Chasing the Mirrorball: "Dancing with the Keene Stars" Raises Funds for Project Graduation

A highly anticipated event which started in 2014 returns to Keene High School to help raise funds for Project Graduation, a non-profit organization that hosts an all-night, substance-free, graduation party celebrating the graduates of Keene High School (KHS). This year, dancers will compete at three shows on Friday, March 20, at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, March 21, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dancing with the Keene Stars (DWTKS) The show hinges on audience participation and is a twist on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars." During the first act couples — made up of local community members or "stars" — dance to pieces choreographed by Rich and Pam Clough, owners of Keene Fusion Studios. During intermission, the audience must make the deciding votes to crown the top three couples of the night using the voting boxes for each couple. This year's Keene Stars include: Shannon Amlaw – Portrait photographer and owner of Natural Images Studio Jay Hayston – President and CEO at Cedarcrest Erin Dallas-Patch – Director of People Operations at Cedarcrest Kris Kleine – Occupational Therapist for children within the Monadnock Regional School District Med Kopczynski – Mostly retired from a construction, development and public service career Jenny MacKay – Assistant Principal in the Blue House at Keene High School Todd Rogers – A self-employed "restorator" Aubrey Saxton – Owner of Saxy Chef, LLC During the second act, past and present dancers perform in group dances to retro 80s-style music. "For the past 11 years Project Graduation has been putting on DWTKS but two years we were unable to due to (the pandemic). It started at KHS in 2014 but then moved to Keene State College a few years later. It was decided to bring the show back to KHS for this new year," says Sonia Kibbee, co-chair of Dancing with the Keene Stars, in a recent phone call with The Keene Sentinel. Kibbee who lives in Westmoreland, has been involved with this event for eight years and was a dancer in the event when her kids attended Keene High School. Dave Ganio of Keene is the other co-chair of the event and also was a dancer at this event when his children were in school. Kibbee adds, "We do it for the love of the children. And it's kind of like the final hurrah as a group before they're done with Keene High School, and they move on to the next chapter of their lives." Project Graduation Kibbee explains that "parents were trying to come up with a way to (increase safety) on graduation night, which is about one of the deadliest nights of a student's life with party hopping and such. In order to keep students off the roads the night of graduation, this group of parents came up with Keene High School Project Graduation." She continues, "It's an overnight event that starts typically around 9:30 p.m. on graduation eve. It allows the student's time to spend some time with their family first and it's an overnight celebration that goes all night long until 6 a.m. the next day." "There are a lot of businesses that donate the majority of the food and it's all free for the graduating seniors. We have a hypnotist at the end of the night. There are games, activities, karaoke music and gifts. In the gym, we have enormous blow-up things; race courses and things like that, that the students can participate in and enjoy," she says. Out of the 300-plus graduating seniors, about 200 or so attended Project Graduation last year. "I don't know the exact number, but we've had a huge percentage attend prior to Covid, then it went down a bit, but it is slowly increasing back up to a higher percentage," adds Kibbee. "It takes between $28,000 to $30,000 to put on the Project Graduation event at the high school and it is held the same day as graduation for Keene High School. This year it is on June 12," Kibbee says. Community sponsors include: Savings Bank of Walpole, Clearwater Pool & Spa, Miller Orthodontic Specialists, Chesterfield Lions Club, Gary's Power Equipment, Aloha Keene, Electronic Imaging Material Inc., Fenton Family Dealerships, GemGraphics, The Keene Sentinel & Print Shop, Ganio Land Management, Magnolia on Main, William Marconi Italian Club and Natural Images Studio. IF YOU GO: WHAT: Project Graduation's "Dancing with the Keene Stars" WHEN: Friday, March 20 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Saturday, March 21, at 2 p.m. (doors open 1 p.m.) and 7 p.m. (doors open 6 p.m.) The show runs two hours with an intermission. There will be a concession stand offering food and drinks during the show. WHERE: Keene High School Auditorium, 43 Arch St., Keene TICKETS: General Admission: $20; Students and Seniors: $17 www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/dancing-with-the-keene-stars--2026 or Venmo: @Keene-ProjectGrad for Will Call tickets on your show night. Include name and number of tickets in the description. MORE INFO: Keene High School Project Graduation on Facebook or at khs.project.graduation on Instagram.