![](//www.4rfv.com/images/no_image.jpg)
Dancing with the Stars: Berklee Edition Puts the Fun in Fundraiser The annual dance competition exceeded fundraising goals, fully endowing a new Dance Division scholarship.
By
Sarah Godcher Murphy
January 31, 2024
Audience choice award-winner Wayne Malloy shows off his color guard skills.
Mike Spencer
With each subsequent year, Dancing with the Stars: Berklee Edition sets the bar a little higher, not only as a fundraiser but as a high-energy performance the whole Berklee community looks forward to. This year's event reached new heights in both regards, with 477 donors contributing a little over $31,000-enough funding to fully endow a new Dance Division scholarship.
Named for beloved former Dance Division Director Yasuko Yasi Tokunaga, who led the division from 1989 to 2011, the Tokunaga Scholarship is the second such award to be fully endowed by Dancing with the Stars (DWTS): Berklee Edition. The Dance Division Faculty Award was the first, and it already has proved to be a lifesaver for students who would otherwise be unable to complete their degrees.
I think many of our donors might be surprised by how a relatively small amount of additional aid can make or break a student's ability to remain in school, says Mila Thigpen, chair of dance.
While meeting this important need for students, DWTS: Berklee Edition never fails to bring the fun, she says. Faculty-choreographed performances shine a spotlight on the Dance Division, and give audience members an opportunity to see the stars -i.e., their coworkers and teachers-in a whole new light. I've been told by some staff that Dancing with the Stars: Berklee Edition is their favorite day to come to work, Thigpen says.
This Year's WinnersWith his ginormous rainbow wig, on-point color guard technique, and unflagging enthusiasm, Wayne Malloy, senior project manager in the Office of the President, stole the show-and took home the audience choice award. His routine, Dance the Night, was choreographed and coached by Denise Pons, professor of dance.
Mar a Mart nez Iturriaga, senior vice president for international learning environments at Berklee Valencia, traveled from Spain to compete in the event, and made the trip worthwhile by winning the Mirrorball Trophy for highest team score. Iturriaga's routine-evoking vintage Hollywood musicals of the 1940s and '50s-was choreographed by coach Jim Viera, associate professor of dance.
Mar a Mart nez Iturriaga (center) gets a lift from dance alum Chris Herman (B.F.A. 04).
Mike Spencer
Karen Bell (left) and Anthony Burrell (right) share a moment in their routine, W.O.M.A.N.
Mike Spencer
Natara Gray (center) and student dancers make stunning silhouettes in N Syncopation.
Mike Spencer
Kelly Davidson (left) and Georgia Lipari (right) do the twist in Dirty Dancing.
Mike Spencer
Sergiy Georgiev's tango with Maria Golderg takes a dramatic turn. Goldberg (right) won the Impact Award for most scholarship funds raised.
Mike Spencer
Ruka White (left) gives partner Laks Indrakaran a push in Rehab.
Mike Spencer
Camila Escobar (center) earned high praise from the judges for her Latin dance moves in Que Me Baile.
Mike Spencer
Guest judge Johnny Giraldo (left), of Salsa Y Control, flashes his scorecard at the audience, while fellow judges Tonya Butler (center) and Rob Lagueux (right) look on.
Mike Spencer
A new Dance Division scholarship has been named for Yasuko Tokunaga (left), shown here with Chair of Dance Mila Thigpen, Emiko Tokunaga, and Dean of Dance Tommy Neblett.
Mike Spencer
Chair of Dance Mila Thigpen (far left) joins performers, coaches, and judges for a group photo.
Mike Spencer
Maria Goldberg, senior director of global strategy and innovation, earned the Impact Award for most money raised, with nearly $6,200 from 94 donors. She also won high marks from the judges for her sultry ballroom tango with partner and coach Sergiy Georgiev, associate professor of dance.
Honoring a Dance MentorHaving led the Dance Division for more than 20 years, Yasuko Tokunaga's impact on Boston Conservatory as a whole-and young dancers individually-cannot be overstated. With a scholarship now endowed in her name, Tokunaga's legacy will continue to serve dance students for the foreseeable future.
Tokunaga attended DWTS: Berklee Edition as a special guest, along with her sister Emiko, who also taught dance at the Conservatory and coordinated the Radcliffe Dance Program at Harvard University. To commemorate the new scholarship, a donor's plaque was affixed to chair 105 of row K in the mainstage theater, reading With love and appreciation for Yasuko Tokunaga, for her invaluable dedication to the Dance Division.
Most Popular
15 of the Best Cover Songs (and Why They Work) From Fast Car to Ring of Fire, there's no formula to making a successful cover song. But the best covers answer two important questions.
Latest
Laufey '21
Gemma Warren
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Win at the 2024 Grammy Awards Laufey, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, Miguel Zen n, and Carla Patullo were among the winners of music's most coveted award.
Vimbayi Kaziboni Wins Prestigious Ditson Conductor's Award The Boston Conservatory faculty member joins a group of legendary conductors who have received the esteemed honor.
Audience choice award-winner Wayne Malloy shows off his color guard skills.
Mike Spencer
Dancing with the Stars: Berklee Edition Puts the Fun in Fundraiser The annual dance competition exceeded fundraising goals, fully endowing a new Dance Division scholarship.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
More from Berklee
26/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Nominated for 2024 Emmy Awards Twenty-one Berklee alumni received Emmy nominations this year for music composition, sound mixing, and sound editi...
23/07/2024
Alum Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 The most recent news from your fellow alumni.
July 10, 2024
Emily McGuire B.F.A. '18 of Glendale, CA, found a new love f...
18/07/2024
Faculty Notes: Spring/Summer 2024 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty.
July 8, 2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee Assistant Pro...
18/07/2024
Jim McNeely and Miguel Zen n Named the 2024-2025 Ken Pullig Visiting Scholars in...
18/07/2024
Jim Lucchese Named Berklee's Fifth President A 20-year music industry veteran and a committed artist advocate with deep Berklee roots, Lucchese sets the t...
16/07/2024
Dr. Judith Christie McAllister Joins Gospel Performance Summer Program as Artist...
15/07/2024
Berklee Alumni Publications Win CASE Awards The magazine Berklee Today received a gold award and podcast Pass the Mic earned bronze from the Council for Advan...
11/07/2024
Berklee NYC Honors Largest Class of Master Scholars at 2024 Commencement Grammy and Tony Award-winning alum Charlie Rosen delivered the commencement address a...
09/07/2024
Legendary African Musician Youssou N'Dour Receives Honorary Degree at Berkle...
08/07/2024
Berklee City Music Celebrates Three Decades Empowering Young Artists The program has given generations of musicians-sometimes within the same family-the tools...
08/07/2024
Renate Rohlfing Awarded Mass Cultural Council Grant The music therapy faculty member will use the grant to help foster more opportunities to create in-person co...
06/07/2024
Berklee Online Offers Courses to Students in Juvenile Justice Centers To date, Berklee Online classes are offered at nearly 30 such centers across the United ...
06/07/2024
Working to Make Music More Accessible to All New technologies and changing attitudes mean more disabled musicians are playing instruments.
By
Adrian Ananta...
29/06/2024
Students Help Bring Nona Hendryxs Dream Machine to Life at Lincoln Center A group of electronic production and design majors created sonic landscapes for Hend...
28/06/2024
Dr. Trineice Robinson-Martin Named Chair of the Ensemble Department A renowned vocalist, arranger, and educator, Robinson-Martin is known for developing innov...
26/06/2024
LGBTQ Student Group to Hold Inaugural Pride Music Festival Lavanda, founded by student Emma Whitney, will host Camp Fest, an outdoor music festival and commu...
15/06/2024
What Exactly Is Dad Rock? 21 Songs that Explain the Totally Not Embarrassing Gen...
14/06/2024
Dr. Lenora Helm Hammonds Named Dean of the Professional Education Division A renowned jazz vocalist, educator, and Berklee alumna, Hammonds is known for her i...
13/06/2024
Final Exams or NBA Finals? For These Boston Conservatory Students, It's Both Two commercial dance students joined the Boston Celtics dancers for a memorab...
05/06/2024
Taylor Swifts Global Popularity Explained (Berklees Version) Music business, songwriting, and live production faculty weigh in on what makes Taylor Swift unst...
05/06/2024
Professor and Two Alumni Receive Fulbright Awards Faculty member Stacy Mattingly and alumni Shanelle Villegas and Lili Chey Warren have been selected for Fulb...
05/06/2024
Music and Sustainability at Berklee and Beyond Integrating sustainability practices into music not only helps address environmental concerns but also contribute...
24/05/2024
Boston Conservatory Plays a Leading Role at the 41st Annual Elliot Norton Awards With six wins and eight additional nominations, the Conservatory's theate...
22/05/2024
Berklee's Summer in the City Brings Free Concerts to Boston Area The series will feature Berklee students, faculty, and alumni performing at popular venue...
21/05/2024
Dr. Ray Seol Awarded Grant for Creative Individuals from Mass Cultural Council The grant will expand his Seu Aprendiz project designed to help individuals bui...
15/05/2024
Berklee Artists to Perform at Major US Music Festivals this Summer and Fall The Berklee Popular Music Institute arranged placements at top festivals including...
12/05/2024
Berklee Honors Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa at Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as...
10/05/2024
Berklee Announces 2024 Songs for Social Change Contest Winners Student songwriters shine in the annual contest that recognizes music with a socially conscious...
10/05/2024
Meet Graduates from Berklees Class of 2024 Members of this years graduating class reflect on their proudest moments at Berklee and look ahead to whats next.
...
10/05/2024
Berklee and Audio Engineering Society to Host Symposium on AI in Music The inaugural AES International Symposium on AI and the Musician will highlight excitin...
08/05/2024
Q&A with Visiting Artist Lei Liang The acclaimed composer discusses his collaboration with Boston Conservatory, his work as a research artist, and what it mea...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
02/05/2024
Two Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
By...
30/04/2024
Next Jazz Legacy Announces 2024 Cohort of Women and Nonbinary Awardees The program was created by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender J...
27/04/2024
Berklee's Music and Health Institute Launches Community Health Musician Cert...
25/04/2024
Berklee Student Riko Sasaski Named 2024 Yamaha Young Performing Artist The accomplished saxophonist secured a spot among the elite winners of this year's ...
24/04/2024
Berklee Online to Hold 2024 Berklee Onsite Music Conference May 31-June 1 The in-person conference is open to Berklee Online students and the music community ...
18/04/2024
Krisha Marcano Announced as Dean of Theater for Boston Conservatory at Berklee The theater educator, choreographer, and performer will join Boston Conservator...
18/04/2024
Berklee's Yoon-Ji Lee Receives Guggenheim Fellowship Lee, an assistant professor of composition, creates music based on unconventional and nonlinear struc...
17/04/2024
Simone Pilon Appointed Executive Director at Berklee Valencia Pilon, who has served as Berklee Valencia's interim executive director since March 2023, has a...
17/04/2024
FINNEAS and Ashe Talk Confidence and Collaboration in the Music Industry Days before his sister Billie Eilishs new album announcement, producer and songwriter...
12/04/2024
Youssou NDour to Receive Honorary Doctorate at Berklee Valencia's 2024 Comme...
12/04/2024
Berklee and Electronic Arts Celebrate Annual EA Day The second annual EA Berklee Day celebrated women in the screen scoring industry and presented the Electro...
11/04/2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Honor LaChanze and Lar Lubovitch at Commenceme...
11/04/2024
Berklee Hosts Leading Artists and Entertainment Pros at Annual Career Jam Grammy-winning producer and singer-songwriter FINNEAS and hitmaker Ashe BM 15 headli...
10/04/2024
Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa to Receive Honorary Doctorates at Berklee...
05/04/2024
Berklee Honors Three Outstanding Artists at Alumni Achievement Awards Natalie Toro, Gustavo Borner, and Mark Kelley were recognized for their achievements in ...
05/04/2024
Berklee's Africana Studies Department to Host its First Annual Symposium The inaugural event will feature scholar, political commentator, and author Dr. E...
04/04/2024
Boston Conservatory at Berklee to Present Five Iconic Works at Spring Dance Conc...
04/04/2024
Morton Subotnick Named 2024 Herb Alpert Visiting Artist for Electronic Productio...