HYANNIS – Before the fancy outfits and the bright spotlights, show biz is all about rehearsal. For the nine medical practitioners who will compete in the 2018 edition of Dancing with the Docs Cape Cod, rehearsal time is now.
The doctors are hard at work with their expert partners as they memorize their choreographed routines.
“The rehearsals are going well,” said Kevin Vilsaint, MD, an anesthesiologist who will dance the tango with Rebecca Terkelsen. “The steps and technical aspects are very involved – but so far, so good!”
Dancing with the Docs Cape Cod is a fundraiser for Cape Wellness Collaborative (CWC), a local nonprofit that gives free complementary, integrative therapies (including massage, acupuncture, Reiki and nutrition counseling) to people with cancer.
The gala event takes place 6-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb 3, 2018, at the Ocean Edge Resort, 2907 Main Street (Route 6A), Brewster. Tickets are $250 (or $2,500 for a table of 10) and go on sale on Nov. 15 via the event web site.
A panel of three judges will score each dancing couple on technical skill, timing, dance style and audience appeal. That’s a lot to get ready for.
Dancer Updates
“John and I have met five times for two hours at a time said Clara Mesonero, MD, a pathologist who is dancing the rumba with John Vazquez. “I’m getting the steps down, but we have to still put it all together. I ache for a few days after each rehearsal. I’m watching ‘Dancing with the Stars’ to get inspired.”
“It has been an eye-opening experience so far,” said Christopher Novak, PharmD, a pharmacist who will be dancing American swing with Naomi Turner.
“Thank goodness for my partner, Naomi, as I have very little talent in the dancing department. She can even make me look like I know what I’m doing.
“That aside, I accepted this challenge because of my personal experiences with cancer,” said Novak. “Having lost both my parents to cancer, my father at age 65 to colon cancer and my mother at 72 to ovarian cancer, I quickly learned that each day after diagnosis was that much more precious. CWC has a great mission to provide wellness therapies to help make those days after diagnosis a little bit easier for both the patient and their loved ones.”
Emergency medicine physician Nancy Schaefer, MD, has already participated in a competition with her partner Adam Spencer, who is working with her on a waltz.
“I competed in my first ballroom competition recently with Adam at the annual Commonwealth Classic in Burlington, Mass. It was wonderful. I placed first in the Newcomer Heat for our waltz,” she said. “I feel blessed to show my emotions through this beautiful waltz.”
“Honored and grateful” to have this opportunity to learn something new and out of her comfort zone, Dr. Schaefer said there is an added bonus.
“All the while I know it is for a great cause and will be able to help so many patients who are suffering with cancer.”
Others Are Practicing Hard
The rest of the cast for the 2018 season include:
Suzanne Corrado, MD, internist (West Coast swing with Doug McHugh)
Jill Oxley, MD, surgeon (disco with Michelle Colley)
Greg Robke, MD, internist (cha cha with Kimberlee McHugh)
Kumara Sidhartha, MD, internist (salsa with Leah Calitri)
Sarah Todd, MD, emergency medicine physician (foxtrot with David Troutman with coaching by Norah Dale Allen)
Hadley Luddy is a strategic consultant who’s helping CWC plan the fundraiser, while CWC founder Sarah Swain is away on an ocean adventure.
“Even as she sails with her family, Sarah is still very active in making sure the details are being covered to make this year’s Dancing with the Docs a great success,” Luddy said.
“We’re very excited to have an enthusiastic committee of volunteers who are all passionate about our mission. As we get ready to launch ticket sales, the doctors and their dancing partners are hard at work rehearsing to make sure it’s our best event yet.”
To see video of the 2017 doctors performing and the 2018 doctors rehearsing, visit the event web site.
By BILL O’NEILL, Cape Cod Health News
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