Dancing with the Mankato Stars returned for its fifth year but in a new venue, the Verizon Event Center. The event raised $123,415 for the American Red Cross. Nicole Mueller and Tom Fallenstein's Star Wars-theme performance won the overall top award. The School Sisters of Notre Dame Good Counsel Hill won the judges award and Travis Shafer and his partner Jodie Hermer won the people's choice award.
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Dr. Joel Gordon (right) dances with Kristin Elsbernd during Dancing with the Mankato Stars held at the Verizon Performing Center on Saturday. Gordon and Elsbernd's section waved their blue glow sticks in support of their swing dance. Twelve different dancing groups, including the School Sisters of of Notre Dame, were judged by a panel of three judges. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Sergio Peredia dances with Kristin Schuck during Dancing with the Mankato Stars at the Verizon Performance Center. on Saturday night. This is the first year that Dancing with the Mankato Stars has been held at the venue. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Tom Fallenstein (left) and Nicole Mueller practice their routine backstage at Dancing with the Mankato Stars.The event benefits the American Red Cross. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Dr. Paul Hustoles (right) is introduced to the audience at Dancing with the Mankato Stars. His fellow judges for the competition were Sean Simpson (left) and Dr. Kaitlyn Henkelman (center). Photo by Jackson Forderer
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DXP Company dancers talk with their teacher Jennifer James backstage at the Dancing with the Mankato Stars event before their performance. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Hannah Milbauer flips over Brandon Lewis' back during their performance. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Al Roehm and Tiana FitzSimmons dance during their rock'n'roll inspired performance. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Dr. Mark Taylor's father made a surprise appearance with Taylor's dance partner Bailey Zallek. Taylor and Zallek won the pre-fundraising award. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Master of Ceremonies TJ and Lisa from Minnesota 93 introduce a dance performance. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Ben Hoffman starts off his performance with a Slash of Guns'N'Roses impersonation. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Travis Shafer picks up and spins his dance partner Jodie Hermer during their performance. The duo won the people's choice award. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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The School Sisters of Notre Dame Good Counsel Hill dance during the Dancing with the Mankato Stars event. The Sisters were a hit with the audience and also were the top score from the judges. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Tom Fallenstein and Nicole Mueller's stormtrooper outfits are shown on two large screens during the duo's Star Wars-themed performance at the Verizon Performance Center. The pair won the overall award for best performance. Mueller later said, "We were nervous but we knew we could hide behind our masks." Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Julius Bangu jumps over his dance partner Dana Enfield during their hip-hop performance. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Max DeMars gives a thumbs up during his performance with dance partner Jessica Alstad. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Sergio Peredia dances with Kristi Schuck during their contemporary dance performance. Photo by Jackson Forderer
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Tom Weigt (right) dances with Brittany Kemmerer during their Lindy-themed performance. The judges commented on Weigt's duck face during their critiques. Photo by Jackson Forderer
