Star Dancing Gala returns to Vail Valley Jet Center July 11 to support local youth, families

The Vail Valley Foundation recently issued the following press release on the upcoming Star Dancing Gala:

The spotlights are warming up, the dance floor is coming out of storage, and one of the most entertaining events of the year is returning to the Vail Valley as the Star Dancing Gala returns July 11 to the Vail Valley Jet Center. 

The popular event, which features local celebrity dance performances, is the main fundraiser for the Vail Valley Foundation’s YouthPower365, which helps thousands of youths and families ‘every step of the way’ along their educational journey from early childhood to career or college. It is hosted by YouthPower365 and presenting sponsors: Amy and Steve Coyer; and Ann Smead and Michael Byram. 

“No matter your path in life, we all need support to learn, grow and succeed,” said Sara Amberg, Executive Director of YouthPower365. “Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors and donors, YouthPower365 will be able to provide thousands of Eagle County students and families with a wide range of programs for academic, social-emotional and enrichment learning.”

For more than a decade the Star Dancing Gala was circled on local calendars because of the incredible impact of YouthPower365 programs but also because of its entertaining, celebrity-dance-competition format and its reputation for fun. Now, after a two-year stint as the “Stars Variety Show,” the original format of the beloved event is back with the Oz-like design and dress theme of “Follow the Yellow Brick Road.”

“We are extremely pleased and excited to be supporting YouthPower365 by helping bring this important event back to the community,” said presenting sponsor Steve Coyer. “The positive impact of this organization is visible every day in the faces of the thousands of young people who benefit from YouthPower365’s work in our community, and this event is a critical fundraiser to maintain and elevate the critical work of this organization.”

“We are thrilled to bring the Star Dancing Gala back to the Vail Valley Jet Center and help raise funds for the amazing work YouthPower365 does year-round for both children and their families,” said Sierra Adams, Vice President of Philanthropy for the Vail Valley Foundation. “We know that many people are looking forward to returning to this enjoyable format, and we are immensely grateful for the community’s support of this event, of YouthPower365, its incredible staff, and the students and families they serve.”

The Vail Valley Jet Center in Gypsum will transform into an Oz wonderland July 11 as it prepares to host an evening including cocktails, a four-course dinner, a live auction, and of course a fabulous show of local celebrities partnering with professional dancers. To close out the night, a DJ dance party will open up the stage to the hundreds of supporters who are expected to attend.

Look who’s dancing now!

Drumroll please! Celebrity dancers for 2023 will be… Lauren Bonati, Bob Brown, Tamar Giorgadze, Debra Hynes and Jared Johnson. Joining them will be professional dancers Maria Barry, Johnny Bryant, Greg Erickson and Meredith Kirkman. 

More about each dancer, and the program they will perform, is coming soon!

Learn more, get tickets, and explore sponsorship opportunities at StarDancingGala.com.

This will be the first time since 2019 that the organization has hosted the popular Star Dancing Gala, which began in 2008. After a year off in 2020 due to the pandemic, the event was reborn as the “Stars Variety Show” at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater for 2021 and 2022. 

Organizers said that, due to popular demand, they brought back the dance competition format in 2023 and returned the venue to the Vail Valley Jet Center – one of the only venues large enough to host the hundreds of supporters who attend the event each year. 

“The Star Dancing Gala is a very important fundraising event, unlike any other, that 100% supports YouthPower365’s mission to inspire, educate and empower youth and families from early childhood to college and career readiness,” said Mike Imhof, President of the Vail Valley Foundation. “After two years away from the Vail Valley Jet Center, we are excited to welcome everyone back for a fun, inspirational evening that makes an immeasurable impact on local youth and our community as a whole.”

Learn more at YouthPower365.org. 

About the Vail Valley Foundation  

The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to provide leadership in Arts, Athletics and Education, and address community needs to enhance our Valley as a place to live, work and visit.   

The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate and empower youth and families from early childhood to college and career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.   

Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, GMC, Nature Valley, Constellation Brands, CELSIUS Energy, TINCUP Whiskey, and Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.  

 To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org.  

If you go …

What: Star Dancing Gala, a fundraising evening to support YouthPower365

Where: Vail Valley Jet Center, Gypsum

When: Tuesday, July 11, 5:30 p.m.

Cost: Individual tickets are $375

More information: Visit StarDancingGala.com