Dancing with the Y
October 10, 2026
Dance Teams
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- Alicia Elmore, Beth Oberhaus & Brad Doornbos
- Mackenzie Gabara, Renata Olson & Brian Sims
- Diana Jazenski, Rebecca Krannitz & Eli Hoffert
- Ramon Gaitan, Kelli Simons & Joseph Baumann
- Julia Stanley, Beth Miller & Randy Hill
- Aspen Rose-Wiley, Marci Hensley & Brooks Lucas
- Susan Stoll, Deb Ballard & Dave Johnson
- Bridget Coffey, Gabe Boyer & Derek Wing
- Emcees
- Judges
Alicia Elmore
Choreographer
Alicia has lived in the Cadillac area for 20 years where she works as a physician at Family Practice of Cadillac. Dance has been an
important part of her life since the age of three when she started taking Tap, Jazz, and Ballet lessons and continued for many years. She competed on a dance team called “The Thunderbirds” and then continued her dance training at Hope College. After moving to Cadillac, she taught ballet/hip hop for a few years but now has turned her time to helping with this event. Alicia has been married to her husband Jason for 30 years and has three awesome kids, Zach, Anna, and Drew. She loves to choreograph and is proud to support the Y in such a fun event.
Beth Oberhaus
Dancer
Beth is stepping back onto the dance floor and trading spreadsheets for sequins, at least for one special event! By day, she is a nurse leader focused on Population Health, helping teams stay organized and
improve outcomes. For Dancing with the Y, Beth transforms into a slightly more coordinated version of herself, ready to take on the challenge with plenty of enthusiasm. Beth is supporting the YMCA because she believes strong communities are built through heart, connection, service, and people willing to show up, even if it means risking a few awkward dance moves. When she’s not rehearsing, she enjoys spending time with her family, creating pottery, and planning her next adventure. Beth promises to bring effort, excitement, and just enough rhythm to keep things lively! And make no mistake, this isn’t her
first time hitting the floor, and she’s ready to bring her best.
Mackenzie Gabara
Choreographer
Born and raised in Cadillac, Mackenzie has continued her love of dance since the age of two. She went to Interlochen Arts Academy for high school then continued her dance and
performance education at the University Of Michigan. Throughout her career she has danced in NYC, Paris and Chicago. Now she works at The Landing Dance Academy and the director of The Landing Dance Collective. There she tries to give her
dancers opportunities to perform in various ways so they can spread the love of dance as well. Mackenzie would like to thank her loving husband (Chandlar), their beautiful daughter (Louella), and her parents (Derek and Becky) for supporting her and her dreams!
Renata Olson
Dancer
A relatively new resident of Lake City, this Pure Michigan gal has lived in the Greater Cadillac Area for over 30 years. After graduating from Michigan Tech, Renata and her husband Erik chose Cadillac to call home and raised their twin boys here. She’s always advocated that the area is a great place to live, work
and play; and earlier this year she accepted the responsibility to formally promote the area as Executive Director of the Cadillac Area Visitors Bureau. A previous YMCA Board Member, and active YMCA supporter as far back
as the initial fundraising for the pool, Olson considers the Y to be a critical cornerstone of the Cadillac community. As she makes her debut return to the community after several years working remotely, she is thrilled to be invited back to dance alongside the Y All Stars cast!
Brian Sims
Dancer
Brian Sims is thrilled to be back for the Dancing with the Y All-Stars Edition! After taking on the challenge in 2024, he is excited
to return and once again support the YMCA and its mission of strengthening community through youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. As a chiropractor and advocate for health and wellness, Brian believes movement is essential at every stage of life. Returning to the dance floor is his way of showing that growth never stops and there is always
value in staying active and trying new things. When he is not helping patients at Sims Chiropractic
Wellness Center or finding ways to give back and stay involved in the
community, Brian enjoys spending time with his wife of 28 years, Robin, their three daughters, two sons-in-law, and, of course, the puppies. He is grateful for the opportunity to help raise funds that make a positive impact throughout the community.
Diana Jazenski
Choreographer
Diana Jazenski is Business Development for Heartland Home Health, traveling throughout Northern Michigan and connecting
individuals with the highest level of care they qualify for while building
trusted relationships throughout the communities she serves. Outside of work, Diana enjoys golf, weight training, learning her way around a garden, renovating her historic home, traveling, and spending time on any body of water she can find.
Dance has always been a part of her life. She began dancing at the age of six and has taught in many capacities throughout the years. She
believes dance brings together three things she values most: creativity,
confidence, and connection.
Diana is excited to be part of Dancing With the Y and support such an important cause in the community.
Rebecca Krannitz
Dancer
Rebecca Krannitz is excited to once again support The Cadillac YMCA by competing in the annual Dancing With the Y Stars event. Rebecca and her husband Kris have lived in Cadillac for 19 years. Currently, she is a full time nursing student at Baker College. Becca and her husband enjoy supporting their 4 children, Grace, Sean, Phoebe, and Declan in their various sports and extracurricular activities, supporting the Y and community through volunteerism, while still finding time to travel and spend time with friends whenever possible. In 2016 Becca had the time of her life participating in DWTYS, and is proud to have came away with both the people’s and judges choice trophies. She is over the moon with gratitude for the opportunity to join her partner, Eli Hoffert, to try to win it all once again!
Eli Hoffert
Dancer
I'm Eli Hoffert, owner of Maveric Mechanical and Plumbing and Cadillac High School Wrestling Coach. My DWTYS debut was in 2017, when Jenni Johnson and I donned leather suits and danced our way to a People's Choice win. As a Cadillac native and Cadillac High School graduate, I am an enthusiastic supporter of the YMCA and all it does for our community. From youth programming to disaster support
during difficult times to offering a place for people to focus on their health, the YMCA is a valuable community resource and provides so many important opportunities to our friends and neighbors. The YMCA is especially near and dear to my heart, as it is also the place where I met my wife, Kristi. We have been YMCA members for 15+ years and have enjoyed attending youth programs and events with our children (Maveric and Carsyn).
Ramon Gaitan
Choreographer
Ramon Gaitan was born in Nicaragua and moved to the United States at the age of ten. He danced professionally for 15 years working
with the Richmond Ballet, Ballet Theatre of Maryland, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Dayton Ballet before becoming a ballroom instructor in Dayton, OH. Ramon continues to perform as a guest artist with a variety of ballet
companies, and teaches ballroom classes in Traverse City, MI. He also
teaches private lessons, as well as wedding choreography and corporate events.
Kelli Simons
Dancer
Kelli is a mom of three incredible grown kids, a mother-in-law to two wonderful people she genuinely adores. For years, she has been a proud and passionate member of the
Cadillac Footliters Community Theatre, where she’s learned that there is something truly magical about a group of neighbors coming together to tell stories, make each other laugh, and occasionally move each other to tears. Theater has given her some of her dearest friendships and her greatest joy, and
it’s shaped the way she sees the world. By day she works at Avon Protection, helping keep first
responders and military personnel safe. This community has given her so much, the friendships, the memories, the sense of belonging, and she wants to give a little of that back, one (hopefully graceful) dance step at a time.
Joseph Baumann
Dancer
In my 2017 dance bio, I shared my excitement having moved to
Cadillac only a year earlier (10 years already?!), my day job as the chief
lawyer for Wolverine Power Cooperative, and my love for musical theatre (support the Cadillac Footliters!). All of that remains true, but so does my confession -- I should have taken a LOT more dance as a child. The YMCA's mission serving families and kids in our community brought me back for four
months of rehearsing, pride crushing re-recognition of my two left feet, and certainty that no matter what my feet do, the community wins. So, betray me, feet - I am here to extort money from friends, family, and coworkers for
the greater good!
Julia Stanley
Choreographer
Julia grew up in Cadillac. She and her husband have four amazing children and two grandchildren. Growing up Julia took dance lessons and still loves dancing whenever she can. She has worked part-time for the past 12 years teaching dance classes at the Landing Dance Academy, where her youngest daughter also dances. Julia is also an associate teacher at the Viking Learning Center. This is Julia’s fifth year choreographing for Dancing With The Y Stars. She loves to help support the YMCA and the youth of the community. Julia enjoys getting to know her team and has a lot of fun working with them! Each year is a new adventure!
Beth Miller
Dancer
If you've attended a fundraiser, festival, community event, benefit dinner, ribbon cutting, or random project in Cadillac over the last
decade, you've probably crossed paths with Beth Miller or Randy Hill.
For reasons still being studied by experts, neither Beth nor Randy possess the ability to say "no" when it comes to supporting their community. Fundraisers? Yes. Committees? Yes. Events? Yes. Dancing in front of hundreds of people for a great cause? More than once? Apparently, also yes. Beth, a Cadillac native and current Event Director for NanBop Farm and 9&10 Events, spends most of her days planning community events, fundraisers, weddings, festivals, and just about anything else that brings people together. She took dance lessons as a kid, but like many
childhood hobbies, those skills spent a few decades sitting quietly in storage. Beth first stepped onto the Dancing with the Y Stars stage in 2022, somehow taking home the People's Choice Award (thank you Hannah and Jordan). Now she's back for the 15th Anniversary All-Star event and grateful for your support. Because if history has taught Beth anything, it's that encouragement only leads to her volunteering for more things.
Randy Hill
Dancer
Putting Beth Miller, Julia Stanley, and myself in the same room seems like a recipe for fun, laughter, and hopefully a dance routine. I'm excited to team up with Beth and Julia for the Dancing with the Y Stars All-Star Event, supporting a cause that means so much to our community. I've been fortunate to dance in this event before. In 2015,
I teamed up with Beth Oberhaus and somehow earned the Judges' Choice Award. This year, Beth O. is back—but instead of being my partner, she's my competition. I also had the privilege of dancing with Jeri LaRocque in 2023, proving my dance partners may change, but my enthusiasm for supporting the YMCA
never does. When I'm not attempting dance moves, I serve as Campus
Director at Baker College. Thank you for supporting Beth and me—and remember, every vote helps support a great cause!
Aspen Rose-Wiley
Choreographer
Aspen Rose-Wiley is a manager at Head Start by day and a dance teacher at The Landing Dance by night. Passionate about both early
childhood development and the arts, she loves finding ways to bring people together through movement. Aspen is thrilled to have her dancers step onto the floor tonight to support the YMCA and hopes their performance inspires you to smile, dance along, and donate to a wonderful cause.
Marci Hensley
Dancer
Marci Hensley has called Cadillac home for nearly five years, a transplant from Central MI area. Moved here with her family- Dustin and Aubree. She is excited to return to Dancing with the Y Stars All Stars for her second performance. However she has hung up her tap shoes this time around, since she was a little bit of an overachiever last time…doing things the easy way has never really been her style. This year, she’s ready to bring it with something fresh, fun, and completely out of the box. When she’s not practicing dance moves, you’ll likely find her volunteering or helping with the many community events, festivals, and activities that make the Cadillac area such a special place to live. She’s ready to light up the stage once again with her new partner Brooks and
choreographer Aspen. We are gonna bring some fun, and hopefully earn another mirror ball trophy to sit next to the first one.
Brooks Lucas
Dancer
Brooks Lucas is a lifelong engineer, aviation enthusiast, husband, father, and proud member of the Cadillac community. He has spent the past 32 years at Cadillac Casting, Inc., where he currently serves as Vice President of Facilities Engineering. A licensed Professional Engineer and
instrument-rated pilot working toward his commercial certificate, Brooks enjoys tackling challenges both on the ground and in the air.
Outside of work, you'll usually find him spending time with his wife Christina and their family, flying, hunting, fishing, running, or
working on one of several automotive projects. A former Ironman finisher and endurance athlete, Brooks is no stranger to stepping outside his comfort
zone—but dancing may be his biggest challenge yet. Brooks is honored to support the Cadillac Area YMCA and the opportunities it provides for local youth and families. He appreciates your support and hopes you'll help him dance his way toward a great cause.
Susan Stoll
Choreographer
What a pleasure it is to participate in the Dancing With The Y Stars again! I relocated to the Cadillac area twenty-eight years ago and I love it here. I taught at Pine River Area Schools for over twenty years at several different grade levels. After retiring from teaching, I joined the Cadillac area YMCA staff. Before moving north, I loved taking dance lessons of all genres. Later I taught ballet, gymnastics, Hawaiian dance, and ballroom dancing at the same downstate studio. Upon moving to my current home in Tustin, I taught ballet and gymnastics as an after-school program here in beautiful
northern Michigan. I am truly excited
and honored to be involved with Dancing With The Y Stars again!
Deb Ballard
Dancer
I am excited to return to Dancing with the Y stars. It’s been 13 years since I first hit the stage. For my 2013 dance, I was paired with a pro dance partner not another celebrity. I look forward to dancing with Dave and collaborating with our choreographer Susan. It is amazing to see how much this competition has evolved over the years. I am retired from Lake Osceola State Bank and happy to have time to do
more volunteering in our wonderful community. Currently I am a part of Cadillac Area Habitat for Humanity board, an Ambassador for Missaukee Area Chamber of Commerce, Missaukee Area Community Foundation board and assist the Lake City Robotics Team promotion efforts. When I am not volunteering you can find me at home with my husband, Lee and my poodle, Parker while awaiting coffee visits from my son Jake and grand dog Ruger.
Dave Johnson
Dancer
Dave Johnson is a consultant at Wexford-Missaukee ISD, where
he supports teachers, students, and school leaders across the region - but not in dancing. A former people's choice winner, Dave is returning for the All Stars year with the same dangerous combination of enthusiasm, questionable
judgment, and willingness to say yes before fully understanding the
consequences. When he is not working with schools, building apps, or pretending his knees are younger than they are, Dave enjoys time with his family and finding new ways to support the community. He is proud to be back on the dance floor in support of the YMCA and its mission.
Bridget Coffey
Choreographer
The Dancing with the Y Stars event is one of Bridget’s annual highlights! 15 years ago, she participated as a dancing “child” star, tonight she is honored to be a part of the “all stars” team! Over the years she went on to choreograph two award winning couples and this year plans to defend her title with Gabe and Derek! When Bridget is not rehearsing for Dancing with the Y Stars, you can find her at the YMCA working out, teaching at the Landing
Dance Academy, walking her dog, and enjoying the lake with her husband David.
Gabe Boyer
Dancer
Gabe Boyer is thrilled to return to the Dancing with the Y Stars stage. Dance was a major part of her life growing up, and she spent 15 years training before shifting her focus to a career, marriage, and motherhood.
This event is the perfect opportunity to lace up her dance shoes once again. By day, Gabe works as a financial advisor at Ameriprise and
you can also find her at Mackinaw Trail Pediatrics, where she enjoys connecting with local families and familiar faces throughout the community. Outside of work and rehearsals, Gabe stays busy with her
husband, Casey, and their energetic 3-year-old daughter, Adele, who keeps life filled with laughter, adventure, and spontaneous dance parties. Many may remember Gabe from Dancing with the Y Stars 2022,
when she and her partner earned the Judges’ Choice Award for their jive to
“Candyman.” She’s excited to return, push herself creatively, and support the YMCA and its lasting impact on the community. Thank you for supporting Dancing with the Y Stars and celebrating this year’s dancers!
Derek Wing
Dancer
Derek is excited to be back on the Dancing with the Y Stars stage for another year, once again dancing to help raise funds for the Cadillac Area YMCA and the incredible programs that strengthen our community.
A proud Cadillac native, Derek and his wife, Tricia, have been married for 19 years and are raising five active kids who keep them busy with sports, school, and community activities. Their family has deep roots in the area, and the YMCA has been an important part of helping local families stay active, healthy, and connected. When he’s not at home or cheering from the sidelines, Derek serves as the DPW Superintendent for the Village of Marion and co-owns LONOMI CrossFit in Cadillac. He’s passionate about helping others improve their health, build confidence, and discover what they’re capable of—values that align perfectly with the YMCA’s mission. Returning to the dance floor isn’t just about learning new moves—it’s about giving back. Derek is honored to once again support the YMCA’s mission of providing youth programs, wellness opportunities, and financial assistance so everyone in our community has the chance to thrive.
He hopes you’ll join him in supporting this great cause. Every vote, donation, and word of encouragement helps make a lasting impact. Let’s make this year’s Dancing with the Y Stars the biggest and best yet!
Jamie ManKiewicz
Emcee
Jay Simon
Emcee
Better known as “Deb’s husband,” Jay Simon has made Cadillac his home for the last 23 years, involving himself in various community events and taking any opportunity to hog a mic and stage for any purpose. Near the bottom of most everyone’s list of potential emcees, he’s thrilled to attempt to step into the gargantuan shoes of those charismatic superstars who’ve come before him as DWTYS hosts. He and his far better half Deb — 2025’s Judges Choice winners, he’d like to mention — have been together since the late 1900s, and that relationship has thrived on a rare combination of caffeine, sarcasm, and the kind of love one only finds after too many hours of early 90s alternative hits.
Lindsay Rumohr
Judge
Lindsay Rumohr began her dance training in her hometown of Boise, Idaho. She earned a dance scholarship and continued her training at Hope College and earned BAs in Communications and Dance Performance & Choreography. She danced with regional professional companies and has been teaching dance for over 20 years. But her favorite dance accomplishment is starting The Landing Dance Academy in Cadillac, Michigan with some of the most amazing women she knows. She and her husband Luke have three children and enjoy spending their free time exploring the outdoors together.
Sally Goggin
Judge
Sally began her performing career at the impressionable age of seven under the tutelage of Miss Arabie Blynn. Miss Blynn had enjoyed an illustrious career as a professional ballerina in NYC during the 1930’s. Her studio and Miss Blynn were like in A Chorus Line, “...Up the steep and
very narrow stairway to the voice like a metronome …” Sally brings to DWTY her discipline and her experience of performing in hundreds of stage productions (including A Chorus Line). She has served as ‘Sparkle Consultant’ to nearly every DWTY dance couple, adding spit and polish to our competition.
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