Dancing With The Stars of Carolina attracts local 'stars' to bene?t Boys and Girls Clubs

Chapel Hill lawyer Robert Maitland will spend the next few weeks learning to tango — for a good cause.

On May 4, Maitland will be one of eight local figures to participate in the second Dancing with the Stars of Carolina, an event benefiting the future Boys and Girls Clubs of America in Chapel Hill.

“My goal is just not to fall down or step on my partner’s toes,” Maitland said. “I’m going to do my best to try to win, but that isn’t my expectation.”

Other “stars” include Chapel Hill Mayor Mark Kleinschmidt, Aaron Nelson, president and CEO of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Chamber of Commerce, and Tina Cunningham, wife of UNC Athletic Director Bubba Cunningham.

The Boys and Girls Clubs broke ground on a Chapel Hill location in November.

Marla Benton, event coordinator and a member of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Eastern Piedmont’s Orange County board, said the event brought in $65,000 in 2011.

Local residents can participate by donating at least $10 for their favorite star.

“Vote as much as you want,” Benton said. “We want to help the community as much as we can.”
Board member Deborah Stroman, who is also dancing at the event, said she thinks the event is a great way to bring the community together.

“It is all about the children,” Stroman said. “Making sure they have a safe environment to not just learn and go after school.”

Maitland said he convinced Kleinschmidt to join him on the dance floor to help the organization.
Kleinschmidt will do the cha-cha at the event, a dance style he says he learned in a college fitness class.

“I enjoyed it then, but my feet don’t really remember it as much as I hoped,” Kleinschmidt said. “I’ll try not to look too silly.”

The stars have been working with professional dance instructors from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Durham. The participants will perform a 1- to 3-minute routine of their choice with an instructor in the event.

The event’s judges will choose a dance champion based on the dancer’s style, form and talent.
Dance instructor Laura Kraich is working with four of the male stars, including Maitland and Kleinschmidt.

“He has great enthusiasm and a great attitude toward dancing,” Kraich said of Kleinschmidt.
Kraich said she’s enjoyed teaching Kleinschmidt the cha-cha and looks forward to dancing with him during the event.

“I will be wearing professional costuming,” Kraich said. “Mark will at least be wearing pants.”

Contact the desk editor at city@dailytarheel.com.