SANDY HAMILTON IS STEPPING OUTSIDE HER COMFORT ZONE TO HELP OTHERS

Sandy Hamilton and her professional dance partner Trevor Guthrie, will be competing in Dancing With the Stars of Charlotte to Benefit the Pink House on Feb. 28 at Knight Theater.

As one of the Charlotte stars competing in the annual Dancing with the Stars of Charlotte to Benefit the Pink House, Sandy Hamilton is not only learning some new steps, she’s stepping outside her comfort zone.

“The thought of dancing in front of 1,200 people and four judges is intimidating,” Sandy says. “And I’m 73, which probably makes me the oldest dancer they’ve ever had. I am the Super Senior Star! My professional dance partner, Trevor Guthrie, could almost be my grandson. He’s a National Champion, so dancing with him has been an awesome experience.”

During the sold-out event on Feb. 28 at Knight Theater, Sandy will be joined on stage by her fellow stars Mary Margaret Beaver, David Buffie, Tracy Curtis, Julie Gray, Tom Lane-Brady, Liz Moran, August Olson, Vanessa McPherson Sprague, Jamie Satterfield, Lisa Sherrill, Rick Stack and Stephen Wilson.

Each one of them is paired with an award-winning professional dancer from Charlotte Ballroom. For months, they’ve all been practicing their routines and raising money for the nonprofit Carolina Breast Friends and its mission of helping breast cancer survivors.

After their performances, the top stars will take home titles in three categories: Judge’s Choice, Overall Fundraising Winner and Crowd Pleaser.

Sandy has received donations from the family and friends of her and her husband of almost 51-years, Claude. In a sweet show of support, Claude has also been taking weekly dance lessons at Charlotte Ballroom. “He doesn’t want to miss out!,” Sandy says.

The ladies Sandy golfs with at Myers Park Country Club have raised money in her honor. And the manager of the Trina Turk store at SouthPark Mall hosted a shopping party with 20 percent of the proceeds going to the cause.

All this support has added up - Sandy has exceeded her original $30,000 goal by far (on the day we talked to her she had raised almost $60,000 and that number keeps rising).

“I’ve been surprised how easy it has been to raise money, but that’s because so many people are affected by breast cancer, which is exactly why I’m doing this.”

In between her practice sessions, Sandy took the time to answer The O Report’s questions

Being a dancer at this fundraiser is a huge commitment of time and effort. Why did you agree to participate?

The Pink House is a special place. It offers such wonderful, supportive programs for cancer patients. I have so many friends who have faced breast cancer with tremendous courage. It is the least I can do to help raise funds to continue the great work of Carolina Breast Friends and The Pink House.

What has been your favorite part of the process?

Other than raising money, which has been a joy, it’s trying something new. This is definitely new for me. I was never a gymnast or a cheerleader, but I have always exercised, In my 30s and 40s I even taught an exercise class. Even if you exercise you can get lazy. This has kept me on my toes. Before I started rehearsing, some of my clothes were getting a little tight. A nice bonus of all this dancing is that I’ve lost weight. But the best part is the whole experience. There’s no adventure in sitting on the porch. No matter what your age is or where you are in life, we all still need to dream and reach for those dreams, and together we can do miraculous things. Life is short. Don’t give up. Keep dreaming, keep busy and keep trying new things. 

What has been the most challenging?

Remembering the steps and making it look smooth. i never could do a split. I can’t lay my chest on floor. But Trevor taught me that my lack of flexibility isn’t an excuse for not doing things.

Any details you can share about your performance?

I picked a song with a really great message that is meaningful to me. During our first lesson, Trevor started working on the choreography right then and there. We’re still working on the ending. It’s been a real process. All I can tell you is that there will be some surprises!