Meet the Dancers!
Photo Contributed
Photo Contributed
By Jana E. Pye, Editor, editor@newsandpress.net
The 4th Annual Dancing with the Stars of Darlington County fundraising event for Pee Dee Coalition Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault will be held on Thursday, January 26, 2017 at the Center Theater in Hartsville, and the dance team pairs have been hard at work perfecting their routine. Each local celebrity is paired with a professional dancer, and the pair will compete for the winner of the event. The People’s Choice Award winner from votes purchased by fans before and during the event. The public is invited to vote for their favorite couple for the People’s Choice Award at the DWTS website www.darlingtoncountydancingwiththestars.com.
The event is a major fundraising effort to raise money for Pee Dee Coalition to assist victims of domestic abuse and sexual assault.
Sponsors for the event are: Curry and Debbie Dawkins, West Oil, Hartsville Family Dentistry, North Industrial Machine, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Kiwanis Club of Hartsville, and Raceway Ford and Chevrolet.
The second in the series introducing the pairs are the dance teams of:
• Jeffery Tadlock (Professional) & Autumne Stuart (Celebrity). Their dance style is Swing; choreographer is Brenda Cranford.
• Frida James (Pro) & Bob Brown (Celebrity). Their dance style is Rumba; choreographer is Frida James.
Jeffery Tadlock (Professional) & Autumne Stuart (Celebrity). Their dance style is Swing; choreographer is Brenda Cranford.
Jeffery is a 6th grade social studies teacher at Hartsville Middle School and he is also the Director of Program Ministries at Wesley United Methodist Church in Hartsville. Jeffery serves on the Coker College Alumni Board, where he is a graduate of the class of 2013. Most recently, he began serving as a mentor for Coker College’s new Mentoring Experience Program. He also serves as a lay delegate to the South Carolina United Methodist Conference and is a member of the Hartsville District Congregational Development Committee. He is a volunteer with the Pee Dee Make-a-Wish chapter and volunteers frequently at Give Kids the World Village in Orlando, FL.
When Jeffery is not working or volunteering, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, especially his nieces, Rylee and Kendall. He is excited to participate in DWTS this year and looks forward to helping in the fight against domestic violence.
Autumne Stuart is a driven Georgia Tech Chemical Engineer currently employed with Sonoco Products as an R & D Engineer with a decade of progressive experience. She is also a graduate of Spellman College. Autumne is Vice Chair for the Hartsville Boys and Girls Club and a certified Zumba instructor!
The dance team’s choreographer is Brenda Cranford, the Owner/Director of the Brenda Cranford School of Dance in Hartsville. She opened BCSD in 1981 and enjoys being very active in community events. Her studio was named by Dance Spirit Magazine as one of the Top 50 dance studios in America in 1997. She is the proud recipient of the Chamber of Commerce’s awards of 2013 Business Person of the Year. She is married to Kim Cranford, manager of Center Theater and is mother to two daughters, Whitney and Jaimie.
Frida James (Pro) & Bob Brown (Celebrity). Their dance style is Rumba; choreographer is Frida James.
Frida James has been involved in sports her whole life. She began dancing in high school, graduating from Coker College with a BA in Dance. During her college days, Frida was an intern with Brenda Cranford School of Dance. Frida moved to Charleston to pursue dance. She taught at Arthur Murray Dance Studio. Frida moved back to Hartsville three years ago. She became active in FIA: Females in Action, a non-profit group, leading and supporting other women to become stronger as individuals and in the community. Frida continues to dance while cooking in the kitchen and on stage. She looks forward to this opportunity to choreograph and dance as part of the fundraiser.
Bob Brown is President and CEO of Integrated Systems, Inc. Bob is an entrepreneur, having begun a furniture making business at the ripe old age of 12. He and several other Hartsville residents have helped transform downtown Hartsville – the largest endeavor being Mantissa, an Executive Boutique Hotel, Day Spa, and Steakhouse. He is a fabulous supporter of many local organizations, loves flying, fly-fishing, and continues to make furniture.