Deb Schubert (Health Care Professional Marketing, Procter & Gamble) and dance pro James Branham (Arthur Murray Dance Studio — West Chester) were crowned the champions of the Cincinnati Arts Association’s sixteenth annual Dancing for the Stars on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at the Music Hall Ballroom. Scott Allgyer (Owner, Studio 900) took home the Fundraising Champion Award as the celebrity who raised the most money for the event through ticket sales and donations – more than $17,000.

The team of Schubert/Branham and second-place winners Alex Johns (Real Estate Agent, Coldwell Banker) and Bonita Brockert (Independent Dance Instructor) both received perfect scores of 40 (out of 40). The ultimate winner between the two perfect-scoring dance teams was decided by the audience vote via an applause meter.

Dr. Hali Jungers (Veterinarian, Newport Aquarium) and Josh Tilford (Dance Manor) took third place.

As the Cincinnati Arts Association’s largest annual fundraiser, the popular event raised more than $70,000 in support of the organization’s acclaimed arts education programs, including the Overture Awards – the nation’s largest locally run high school arts scholarship competition.

The other three dance pairs included:

• Scott Allgyer (Owner, Studio 900; Dancing for the Stars 2024 Fundraising Champion) and Maura Garuccio (Independent Dance Instructor)
• Dr. Magdalena Kerschner (Board certified Anesthesiologist and Aesthetic Medicine Physician;  Founder, Victory Wellness and Medspa – Cincinnati, OH and Naples, FL) and Jeremy Mainous (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati)
• Zack Thornton (Director, Advisory Services, Fidelity Investments) and Melissa Vaughn (Arthur Murray Dance Studio – Cincinnati)

Inspired by the hit TV show Dancing with the Stars, Dancing for the Stars 2024 featured six Cincinnati celebrities paired with some of the area’s finest professional dancers in a competition program at which the audience vote and judges scores propelled the winners to victory. The competitive dance theme for the evening was Broadway, and each dance pair had 90 seconds to woo the crowd and the judges.

Event emcees were Chris O’Brien & Janeen Coyle (former hosts of “Married with Microphones,” 103.5 WGRR-FM). The competition judges were Douglas Beal (Independent Dance Instructor), Sebastian Castillo (General Manager, Prime Cincinnati; Dancing for the Stars 2022 Dance Champion), Bret Schneider, (Owner, WOW Windowboxes; Dancing for the Stars 2022 Fundraising Champion), and Britton Spitler as Brock Leah Spears (Project Manager – ADM; Dancing for the Stars 2023 Dance Champion).

In addition, Dancing for the Stars 2024 featured:

• Dinner-by-the-Bite provided by DelightMore, eat well Celebrations and Feasts, Jeff Thomas Catering, Moerlein Lager House, Prime Cincinnati, Primo Italian Steakhouse, Skyline, Street City Pub.

• Dance music by popular DJ and 103.5 WGRR personality JD Hughes.

• Open dancing before and after the competition.

• Entertaining exhibition dances by talented Dancing for the Stars dance pros.
• An inspiring video about the Overture Awards, featuring interviews with the six student winners of the 2024 Overture Awards finals competition.
• Two big screens that featured live video of the competition and engaging video introductions of the stars and pros (interviews and rehearsal footage) before their dances.
• Humorous, astute, and supportive comments from the Dancing for the Stars panel of judges.
• Exceptionally responsive, raucous, and energetic audience reactions, which included large cheering sections holding signs with various messages in support of their favorite stars.