About Ballroom Blitz

Follow Susan Gilmor as she trains to compete in Dancing With the Forsyth County Stars on April 9.

She’s learning the mambo from her partner Ranko Bogosavac, a national champion in his native country, the former Yugoslavia.

Dancing with the Forsyth County Stars is a fundraiser for Communities in Schools, which works to keep students from dropping out of school. Local "celebrities" are matched with professional dance instructors from Fred Astaire dance studio in Clemmons, who are donating their time.

Susan will be competing against Mayor Allen Joines, State Rep. Earline Parmon, Sheryll Strode of Graduate It Pays, Donna Stoddard and John Stoddard of the Fulton Family YMCA, Saundra Walker of the Dynacon Center and Rodney Ellis Jr. of the N.C. Association of Educators.

The competition will be held at 7 p.m. April 9 at the Millennium Center, 101 W. Fifth St. Tickets go on sale Feb. 21 and cost $35, $50 for special seating, $10 for youth tickets. For tickets, go to www.cisfc.com/tickets or call (336) 397-9983.

To check out her competition, visit www.cisfc.com, which will soon be updated with competitors’ bios, photos and videos of their rehearsals.

About the author

Susan Gilmor, 44, has worked at the Winston-Salem Journal for 18 years. She's currently the Relish editor, business editor and an assistant metro editor.

She's a native of North Canton, Ohio, a graduate of Wake Forest University, and a longtime, and long-suffering, fan of the Cleveland Browns.

She loves dancing and is thrilled to be competing in Dancing with the Forsyth County Stars.