‘Dancing With the Stars’ announces first couple, choreographer pairing

Dancing With the Stars, a joint fundraiser of the Rotary Club of Crowley, the Community Outreach Corporation and Crowley Christian Care Center, proudly announces its first pairing of stars and choreographer.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public at a later date and can be obtained by calling the Grand Opera House of the South at 785-0440. Tickets for the Dancing With the Stars event set for Saturday, May 3, which includes pre-event cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction as well, are $100.

The weekend will also include a dress rehearsal open to the public for viewing. The dress rehearsal for the performance is set for Friday, May 2, and tickets will be $50.

Couple number one in search of the highly coveted mirror ball and title of 2014 Dancing With the Stars champions are Noelle Freeland and Travis Webb. Their choreographer is Alison Privat.

Webb may be a familiar face to many as he is the sports director for KATC TV 3. The son of Charisse Webb and Joey Webb, he graduated from Notre Dame High School of Acadia Parish and spent his college years at Syracuse University, finishing with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Voted Louisiana Associated Press Sportscaster of the Year in 2010, 2011 and 2012, and winner of the Louisiana Sports Story of the Year in 2012, Webb will be putting his talents to use in a different area than sports for a change. 

Webb said he is looking forward to having fun while at the same time raising money for a worthy cause.

Freeland, a graduate of Crowley High School and Auburn University, is the daughter of Mary and Tom Freeland. Her nephews, Devin, Trey and Jack are an important part of her family life and she is the self-appointed “World’s Greatest Aunt” (with the coffee mug to prove it).

Her career as vice president of residential lending for Chicago Financial Services keeps her traveling between Illinois and Louisiana several times a year. She is also a member of the board of directors for the Grand Opera House of the South, Krewe of Victoria and volunteers for Imerman Angels, a one-on-one career support group parterning survivors with fighters of all cancers imaginable. She is a five-year survivor of ovarian cancer and will be considered “cancer free” as of February 2014.

Freeland’s friendly competitive nature comes out when asked why she is dancing this year: “Because I want to win!”

Chosen as the choreographer for Webb and Freeland is Alison Privat, who is back for season two of Dancing With the Stars. She is married to Scott Privat and is the mother of Charlie and Graham. 

She received a Bachelor Science degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is also certified in elementary education. She taught second grade at St. Michael School in Crowley and annually choreographs for the school’s Faith Rally.

Privat is a graduate of Hebert Dance Centre, under the direction of Pat and Cathy Hebert, and was a member of Northwestern State University’s Pom Line. She is a former staff member of The Core Dance Studio.

Privat is a member of the Crowley Solitic Club, Child Activity Club and the Krewe of Victoria.

The event’s success is based on raising money through sponsorships, ticket sales and voting. Sponsorships vary in pricing and can be purchased by calling either co-chair Emily Stoma (523-6044) or Mary Zaunbrecher (207-9789). 

Beginning in February, voting for your favorite couple — or couples — may be done online at www.crowleydancestars.com.