4 days ago
‘Dancing with the Arc' to return to Innovative Field Thursday: How to get involved
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — If you're in the mood to dance, The Arc of Monroe has you covered when its third annual 'Dancing with the Arc' competition returns to Innovative Field this Thursday!
Five Rochester 'celebrities' including News 8's Gio Battaglia, alongside five people supported by the Arc of Monroe are paired together to learn a dance. Each duo will perform their routine for a panel of celebrity judges on Thursday.
Each duo's dance also has its own theme. Gio alongside his partner Georgana will be performing a tribute to 'Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour' — incorporating songs from the 'reputation' and '1989' eras.
News 8 stopped by Sunday morning's rehearsal to watch the dance and hear a bit more about the competition from Gio, Georgana, and their choreographer, Nazareth University student Grace Burkin.
'It's a lot of fun in the studio, just being able to come in and shake it off, having a lot of fun, just kind of being creative through movement and exploring yourself in a different way,' Burkin said. 'Access is one of the most important things for accessibility and inclusion. And so, supporting things like the Arc of Monroe through Dancing with the Arc and other fundraisers is really important.'
'It just worked out perfectly,' Dancing with the Arc dancer Georgana Morsch said. 'The pairing was amazing, and I knew he was gonna be the best partner.'
She also added why she likes to dance.
'I like to dance because it's like good exercise and feel the beat of the music,' Morsch said.
'Coming into the competition, knowing that you have a partner with your likeness definitely helped make the dance more energetic. And we're excited to show everyone at Innovative Field!,' News 8's Gio Battaglia said. 'It's just fun. You get to see five amazing couples dance. They put so much time and energy into it that it makes it all worth it.'
Tickets for the event are $25 — with $10 of that being a voucher that can be used for food and drinks inside the stadium. And if you can't make it to Innovative Field Thursday, you can show your support with a $5 vote for your favorite couple which goes directly to The Arc of Monroe.
For more information, utilize the following links:
Dancing with the Arc: Event Overview
Dancing with the Arc: Vote for Gio & Georgana
Dancing with the Arc: Buy tickets for the event
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.