their boys.
Fred Labs retired from working as a pharmacist and manager of Kroger Pharmacy after 25 years in 2020. He and his wife of 40 years, Lynn Labs, have two daughters, both graduates of Piqua High School, as well as five grandchildren. Lynn is an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ and recently retired from a 12-year pastorate at the Nashville United Church of Christ near West Milton. The couple owns many pets, including two dogs, six tropical birds, a green iguana, a horse, and other random pets that are added without notice. Lynn said, “Jordan snookered me in [to the competition]!” and Fred added to their reason for participating, “Lynn told me I had to!”
Craig Mullenbrock is the owner of Mullenbrock and Associates of Ameriprise Financial in Piqua. He and his wife of 43 years, Nancy Mullenbrock, have two sons: one a former student of Piqua Public Schools and the other a former student of Piqua Catholic School. Nancy has worked in the family business for a number of years, and has volunteered for various local organizations, including the Piqua Arts Council. The two enjoy traveling and ballroom dancing, and they both believe in supporting the arts in their community.
Jeremy Weber, graduate of Sidney High School, works as a lieutenant at the Piqua Police Department. He and his wife of almost five years, Kat Weber, have two boys and a six-year-old golden doodle named Hank. Jeremy will be dancing with his wife, Kat, who is a state of Ohio parole officer. The two enjoy spending time with their family, exercising, and watching their eldest in every sport he’s involved in. Jeremy and Kat both believe it’s a good time to participate in the event this year and emphasize the importance of supporting their community.
Full biographies for participating dancers this year can be found at www.PiquaArtsCouncil.org/dancing. If you would like to support their dancers through voting, you can visit their webpage, scroll down to your favorite dancing couple(s)’ bios, and click “Donate Now.”
Tickets for both the matinee and dinner performances will be available soon with matinee tickets at $10 each and dinner tickets at $30 each. Taking place at Romer’s Catering in Piqua on Saturday, April 23, 2022, the dessert matinee will begin at 1 p.m. with doors opening at 12:15 p.m., and the dinner performance will begin with cocktails at 6 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m., and the grand performance at 8 p.m. Stay tuned for more information.
The Piqua Arts Council gave a special thank you to Romer’s Catering for providing their beautiful ballroom and great catering for this year’s event, as well as to their 2022 celebrity sponsor, Hartzell Propeller, for helping to underwrite the expenses for the competition. For more information about the competition or how to vote, contact the Piqua Arts Council at 937-773-9630.
