Of the nine physicians training long, hard and often to compete in the second annual Dancing with the Docs fundraising gala, only one will be taking home the prized Medicine Ball Award on Saturday, April 2nd.
Who it becomes is anyone’s guess but you pretty well know, come this spring, what the hot topic of water cooler chitchat at The Ottawa Hospital will be.
Dr. Phil Wells with his dance partner Kaity Schertzberg from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio at last year’s Dancing with the Docs benefit for the Department of Medicine Transplant Victory Fund, held Saturday, May 30, 2015, at the Shaw Centre.
The daring doctors-turned-dancers are going to cha-cha to raise ching-ching. Cheering and applauding them on will be an audience of about 600 at the Hilton Lac Leamy.
The physicians are performing various ballroom dances, including the waltz, tango and samba, at the $195-a-ticket dinner hosted by The Ottawa Hospital’s Department of Medicine in support of its Patient Urgent Needs Fund and Transplant Victory Fund.
This year’s dancing docs are: Dr. Avi Chatterjee, a gastroenterologist; Dr. Nancy Dudek, a psychiatrist; Dr. Erin Keely, an endocrinologist; Dr. Tiago Mestre, a neurologist; Dr. Mitchell Sabloff, a hematologist; Dr. Yoko S. Schreiber, an infectious disease specialist; Dr. Ed Spilg, a geriatrician; Dr. Amanda Young, an internal medicine resident; and Dr. Jocelyn Zwicker, a neurologist.
Ottawa gastroenterologist Dr. Avi Chatterjee practises his cha-cha-cha with pro dance partner Kaity Schertzberg at the Arthur Murray dance studio on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, for the upcoming Dancing with the Docs fundraising gala in April.
Dr. Amanda Young, an internal medicine resident, learns her samba moves with pro dance partner Vadim Safonov at the Arthur Murray dance studio on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, for the second annual Dancing with the Docs gala happening April 2.
Among the contestants with a love of this physical art form is Zwicker. She used to dream as a kid of becoming a dancer. “I’ve always looked at dancers thinking, ‘With the right training, I bet you I can do that’,” Zwicker told Around Town after completing her most recent dance lesson at the Arthur Murray studio in Little Italy. “Now is the time to prove myself.”
Ottawa neurologist Dr. Jocelyn Zwicker, seen in rehearsal at the Arthur Murray dance studio on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 with her pro dance partner Veycheslav (Slavik) Tudorovsky, is performing a Latin dance number at this year’s Dancing with the Docs gala fundraiser in early April.
Zwicker was inspired to take part after sitting in the audience last year (Dr. Carol Gonsalves took home the coveted trophy while Dr. Kayvan Amjadi won the award for raising the most dough through online voting). She watched her colleague, Dr. Michael Schlossmacher, give it his all in the competition. “I was impressed with his performance,” said Zwicker, who didn’t think of Schlossmacher as the dancing type. “I thought: If he can do it, I can do it.”
Dr. Carol Gonsalves with her dance partner, Veycheslav (Slavik) Tudorovsky, from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio at the 2015 Dancing with the Docs benefit for the Department of Medicine Transplant Victory Fund.
Dr. Michael Schlossmacher with his dance partner Marilisa Granzotto from the Arthur Murray Dance Studio at last year’s Dancing with the Docs benefit for the Department of Medicine Transplant Victory Fund, held Saturday, May 30, 2015, at the Shaw Centre.
Ottawa Business Interiors is once again the title sponsor while Olympic figure skater Liz Manley is returning to help judge. As well, well-known personality ‘Stuntman’ Stu Schwartz is back to MC. Sizzle with Decor will again work its magic on transforming the venue into a place of elegance and beauty.
Dr. Anne McCarthy, an infectious disease physician, and Tracy Serafini, a communications and public relations officer with the Department of Medicine, are joined in their event co-chair duties by Dr. Elianna Saidenberg, a hematopathologist.
Dr. Amanda Young, an internal medicine resident, learns her samba moves with pro dance partner Vadim Safonov at the Arthur Murray dance studio on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, for the second annual Dancing with the Docs gala happening April 2.
Ottawa gastroenterologist Dr. Avi Chatterjee makes it look easy with pro dance partner Kaity Schertzberg at the Arthur Murray dance studio on Tuesday, February 9, 2016, for the upcoming Dancing with the Docs fundraising gala in April.
For more information, check out dancingwiththedocsottawa.ca
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