Regina Carswell Russo (Director of Marketing and Communications, Cincinnati Art Museum) and her dance pro Brian McNamee   (Cincinnati Ballroom Company) scored a PERFECT 10 from the four judges on Saturday, April 14 at the Music Hall Ballroom, taking first place at the Cincinnati Arts Association’s sixth-annual Dancing for the Stars . With an audience of 750 guests (a new attendance record), the sold-out event raised $70,000 to benefit CAA’s Overture Awards – the nation’s largest locally-run high school arts scholarship competition.

Dr. Michael Leadbetter, M.D. (Cosmetic Surgeon, Plastic Surgery Group) and his dance pro Doreen Beatrice (Step-n-Out Studio) took second place; and Moe Rouse (Community Volunteer) and her dance pro Brandon Etheridge (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati) placed third.

The remaining five dance pairs included:

• Janeen Coyle (On-Air Personality, WGRR-FM) & Jeremy Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati)

• Chief James Craig (Police Chief, Cincinnati Police Department) & Bonita Brockert (Step-n-Out Studio)

• Peter Hiltz (Financial Advisor, Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC) & Desiree Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati)
• Candace Klein (Attorney, Ulmer & Berne, LLP; CEO, Bad Girls Venture) & J. Patrick Clements
• Joe Rigotti (Creative Director, Accent on Cincinnati; Event Planner) & Leigh Bradshaw (Cincinnati Ballroom Company)

Inspired by the hit ABC-TV show Dancing with the Stars , Dancing for the Stars featured eight Cincinnati celebrities paired with some of the area’s finest professional dancers in a competition program, at which the audience vote propelled the winners to victory. The competitive dance for the evening was the Cha Cha, and each dance pair had 90 seconds to woo the crowd and the judges. 

Event emcees were Chris O’Brien (“Married With Microphones,” 103.5 WGRR-FM) and Tanya O’Rourke (news anchor, WCPO-TV9 ) , and the four competition judges were Terry Foster ( Dancing for the Stars 2010 alum), Sarah Hairston (Cincinnati Ballet), Eleanor Lachman (local ballroom dance pro), and guest celebrity judge, Drew Lachey (winner of ABC-TV’s second season of Dancing with the Stars ).

The Dancing for the Stars 2012 committee included:  Phil Schworer (chair, Dancing for the Stars 2010, 2011; winner , Dancing for the Stars 2009 ), Christina Bolden, Terry Foster, Sue Gilkey , Jim Howland, Ginger Loftin , Rosemary Schlachter , and Dr. Tracey Skale, M.D (winner, Dancing for the Stars 2011) .