Published: Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2013 / Updated: Monday, Jan. 14, 2013 05:56 PM
Dancing dentist ready to help Fort Mill’s middle school sports
Orthodontist ready to dance for sports
FORT MILL --
The staff in Dr. Michael Riordan’s Fort Mill orthodontics office didn’t give him much choice about participating in Dancing with the Stars – Fort Mill. After one of his clients suggested he participate in the fundraiser for middle school sports, the office staff said, “Sign him up!”
Riordan jokes that he didn’t have much choice but admits that he is a willing participant. The local orthodontist is practicing for the competition weekly at The Dance Center on Gold Hill Road. He’s been focusing on learning a quickstep and will learn rumba soon, though he confesses that he doesn’t know what that is.
“I’m brave or stupid,” he said. “I have two left feet and this is way out of my realm of comfort.”
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factbox1-B823440608Z" Dinner dance “Dancing with the Stars – Fort Mill” will be held at 6 p.m. Feb. 23 at the Glennon Center in Tega Cay. Proceeds go to the Fort Mill school district Athletic Board, which funds middle school sports programs. Tickets for the show and after-party are $50. VIP tickets are $100 and include dinner, dessert, cocktails and the after-show celebration. Event sponsorships are also available. Tickets can be purchased at fortmillathletics.com.
As he prepares for the competition, we asked him a few questions.
Q: Why did you want to participate? It’s to benefit the kids at the school, so if I have to embarrass myself a little for that, it’s worth it.
Q: Do you have any dance experience? I have zero experience. Zero. I would consider myself a nondancer.
Q: What is your strategy for “Dancing with the Stars – Fort Mill?” Winning is by far and away the least of my concerns. I just want to learn the dance enough not to embarrass myself. Just get through it enough not to make a major blunder. If I would win, I would be surprised. The main thing is just to get awareness out to the people we know, get them to donate and vote and raise enough money to make a big difference for these kids.
Q: Why do you think middle school sports are important? Sports let kids get out and gives them physical activity but also camaraderie with teammates and helps them learn to get along with each other. They need to be exposed to that. A lot of times school is the only place they can get that interaction and experience.
Editor’s note : This is the first in a series of profiles of contestants in “Dancing with the Stars – Fort Mill.”