By Amy Eddings

By popular vote, audience members of “Dancing With the Ada Stars” awarded contestant Jason Duff the coveted Disco Ball trophy.  His vigorous and expressive rendition of the swing with Marina Hattan of the Utah Ballroom Dance Company bested five other Ada locals Saturday night in this stage version of the popular ABC talent competition at the Freed Center for the Performing Arts.

"I am extremely humbled and appreciative,” Duff told the Ada Icon. “It was a wild experience from start to finish, and certainly a wonderful way to celebrate music and the arts in Ada."

Duff and Hattan also won accolades from the judges. Amanda Bennett, director of the Ada Public Library, Paul Nutter, associate professor of engineering at Ohio Northern University, and Jolene Bailey, vice president of branch operations at Quest Federal Credit Union each gave the duo a perfect score of 10.

“You make a good argument for bringing back crushed velvet,” Bennett said of Duff’s costume, which featured a dinner jacket of crushed velvet in royal purple with black lapels.
 
“I got it from Hugh Heffner,” Duff quipped, getting a laugh from the audience.

“I hope you had it dry cleaned,” Bennett replied.

Duff is a graduate of ONU and the founder and CEO of Bellefontaine Ohio Properties, a development firm that purchases and redevelops storefront buildings in Bellefontaine’s downtown. 

The other contestants were:
• Karen Kier, ONU professor of clinical pharmacy, who performed the disco dressed in a shimmery silver top and headband;
• Kelly Kobiela, systems librarian at ONU, who also received a perfect score from the judges for her silky performance of the dance hall two-step;
• Shane Tilton, assistant professor of multimedia journalism at ONU, who danced the mambo with a partner half his height;
• Scott Henning, a former professional opera singer and Ada School’s new director of vocal activities, who romanced his partner with the tango; and this reporter, who was runner-up with the cha-cha.

Ann Donnelly Hamilton, executive assistant to ONU president Dan DiBiasio, served as the “Vanna White” of the competition and presented the trophy.  

The evening was rounded out with a performance of country swing by ONU’s Dance Company and a program of ballroom dances by Utah Ballroom Dance Company. 

This is the second visit by the company to Ada; they brought “Dancing With the Stars” to the Freed in 2015.